MRR PROJECT

USAID Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture Project

Project Background

The five-year, $1.68 million, Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture project, implemented by Rural Development Network, began in April 2012. The project introduced pioneering steps to address climate change adaptation issues in the agricultural sector. The project focused on implementation of measures in the Mediterranean zone, including the Vardar region and parts of Strumica and Sveti Nikole, agriculturally rich areas that are most affected by climate change. The project is organized around two main components:

  • Adaptive agricultural practices related to climate change – including investments for testing and promotion of simple and cost effective field-level adaptive practices targeting small farmers; and
  • Public awareness and civil society capacity strengthening – a comprehensive public awareness and outreach program combined with a capacity strengthening program tailored to the needs of grass-roots civil society institutions.

Within Component I, the project has tested new adaptive measures and techniques for decreasing the negative effects of climate change in 6 project modules: orchards, vineyards, vegetables, soil loss, water saving, and livestock. The project established 28 demonstration plots and farms for testing different adaptive measures such as: installation of UV protective nets to reduce sunburn damage on crops; utilization of various mulching techniques; introduction of cover crops; water-saving irrigation technologies; introduction of drought-tolerant crops; soil conservation practices, and reduction of heat stress in livestock. The weather stations placed by the ACCA project, provide the scientific and farming community with important weather data from the most climate-change affected areas of Macedonia.

The results from the tested adaptive measures were developed in advisory packages which include 11 different brochures, two studies (one on agriculture adaptation to climate change in Macedonia and a study on the effects of climate change on the livestock sector) and five videos on climate change adaptation in orchards, vineyards, vegetables, soil and livestock losses.

The results obtained included:

  • elimination of damage from hail in open-field vegetable and table grape production, and no sunburn damage to leaves and fruits covered with ultra-violet (UV) nets;
  • 55% higher yield in pear orchards due to the use of UV nets, and an increase in the quality of peaches due to new pruning and thinning techniques;
  • 24% increase in milk production due to installing ventilation and fogging systems in the summer when heat depresses milk yield, and a 12% increase in daily milk yield in farms using a new climate change adaptive nutrition regime;
  • 92% reduction of sediment loss with the use of contour soil cultivation techniques compared to traditional downslope soil cultivation;
  • 89% reduction of soil loss in downslope terrains sowed with cover crops; and
  • 50% of water saved with use of ultra-low volume drip irrigation.

Within Component II, more than 2,650 farmers, local government representatives, agriculture extension agents, CSOs, journalists, and university students participated in in-door and on-site workshops, the Climate Change Caravan, and in a quiz-bowl type Climate Change Contest for students from all 10 agricultural secondary schools, increasing the public’s knowledge and awareness of the impact of climate change on the agricultural sector in Macedonia.

Five Local Action Groups (LAGs) (LAG Belasica-Ograzden, LAG Bojmija, LAG Plachkovica, LAG Bregalnica, and LAG Malesh-Pijanec) were established under the principles of the EU LEADER approach. Through capacity strengthening activities, these LAGs, as public-private partnerships, finalized five Local Development Strategies incorporating actions to improve stakeholders’ inclusion in the decision-making process regarding relevant community issues. These initiatives encompass 21 municipalities of the East and Southeast Planning region.

Moreover, ACCA established a formal partnership with the National Extension Agency NEA in order to build the capacity of Macedonia’s agricultural advisors, which will ensure sustainable dissemination of the project’s cutting-edge work.

ACCA also implemented a number of activities that included direct technical assistance to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy (MAFWE), civil society capacity building and LEADER activities in conjunction with the Regional Development Centers (RDC) in southeastern and eastern Macedonia. The project supported capacity building of the stakeholders from 21 municipalities from the Eastern and the Southeastern Planning Region, including the LEADER approach, which led to the development of five Local Action Group initiatives.

Promotion of EU LEADER Approach in Southeast Planning Region of the Republic of Macedonia

On February 18th, at the hotel Romantik in Dojran, the Rural Development Network of the Republic of Macedonia (RDN of RM) together with the Center for Development of the Southeast Planning Region (CDSEPR) held an informative workshop to present the activities related to EU LEADER approach and to emphasize the significance of LEADER as a future IPARD measure in the Republic of Macedonia.

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SHARING THE RESULTS AND ACHIEVMENTS FROM THE USAID PROJECT FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN AGRICULTURE

On February 21st 2014, in Bitola, the Rural Development Network of the Republic of Macedonia, organized a workshop for NEA (National Extension Agency) advisors and farmers, in order to present them the benefits and the results of the agricultural measures for adaptation to climate change, which were tested and demonstrated within the USAID Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture project during the past two years. 

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Rural Development Network of the Republic of Macedonia on Study Tour to USA

USAID Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture project’s Deputy Chief of Party, Vesela Lambevska Domazetova, together with a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, Lidija Chadikovska, participated in the International Visitor Leadership Project entitled “Climate Change Resiliency” which was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and administrated by World Learning.

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SHARING THE RESULTS AND ACHIEVMENTS FROM THE USAID PROJECT FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN AGRICULTURE

On December the 13-th 2013 in Rosoman, the Rural development network organized a workshop in order to share experiences and results from adaptive agricultural practices, implemented and tested in the period from the beginning of the implementation of USAID project for Adaptation to climate change in agriculture, April 2012 to present day.

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COMMENCING ACTIVITIES FOR PROMOTION OF THE LEADER APPROACH IN THE SOUTH – EAST PLANNING REGION OF REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

As a part of the USAID project for Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture, Rural Development Network of Republic of Macedonia scheduled realization of activities for promotion of the LEADER approach in municipalities in the south – east planning region in which the impact of climate changes has a negative effect on the overall living of rural households.

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Study Visit to Israel

After the initial implementation of climate change adaptation activities in demonstrative orchards, vineyards and vegetable farms within USAID Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture project, technical assistance to beneficiary farmers for proper application of the specific adaptive measures was continuously provided by project technical experts.

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Raising Awareness of the Challenges and Effects from Climate Change in Agriculture Workshop in Shtip

Today, 04.09.2012 at the hotel “Oaza” in Shtip, at 11:00 AM, the USAID Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture Project, implemented by the Rural Development Network of the Republic of Macedonia, organized a workshop for raising public awareness of the challenges and the effects from climate change in the Macedonian agricultural sector.

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Raising Awareness of the Challenges and Effects from Climate Change in Agriculture Workshop in Resen

More than 30 representatives of various organizations from Prespa region attended the workshop which aimed to raise public awareness of the effects and challenges from climate change in agriculture, organized by Rural Development Network of Republic of Macedonia within the USAID Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture project. 

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Поддршка за спроведување на мерки за намалување на штетите од климатските промени

 

Адаптација на сточарството кон климатските промени

 

Караван за климатски промени

 

Мерки за прилагодување кон климатските промени во градинарството

 

Мерки за прилагодување кон климатските промени во овоштарството

 

Мерки за прилагодување кон климатските промени во лозарството

 

Земање почвени проби

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Резултати и достигнувања од примена на адаптивни мерки во лозарството

Примена на адаптивни мерки за заштеда (конзервација) на вода во земјоделското производство

Мониторинг на ерозивните процеси во услови на климатски промени

Мерки за адаптација кон климатските промени во градинарството и резултати од нивната примена

Адаптивни мерки (затревување, мулчирање, фотосензитивни мрежи), за подобрување на земјоделското производство кон глобалните климатски промени

Резултати од применетите мерки за адаптација на климатските промени во овошните насади

Klimatski promeni – opst del- Irena Dzimrevska Aneks 1

Klimatskite promeni i dostapnosta na hrana za pcelite Prof. Hrisula Kiprijanovska Aneks 2

Klimatskite promeni i bolestite- Prof. Miso Hristovski Aneks 3

Zaklucoci Okrugla masa – klimatskite promeni i pcelarstvoto Aneks 4