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. The event was held on August 31st at the restaurant “Vito” in Resen, starting at 11:00 AM.
“The researchers predict reduction in the yield of apples in Resen region by 46 % in 2025 year, 50 % in 2050 year and even 59 % in 2100, as a result of the expected climate change.” – said the professor Viktor Gjamovski, who introduced the participants with the effects from climate change and the adaptive techniques in the agricultural production.
Professor Marjan Kiprijanovski highlighted the impact of climate change in orchards which is especially developed agricultural area in Prespa region. Particular interest has caused the presentation of d-r Vaska Cvetanovska Panova from Red Cross of Republic of Macedonia who pointed to the effects from climate change on human’s health and gave recommendations for adaptation and prevention of heat wave.
The attendants participated in the workshop by asking for more detailed information on adaptive measures and giving suggestions and ideas for new initiatives arising from the needs and problems faced by the agricultural sector. General impression was that the workshop offered a lot of useful information and new insights that can find practical application in agriculture for the purpose of its adaptation to climate change.
The USAID Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture project is focused on the Mediterranean zone, including the Vardar region with parts of Strumica and Gevgelija, as this is the Macedonian region most affected by climate change. The project started to work with family farms that market most of their output as well as semi-subsistence farmers. The first project component includes testing of adaptive agricultural techniques aiming to find solutions for the negative impacts of climate changes. All the learned practices can be further applied by the farmers. Also, the tested techniques in the first component will be developed in advisory packages which will be distributed to the target groups through series of workshops and other media.