Resolution of the Council of Ministers 24/2010, adopts the National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (ENAAC)
The ENAAC sets out the need for adaptation. It was adopted through the Resolution of the Council of Ministers 24/2010.
The ENAAC is structured around four objectives that reflect its approach to the problem. 1) Information and knowledge is the basis for the development of the strategy, focusing on the need to collect, consolidate, and develop a strong technical and scientific basis.
2) Reducing vulnerability and increasing the response capacity. This is the core of ENAAC and frames the work of identifying vulnerabilities, defining priorities and implementing the main adaptation measures.
3) Participation, awareness raising and dissemination. This highlights the importance of educating and involving all relevant agents in the efforts to identify and implement the most adequate adaptation measures.
4) International co-operation efforts within the European Union, the UNFCCC and other international forums to promote co-ordination and information sharing and to support adaptation efforts in developing countries.
The Strategy also identifies nine priority sectors and creates nine sectoral working groups, each co-ordinated by the ministry or the agency responsible for the policy area. This sectoral approach brings together the actors with interest and know-how in each particular sector and thus identifies the most adequate adaptation measures. The creation of an inter-ministerial co-ordination group aims to address all cross-cutting issues and provides a forum for discussing cross-sectoral issues. The co-ordination group includes representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Autonomous Regions of Azores and Madeira and of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities. The nine sectors considered are: territory and urban development; water resources; safety of people and goods; human health; energy and industry; tourism; agriculture, forests and fisheries; coastal areas; and biodiversity.
