Climate change represents a fundamental social, economic and political challenge for the Slovak Republic. Although the impacts of climate change are currently observable in all regions of Slovakia and are expected to continue to worsen,, most city and municipal governments are still unaware of the potential climate risks they face today and in the coming years. Despite existing national adaptation policies and extensive risk assessments, a key critical finding is the wide discrepancy between set strategic goals, existing funding and the real capacity to implement the necessary measures at the local level.

This critical view shows that the path to strengthening Slovakia's resilience faces persistent institutional obstacles, a lack of capacity, and an alarmingly low level of climate literacy, which together weaken the state's ability to effectively adapt to threats such as extreme heat, drought, and intense rainfall.

The urgent threat and need for data-driven adaptation

Slovakia is already experiencing the negative impacts of climate change, including a significant increase in average annual air temperature and changes in precipitation (decrease in the south, increase in the north). These impacts are expected to continue to worsen the water balance, threaten key economic sectors (agriculture, forestry) and increase risks to human health. The occurrence of extremely dry and wet periods in a short period of time has significantly increased, leading to severe floods and at the same time to persistent dry periods, especially in the southern regions.

A data-driven approach to adaptation, increasingly being adopted in decision-making, is key to effective resource allocation. The analysis used in the OECD study divides municipalities into ten risk levels for three main threats: extreme heat, drought and extreme precipitation.

• Risk of extreme heat: It is highest in the south of Slovakia, including Bratislava, Komárno, Nové Zámky and Rimavská Sobota. More than 16% of the population of Slovakia is at risk, especially in densely urbanized areas with low access to healthcare and a high proportion of vulnerable populations (children under 4 years of age and seniors over 70 years of age).
• Drought risk: It is most pronounced in the southwest, especially in Bratislava and the Žitný ostrov area, which is critical agricultural land and the largest drinking water reservoir in the country.
• Risk of extreme precipitation: It is particularly threatened in the northern districts (Tvrdošín, Dolný Kubín, Kysucké Nové Mesto), where historical exposure to heavy rain and landslides plays a role.

The gap between policy and funding

A fundamental critical point in Slovak adaptation policy is the absence of a clear and functional link between adaptation priorities and financial mechanisms. Although there is National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) a National Adaptation Plan (NAP), which define objectives and measures, a specific methodology for assessing the costs and benefits of adaptation measures has not yet been developed to help prioritize them.

The current prioritization of environmental funding within the Ministry of the Environment (PIP) is limited because it only assesses the risks of drought and heat and does not take into account all municipalities, only those with over 5,000 inhabitants.

Historically, adaptation financing in Slovakia has been mainly focused on preventive measures for flood protection,. While floods are a persistent risk, the sources point to the need to target funding to a wider range of measures to address other risks. Moreover, most adaptation-related projects have been financed from external sources, such as EU funds, underlining the need for a comprehensive domestic strategy. ,. Although Slovakia has EUR 159 million allocated for adaptation measures under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), it is critical that these resources are allocated effectively based on sound risk assessments, as suggested by, for example, the OECD methodology.

Institutional and governance barriers: Global problem, local consequences

Adaptation to climate change is a complex and cross-cutting process. In Slovakia, as in the whole of Europe, institutional barriers are the main obstacles to the effective implementation of adaptation measures. On a European scale, institutional barriers have proven to be the most significant obstacles (accounting for 56% of all reported obstacles).

The main obstacles include:

1. Fragmentation of responsibilities and weak coordination: Local administrations face a lack of coordination between different levels of government (vertically) and departments (horizontally). Regional representatives are particularly critical of coordination with national governments. Obstacles are often caused by overlapping competences and unclearly defined roles, which hinders an integrated approach.
2. Lack of political will and capacity: The most frequently cited obstacle to adaptation at the municipal level is lack of political support from elected leaders,"If adaptation is not a high priority on the political agenda, financial and human resources for this area are limited. Local governments face a lack of technical and specialized skills (capacity and expertise), limited human resources and an overall weak organizational capacity to effectively manage complex adaptation tasks.".
3. Monitoring and knowledge gaps: Although tracking progress is key, Slovakia has not yet developed a specific methodology or indicators for monitoring the implementation of adaptation measures. At the regional level in Europe, it is also a common problem lack of reliable regional data,, scientific information and a methodological approach to applying available knowledge. Only 36 % European regional respondents reported that their adaptation tools include a monitoring and evaluation system.

Climate illiteracy and behavioral barriers

Behavioral and socio-cultural factors, reflecting low public engagement and understanding, also pose a critical implementation challenge.

Surveys (Allianz Climate Literacy Survey) confirm that although 76.8% of respondents are concerned about climate change, only 7.9 % has a high level of climate literacy, while 48.2 % has a low level of knowledge about global warming. Paradoxically, the high level of concern is not accompanied by better information.

This emotional dimension, coupled with low literacy, makes climate policy susceptible to populism that simplifies complex issues and dismisses experts. Lack of awareness and citizen engagement has been identified as one of the main socio-cultural barriers to adaptation. Citizens and communities are often poorly involved in the implementation phase of adaptation processes.

Slovakia has made significant progress in identifying climate risks at the municipal level through data-based methods, which is the basis for effective policy decision-making. However, while these risks are increasing in intensity, adaptation implementation is paralyzed by structural weaknesses that are, paradoxically, more deeply rooted in governance than in finance.

In order for Slovakia to effectively face the climate crisis, it is essential that the new adaptation strategy: 1) Linked funding to locally specific and data-based adaptation priorities (not only with flood protection),,; 2) Addressed institutional fragmentation and strengthen vertical coordination, in particular by ensuring political commitment and staffing capacities at the local level; 3) Increased climate literacy among elected leaders, officials, and the public, to overcome apolitical ignorance and support systemic change. Without these reforms, the ambition to build a resilient Slovakia will remain a rhetorical exercise. JRi