Climate ChangePathways2Resilience: Mission for a Resilient Montenegro
Overview
Pathways2Resilience helps European regions plan for a changing climate. Through its Regional Resilience Journey, regions develop adaptation pathways, innovation agendas and investment plans that align with the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change. Cetinje in Montenegro took part under the name “Mission for a Resilient Montenegro”, using a mission-led approach to build a thriving, climate-resilient community.
The Resilience Lab Cetinje ran from September 2024 to February 2026 and was coordinated by the Agency for Business Development and Support Cetinje. Together with Korimako and NGO Nest, SmartUp helped the Cetinje community develop local mission-led change capacities and pathways towards a climate resilience baseline, Strategy, Action Plan and Investment Plan.
SmartUp’s role in Cetinje focused on capacity building. We worked with the local team on the skills, methods and collaboration they needed, and offered consultation as they developed each of the documents.
The challenge
Planning beyond single sectors
Climate resilience cuts across water, land, health, infrastructure and the economy. It needs joined-up strategies, not separate sectoral plans.
Limited technical capacity
Municipalities often lack the skills and resources to turn a climate adaptation strategy into action that lasts.
Working across stakeholders
Resilience planning needs local government, citizens and outside experts to share knowledge, which takes deliberate collaboration.
Activities and methods
SmartUp was one of four partners supporting Cetinje. Our contribution was targeted capacity development and consultation, rather than running the full programme process.
What SmartUp did
- Built capacity. We supported the local team in developing innovative climate resilience strategies, improving technical skills and collaboration among different stakeholders.
- Provided consultation. We advised the team as they developed a Climate Resilience Strategy, an Investment Plan and an Action Plan.
What the programme set out to achieve
Together with local partners, Cetinje chose two adaptation objectives and one community development objective:
- Floods and wastewater: eliminate floods and wastewater spills across the wider city area by 2030, including in the most extreme rainfall forecast for 2050.
- Wildfire response: extinguish 99% of wildfires within five minutes by 2031, with fewer incidents each year.
- Community development: attract 500 or more new young residents under 30 by 2030 and support meaningful employment through cultural and regenerative enterprises.
Planning similar work?
SmartUp can support research, co-creation, facilitation, digital tools, implementation, or learning documentation for related programmes.