Turning Climate Risk into Urban Resilience

Climate-related risks are expected to occur more often and hit harder in the years ahead, especially where urban growth and infrastructure pressures increase exposure. That’s why municipalities that invest early in solid risk assessments are in a stronger position to mitigate damage, reduce vulnerabilities, and manage future events effectively. 

As part of its ongoing support to Kosovo’s municipalities, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is working with the Municipality of Gjakova in preparing its Disaster Risk Assessment and Disaster Risk Management Plans, two key documents toward safer, more resilient urban development. 

The process was launched through a dedicated workshop that gathered the Mayor of Gjakova, municipal departments, public utility companies, the Emergency Management Agency, and civil society organizations working mainly with the most affected - marginalized groups.  

In the opening, the Mayor of Gjakova underscored the importance of this process, reaffirming the municipality’s commitment to evidence-based risk prevention and management. 

Participants reviewed past disaster events, validated key datasets, and provided sector-specific inputs. This early collaboration ensures the assessment reflects local realities and builds on existing institutional knowledge rather than working in isolation. 

Commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-financed by State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and implemented by GIZ, the initiative brings together international experts alongside local experts. The team will conduct an in-depth analysis of historical events, integrate spatial and other analytical datasets, and develop hazard, exposure, vulnerability, and risk maps. They will also model forward-looking scenarios based on climate trends and urban growth, defining the likelihood and potential impacts of priority risks, as outputs that will directly inform municipal development and investment planning. 

The joint work in this phase lays the technical foundation for modelling future scenarios and identifying concrete actions to strengthen planning, infrastructure development, and institutional capacity. By integrating climate and disaster risk considerations into urban development processes, Gjakova is shifting from reactive response toward proactive risk reduction. 

The Disaster Risk Assessment process is the first in Kosovo to establish a comprehensive scientific basis for municipal decision-making at this scale. By involving all relevant stakeholders, it sets a transparent, multi-sectoral standard for how risk-informed planning should be carried out. Therefore, it is not just a legal requirement; it is a practical planning tool. It supports informed decision-making, investment prioritization, spatial planning, and preparedness measures. 

Once finalized, the plans will enable Gjakova to anticipate risks, reduce vulnerabilities, and respond more effectively to natural and climate-related hazards, while guiding sustainable and resilient urban development.