27.03.2024.
The Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund has launched a Public Call for co-financing climate change adaptation measures to strengthen the resilience of urban areas. The Call, which is traditionally implemented under the slogan "The Green Side of the Street", is worth 17 million euros and is intended for the projects of regional and local units aimed at developing the resilience of their cities and municipalities.Director of the Fund Luka Balen pointed out that in the two years of implementation of this programme, which is implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, the Fund had already supported 122 projects for which HRK 28 million were provided. "This year, 17 million euros are available, and it will be possible to get 350,000 euros for individual projects, with large cities and counties being eligible for applying up to 2 projects for co-financing," Balen explained. "We should bear in mind that greening urban areas requires meticulous planning and gives an excellent opportunity to change or enhance the cityscape. It is also a concrete infrastructure measure, which will ensure less warming and make our cities not only more comfortable to live in, but also more resilient to all the challenges we can expect due to climate change," said the Fund's director.
Urban greening, i.e. planting trees in urban and periurban areas, is one of the best ways to ensure better air quality and quality of people’s health. However, in addition to urban greening, local units can also invest funds in projects for greening canopies at public transport stops, construction of public taps with drinking water, urban garden projects, construction of pedestrian and cycle paths, rainwater collection systems, as well as in projects for informing and educating the public about climate change.
All this together forms the basis for rethinking different urban planning and is aimed at reducing the risk of damage that can be caused by climate change. These changes are already evident today, so it is important to do everything we can to slow them down and reduce their impact to a minimum.
