Lithuanian experts are going to help Palestine make progress in environmental and climate change governance
A joint project proposal submitted by Lithuanian authorities in collaboration with their Austrian counterparts has successfully secured €1.5 million in funding from the EU Twinning Programme for a project in Palestine. The initiative, led by the Environmental Project Management Agency (EPA) in conjunction with the Ministry of the Environment, the Central Project Management Agency, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology, the Austrian Environment Agency, and the National Institute for Public Health of the Centre of Excellence for Climate and Health, aims to enhance the integration of Palestinian environmental and climate change considerations into the national development strategy and other policy areas.
Dainius Kazlauskas, Deputy Director of the APHA, who is heading the project, emphasizes the significance of climate change mitigation in their current policy agenda. He states, "We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Palestinian experts, sharing our experience in formulating and effectively implementing a national strategy for climate change management, selecting impactful directions, and taking decisive actions across various sectors." The two-year project, set to commence in the coming autumn, will involve experts not only from Lithuania and Austria but also from various EU countries.
The project's objectives include assessing the current integration of environmental and climate change aspects into other policy areas, developing guidelines for their seamless integration, and providing support from European experts for the practical implementation of environmental and climate change management policies into selected national strategies. Mr. Kazlauskas acknowledges the challenges of coordinating the first EU Twinning project in the Middle East in the environmental sector but expresses confidence in the success of the project. He notes, "A well-balanced consortium of European environmental leaders will ensure the project's success and contribute to addressing the challenges we all face."
The EU Twinning Programme aims to foster collaboration between sister institutions in different countries, strengthen the administrative capacity of beneficiary countries, and assist them in implementing necessary reforms.
Information provided by the Environment Project Management Agency