Press release 16.02.2022

With a budget of nearly BGN 793,000, the Municipality of Blagoevgrad in partnership with the municipalities of Simitli, Kocherinovo and Boboshevo and the International Development Association of Norway will, within 24 months, implement a project "Implementation of measures for successful adaptation to climate changes".

With a budget of nearly BGN 793,000, the Municipality of Blagoevgrad in partnership with the municipalities of Simitli,
Kocherinovo and Boboshevo and the International Development Association of Norway within 24
will implement the project "Implementation of measures for successful adaptation to climate
changes". The project is financed by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area
2014-2021 under the "Environmental Protection and Climate Change" program.
At a press conference held on 24/02/2022 in the building of the Municipality of Blagoevgrad.
objectives, planned activities and expected results, regarding the project were presented.
The event was opened by Maria Petrova - Deputy Mayor for Economy, Finance and
European projects of the Municipality of Blagoevgrad. On the part of the partners, Evgenia
Georgieva - Deputy Mayor of Simitli Municipality, Lyubka Jonova - Deputy Mayor of Kocherinovo Municipality,
Georgi Velichkov – Deputy Mayor of Boboshevo Municipality and Anders Stolen – Chief Executive Officer
of the International Development Association of Norway. The project manager –
Yanislava Vangelova presented to the audience the main parameters of the project, whose main
aim is to increase the capacity of local government and responsible institutions to deal with
the adverse effects caused by climate change and the more successful fight against them and
how they will work together for a greener, more competitive and more inclusive Europe.
In the four Bulgarian municipalities, 5 innovative mitigation measures will be implemented and
adaptation to climate change. By installing solar hot water systems in
the selected 21 municipal buildings - kindergartens and social institutions on the territory of the municipalities
Blagoevgrad and Simitli - up to 70% of hot water consumption will be provided with energy from
the sun for over 1,600 users in these buildings. The specified measures are applied for the first time and in
the two municipalities and have a demonstration character for the residents with the aim of sustainable implementation of the model and
expanding the share of renewable energy sources. With this pilot introduction,
conditions will be created for home composting in 1,200 households in the municipalities of Kocherinovo and Boboshevo
to prevent the generation of biodegradable waste by households near its place of
formation. All the listed measures are expected to lead to a serious carbon reduction in the
environmental footprint of the activities that take place in the public sector and by
the inhabitants in the settlements.
By exchanging experience and good practices with the partner from the Norwegian side, the four Bulgarian
municipalities will have a real opportunity to study successfully implemented models in the field of
energy, waste management and green urban systems with a proven effect of
adaptability and local implementation. The training of employees and the development of municipal
plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change,
including the planned updating of the current municipal strategic and planning
documents. Which will guarantee sustainability of investments and multiplication of results among
all stakeholders at local and regional level. Download the document from from here

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