Organiser: Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

Format: in person

In the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region, achieving environmental and climate resilience remains a challenge, further exacerbated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, whose consequences are impacting the whole region. The war caused enormous damage to the nature, polluted the air, water and soil, and led to increased greenhouse gas emissions. The war also influenced many aspects of ongoing reforms in the EaP countries, caused a slow down in the energy transition, and a further decline of environmental and climate priorities.

All EaP countries are facing significant climate change related threats. Forest fires induced by droughts, extreme precipitation, heat waves, and mudslides are becoming more common. Besides the climate change impact, the biodiversity loss, water quality and quantity decline, deforestation, and urban air pollution are major environmental security issues for the EaP countries. Nevertheless, environmental degradation is not being perceived by the EaP countries’ governments, local authorities, business and the public as immediate danger.

The event will focus on the main environment and security challenges in the EaP countries and highlights the extent to which energy and climate change challenges impact environmental security in the EaP region.