Symposium "Addressing Climate Risks and Challenges in Eastern Europe’’

There is still a fragmented approach to climate resilience in Eastern Europe despite growing awareness. There is a wide disparity between high-level policy frameworks and the actionable solutions needed at the local level. The symposium was born out of the urgent need to synthesize knowledge, facilitate sharing of cross-border best practices, and build a common regional voice. It is that platform that will quickly unite the scientific elite among scientists, policymakers, private sector players, and civil society and would act as a vehicle to act rapidly to ensure that threats that break with border-less society are dealt with as one.

This symposium is critical to safeguarding the long-term viability of Eastern Europe. It enables stakeholders to proactively safeguard communities, protect economic assets, and preserve critical ecosystems by creating a common understanding of risks. The event will also facilitate mainstreaming of climate adaptation in national and regional development plans, helping to guarantee that the green transition is just, inclusive, and economically viable. Moreover, it enhances the region’s position to work towards worldwide climate goals, indicating that, in achieving long-term sustainability and prosperity, overcoming climate vulnerabilities becomes vital.

The main objective of the Symposium is to foster a collaborative and action-oriented dialogue among key stakeholders to develop a shared vision and practical pathways for handling climate change in Eastern Europe. 

The specific objectives are:

a) To identify and prioritize the climate-related risks faced by Eastern Europe which will be greatest for agriculture, water, public health, and infrastructure.

b) To identify and support new and innovative adaptation and mitigation responses: Highlight scalable best practices, technology breakthroughs, and nature-based solutions from the region as well as beyond the region, particularly in respect of financing mechanisms, resilient urban planning, sustainable agriculture, and clean energy transitions. 

c) To enhance collaboration with regional partners and capabilities: Develop sustainable, persistent networks of actors committed to continued cooperation, supporting the preparation of a framework for a joint action plan and institutional infrastructure for climate governance, data sharing, and policy execution.

The symposium will be structured around a set of key thematic pillars:

1. Transboundary Water Management and Drought Resilience: Addressing shared river basins (e.g., Danube, Dniester), increasing aridity, and cooperative strategies for managing water scarcity for agriculture, ecosystems, and communities.
2. Forest Management and the Dual Threat of Pests & Wildfires: Discussing the vulnerability of the region's vast forests to climate-amplified bark beetle infestations and more frequent, severe wildfires, and strategies for adaptive forestry.
3. Climate-Smart Agriculture and Soil Conservation: Exploring adaptation for key crops, combating soil erosion from increased rainfall intensity, and promoting sustainable practices to ensure food security and protect vital Chernozem (black soil) regions.
4. Just Transition in Coal-Dependent Regions: Focusing on the socioeconomic transformation of Eastern Europe's significant coal basins (e.g., Silesia, the Danube region), securing green jobs, and repurposing energy infrastructure.
5. Resilience of Soviet-Era Infrastructure: Assessing and planning the retrofitting or replacement of aging energy grids, industrial facilities, and housing stock to withstand new climate stressors like heatwaves and flooding.
6. Balkan Flood Risk and Flash Flood Management: Developing early warning systems, natural water retention measures, and land-use planning to mitigate catastrophic flood risks in the Balkan peninsula's mountainous topography.
7. Carpathian Mountains as a Climate Refuge and Biodiversity Hotspot: Protecting and managing this critical ecoregion for endemic species, sustainable tourism, and its role as a vital carbon sink and water tower for the region. 
8. Urban Heat Islands and Public Health in Eastern European Cities: Tackling rising temperatures in dense urban centers with limited green space, focusing on cooling strategies, protecting vulnerable populations, and reducing heat-related mortality.
9. Financing the Transition: Accessing EU Green Deal Funds and International Climate Finance: A practical guide for municipalities and national governments to navigate and secure funding from mechanisms like the Just Transition Fund and global climate finance for local projects.
10.  Regional Energy Security through Renewable Integration: Leveraging the potential for wind (Baltic, Black Sea), solar, and biomass to diversify energy mixes, reduce dependency, and build a decentralised, climate-resilient power grid
11. Climate trends, extremes and projections.

Other themes may also be considered, please contact the organisers to discuss them.

There are two possibilities for attending the symposium:
1. By only attending the symposium (without a presentation): please register via the following form: https://forms.office.com/e/RXe7M7dAP6
2. By delivering an oral presentation: Researchers may submit any complete, original, and unpublished research papers, either conceptual or empirical. To participate, participants need to submit an abstract of 200 to 300 words, along with the authors' names and full contact details via the following form: https://forms.office.com/e/du3AaF1HGT
For those who submitted an abstract: The authors will receive an email with the registration and payment details. In case you already want to proceed with it, please register here: https://forms.office.com/e/RXe7M7dAP

• Abstract Submission: 30 April 2026
• Registration Deadline: 15 June 2026
• Full paper submission for the Book (after the symposium): 30 September 2026

In order to offset some of the costs of organising the event, a registration fee of Euro 295 (plus taxes) will be charged per delegate. The fee also includes the coffee breaks and lunches during the days of the Symposium.

Papers admitted to the event and presented at it may be submitted to the book "Addressing Climate Risks and Challenges in Eastern Europe.  This will be published by Springer Nature as part of the Climate Change Management Series, the leading peer-reviewed book series on matters  related to climate change:  https://link.springer.com/series/8740.  

Each author will be given a complimentary PDF of their chapters and the book. The submission is not mandatory; it is only suggested. 

The Symposium is organised by Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics University of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Academy of Sciences and Arts of the Republic of Srpska in cooperation with the Research and Transfer Centre "Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management" at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences in Germany, together with the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme  and the International Climate Change Information and Research Programme.

• Venue: Academy of Sciences and Arts of the Republic of Srpska  and Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Hosts: University of Banja Luka, Academy of Sciences and Arts of the Republic of Srpska  and Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
• Collaboration partners:  Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency of the Republic of Srpska, UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina, Center for Climatic Research

The University of Banja Luka is a highly suitable event location for the climate symposium due to its established history of hosting international events. Additionally, the city is actively engaged in smart urban water management initiatives, demonstrating a commitment to water issues that would resonate with symposium attendees.  The nearest Airports are Banja Luka Airport and the airport in Zagreb, Croatia (ca. 160 km away).
 

For any information, contact the organising team at: FTZ-NK-Events (at) haw-hamburg (dot) de