Besa Luci in conversation with Vladimir Djurdjević and Granit Gashi.

In this episode, we’ll be talking about climate change. How vulnerable is our region to the warming of the planet? Are we taking enough measures to address and adapt to climate change?

Climate change has been making headlines for years and we have all felt the effects one way or another. As the planet continues to warm, we now have warmer Januaries, snowless winters and drier summers.

In summer 2022, heatwaves and droughts left some of Europe's main rivers dry or at their lowest levels in the past 500 years. In other parts of the continent and the world at large, floods have devastated populations. Temperatures have been hitting record highs every year and the first few days of 2023 marked some of the hottest days in January on record for some countries in Europe.

Our region is prone to a range of extreme weather events, including heatwaves, droughts, floods, and storms, which are expected to become more frequent and intense as the planet continues to warm. These events can have a significant impact on the region's economy, infrastructure and natural systems. 

Though climate change is the most pressing global challenge for our generation — in our region, by and large, climate change doesn’t seem to be a priority for national governments, for the public, or for local media. 

Two guests join us this episode to explore how the climate is changing and how regional countries are responding to it.

Vladimir Djurdjević is a professor at the Faculty of Physics, University of Belgrade, and an expert in climate modelling and climate data analysis.

Granit Gashi is the director of the Into the Park Festival, through which he tries to connect his generation to environmental protection through music. Granit is a contact point for Kosovo and Program Assistant at the Heinrich Böll Foundation. 

Other Talking Points is produced by Besa Luci, Aulonë Kadriu and Gentiana Paçarizi.

Music and sound mix by PUG musik.

This episode was produced with the financial support of the National Endowment for Democracy.