The present report on national Climate Change research programmes in Western Balkan countries (D3.15: Common database on national science policies towards global issues”) was updated in September and October 2010 (the first report was drafted on December 2008). The report is based on information received from our correspondents from Western Balkan Countries (Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo [under UNSCR 1244], Montenegro, Serbia) through online questionnaire http://www.global-issues-rtd.info/programmes/blank and complemented by desk research which was carried out by staff of Centre for Social Innovation Vienna.

Gathering the information turned out to be a big challenge, which could be accomplished only partially, because Climate Change research specific “programmes” do not exist yet in the Western Balkans Countries. Our investigation has also shown that specific programmes in which a coherent set of RTD activities over a wider area of scientific disciplines would have been put together with clear sources of funding could not be identified in WBCs.

Through this study, several governmental climate change strategies with RTD components (some of them directly linked with UNFCCC), RTD climate change projects and one Regional framework action plan (South East European Climate Change Framework Action Plan for Adaption) have been identified in WBCs (http://www.global-issues-rtd.info/programmes/list).

The climate change (scientific) capacity building governance process which appear to be of highest relevance for WBCs is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – UNFCCC . Till October 2010 Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have submitted their national communications to UNFCCC. In Montenegro the national communication is already prepared and will be submitted to UNFCCC till the end of 2010. In Serbia the national communication UNFCCC is currently in preparation.

Detailed information about current developments in Western Balkans Countries in the field of national science policies towards global issues with regard to Climate Change Research in WBCs are available in the attached document.

By Gorazd Weiss.