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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Dragin opens regional centre for climate change

Belgrade, 18 April 2008

Serbian Minister of Environmental Protection Sasa Dragin opened today the regional centre for climate change Milutin Milankovic in Karadjordjev Park in Belgrade.

The regional centre for monitoring climate change, situated in front of the observatory of the Serbian Hydrometeorological Service, is the result of the so-called Belgrade initiative for strengthening regional cooperation on climate change in south-eastern Europe, adopted at the sixth ministerial conference themed "Environment for Europe“ held in Belgrade in October 2007.

In order to fight climate change, we must first learn how they are caused. The data from this centre will be distributed worldwide and will help us achieve this goal, said Dragin at the opening.

According to him, citizens can also do something to help, such as use energy sparingly, because energy production leads to creation of carbon dioxide.

The Minister said that in the last 200 years, man has harmed nature to a great degree, which caused the climate to change. He called upon all citizens to do what they can for the environment, such as turn off their car engine while waiting at the traffic lights.

He said that on April 22, the Earth Day, Serbian citizens should remember where they live and try to solve some of the environmental problems in their surroundings.

Director of the Serbian Hydrometeorological Service Milan Dacic said that the newly opened centre will provide weather forecast and suggest guidelines for action plans to help various social sectors adapt to climate change.

He explained that one of the tasks of the centre is to establish regional cooperation, since the fight against climate change cannot be successful without cooperation, and added that 16 employees of the Hydrometeorological Service will work in the centre.

Dacic said that climate change is a multidisciplinary area, and is not just about meteorology and climatology.

According to Dacic, climate change affects all sectors of society, therefore the work of the centre must cover various areas, and because of that, the key factor in its work is partnership with other institutions, states and international organisations.

The regional centre for monitoring climate change will be financed with funds from the Hydrometeorological Service, the Serbian budget, funds from projects implemented, as well as from donations.