Air temperatures in the Western Balkans will increase by 1.2 degrees in the near future and by the end of this century they may go up by more than five degrees, the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) said in its recent study.

RCC, a cooperative framework in the Southeast Europe promoting mutual cooperation in the region, published the Study on Climate Changes in the Western Balkans warning about alarming increase of temperature over the whole territory. According to the study, the extent of the air temperature rise will will depend on the global effort in greenhouse gasses (GHG) emission reduction.

“Overall, analyses of the climate change in the region recognise that human health, safety and life quality are highly vulnerable to natural hazards and sectorial weather related losses,” the study said, adding that the sectors of agriculture, forestry, water resources and human health may experience the biggest impacts.

The study issued a set of recommendations to reduce burden on a single Western Balkan economy in resolving climate change related issues, in particular given the lack of human resources and other capacities, through enhancement and focusing on regional cooperation.

“As candidates and potential candidates for the accession to the European Union (EU) all Western Balkan economies are motivated to respect the Paris Agreement and to achieve EU2020 and EU2030 goals in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission reduction as well as to increase energy efficiency and energy production from renewable sources,” said the RCC.