Factsheet for measure
HR-2019-7/3329
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Updated
– measures in Croatia
Legislation for lessening the effects of extreme weather conditions
Ublazavanje posljedica ekstremnih vremenskih uvjeta
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Country
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Croatia
, applies nationwide
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Time period
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Open ended, started on 16 February 2019
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Context
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Restructuring Support Instruments, Extreme Weather Events
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Type
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Legislations or other statutory regulations
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Category
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Measures to prevent social hardship
– Other humanitarian measures
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Author
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Predrag Bejakovic (Faculty of Economics, Business, and Tourism (FEBT), University of Split) and Eurofound
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Measure added
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27 October 2023 (updated 06 January 2026)
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Background information
In Croatia, there are general documents and/or strategies for adapting to climate change at the national level and at lower levels, which are more concerned with impacts on certain areas (rural and urban environments, forests, etc.). Until now, Croatia has not introduced any preventive measures to help individual citizens to mitigate extreme weather conditions in advance. Therefore, the measure is reactive: when a natural disaster is declared, citizens can apply for compensation.
The protection against natural disasters due to the extreme weather conditions is regulated by the Law on mitigating and eliminating the consequences of natural disasters (Zakon o ublazavanju i uklanjanju posljedica prirodnih nepogoda - OG 16/19). The decision on proclamation of the natural disaster is made by the city/municipal council on the proposal of the mayor/chief of municipality (nacelnik opcine).
Content of measure
According to the Law, a natural disaster can be declared:
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If the total direct damage is at least 20 percent of the value of the original income of the local self-government average unit for the previous year;
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If the agricultural yield in the area of the local self-government unit is reduced by at least 30 percent of the average in previous three years;
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If the disaster has reduced the value of property in the area of the local self-government unit at least 30 percent.
In the event of a natural disaster, the head of the local government unit (on the basis of the expressed interest of the citizens which suffered the damage and after the committee has checked the allegations and determined the actual damage on the ground) submits a proposal to the city/municipal council for the declaration of a natural disaster for the area of the relevant town or municipality. In case the proposal is accepted, the head of the local government unit issues a decision on the declaration of a natural disaster, after which the local committees issue a call for damage reports with the following procedure.
After citizens submit applications on the prescribed forms with relevant documentation, the city/municipal commission considers the applications, assesses the damage and enters data into the Register of Damages, through which it is submitted to the County Commission for further processing. The county committee considers the applications of all cities and municipalities and submits a report to the State Committee, which proposes the Government of the Republic of Croatia to decide on the payment of aid.
When a regional or local self-government declares a natural disaster, then part of the damage is settled from the National budget.
Updates
The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.
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22 November 2025
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The Program for Climate Change Mitigation, Climate Adaptation, and Ozone Layer Protection of the City of Zagreb for 2025–2028 is a comprehensive strategic document aimed at strengthening the city’s resilience to increasing climate risks. It is aligned with national and international frameworks, including the Paris Agreement and the Climate Change Act. The Program analyzes Zagreb’s current and future climate, confirming rising temperatures, more frequent heatwaves, tropical nights, and extreme rainfall. It highlights the urban heat island effect and its negative impact on public health, energy use, and infrastructure. The document identifies sector-specific risks in areas such as transport, energy, water management, health, agriculture, and forestry, and outlines measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve resource efficiency, and expand green infrastructure. Priority measures include: accelerating the energy renovation of buildings, expanding the network of solar power plants, modernizing heating and cooling systems, encouraging sustainable mobility, adapting transport infrastructure, and developing early warning and crisis management systems. The program also includes special measures to protect vulnerable groups and reduce energy poverty, while strengthening institutional capacities for implementing climate policies. With this document, Zagreb confirms its commitment to the goal of climate neutrality by 2050 and continues to build a more resilient, energy-efficient, and socially inclusive urban system. The program is aligned with European and national strategic guidelines and represents a binding framework for the actions of all city authorities and partners involved in the climate transition. The overarching goal is to create a sustainable, climate-resilient Zagreb that protects citizens’ well-being and supports responsible long-term development.
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17 August 2025
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The State Audit Office assessed the activities carried out by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition related to climate change adaptation, primarily those defined in the Act on Climate Change and Ozone Layer Protection, and the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of the Republic of Croatia for the period up to 2040, with a view to 2070. The State Audit Office's assessments of the aforementioned activities were partially effective. The Adaptation Strategy identifies the main impacts of climate change across sectors and cross-sectoral thematic areas that could lead to a high degree of vulnerability, as well as adaptation measures to address the identified risks. As a criticism, the State Audit Office underlines an insufficient number of qualified personnel in jobs related to climate change adaptation. Furthermore, the Commission for Intersectoral Coordination for Policy and Measures for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change, which should ensure the rapid and efficient integration of adaptation into sectoral policies, was not established within the deadline prescribed by the provisions of the Act on Climate Change and Ozone Layer Protection. Procedures that would determine the manner of coordination among competent bodies for adaptation at the national, regional, and local levels, facilitate the exchange of knowledge across all levels for adopting adaptation policies, and support competent bodies at the regional/local level in implementing activities related to the alignment of local policies with the national adaptation policy, have not been established. In the adaptation planning process, the groups most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change were not identified nor included in the decision-making process on the design and implementation of adaptation measures. Vulnerable groups have not been comprehensively included in the risk assessment, nor have adequate measures been developed to mitigate the risks of climate change affecting the vulnerable groups.
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17 November 2024
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To address climate change and prevent potential damage, many municipalities and cities in Croatia have adopted programs to adapt to climate change and natural disasters. In 2024, the city of Rijeka adopted its Plan for Adapting to Climate Change and Mitigating the Effects of Extreme Weather Conditions. This document aims to assist decision-makers by incorporating climate neutrality considerations and measures to mitigate extreme weather effects during the preparation of infrastructure projects. The plan provides guidelines for preparing infrastructure to withstand climate change and extreme weather conditions, in alignment with the Paris Agreement. The process is structured into two main pillars - mitigation and adaptation - and is further divided into two phases: overview and detailed analysis. Measures for adapting to climate change and mitigating the effects of extreme weather are identified, evaluated, and implemented based on assessments of vulnerability to climate change and the risks posed by natural disasters.
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02 October 2024
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Climate change, which causes more and more frequent natural disasters, both in the world and in the territory of the Republic of Croatia, highlights the necessity of changing the previous actions regarding the government's participation in the partial rehabilitation of damages caused by natural disasters. For the implementation of the Law on Mitigating and Eliminating the Consequences of Natural Disasters, three rulebooks were prepared. These are: i) the Rulebook on the Register of Damages from Natural Disasters (OG 66/19), ii) the Rulebook on the Implementation of the Support Program for Agricultural Producers to Mitigate Damage from Drought in 2022 (OG 148/22), and iii) the Rulebook on the Implementation of the Support Program for Agricultural Producers to Mitigate the Consequences of Natural Disasters Occurring in 2023 (OG 98/23, 107/23). The purpose of the first Rulebook is to stipulate the content, form, and method of submission of data on damages caused by natural disasters, while the two remaining Rulebooks elucidate the conditions related to covering the damage from drought experienced by agricultural producers due to the drought in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
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Use of measure
The biggest damages occur due to water damage (about 70-80% of all damages), so it is the most pronounced in that segment.
For the storm on 19 July 2023 in the City of Zagreb and its surrounding, the City government did not ask the Government of Croatia for settlement of the damage, but determined the compensation from its own resources. The last co-financing from the National government was for covering the costs of landslides in Varaždin and Krapina-Zagorje counties.
Between 1 July to the end of 2023, as well as for the year 2024, Brod-Posavina county (BPC) received €3.23 million and Požega-Slavonia country (PSC) €2.88 million from the state budget for storm damage on 19 and 21 July 2023. Thus, BPC will cover up to 40 percent of the damage caused to the buildings to applicants - natural persons, and PSC will cover up to 60 percent of the value of the reported damage. Damage to family and multi-apartment buildings in Brod-Posavina County was estimated at €8.14 million. Furthermore, the national Government exempted users of public land owned by the state from paying the user fee which is directed to the state budget. The Government encouraged counties, cities and municipalities to do the same with the part that belongs to their revenues.
Target groups
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Workers
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Businesses
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Citizens
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Does not apply to workers
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Applies to all businesses
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Applies to all citizens
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Actors and funding
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Actors
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Funding
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National government
Local / regional government
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Local funds
National funds
National Recovery and Resilience Facility
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Social partners
Social partners' role in
designing the measure
and form of involvement:
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Trade unions
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Employers' organisations
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Role
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No involvement as case not in social partner domain
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No involvement as case not in social partner domain
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Form
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Not applicable
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Not applicable
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Social partners' role in the
implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
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No involvement
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Main level of involvement: N/A
Involvement
Social partners were not involved in mentioned measure because this is not in the scope of their activity and responsibility.
Views and reactions
Both social partners fully support all measures directed towards lessening the effects of extreme weather conditions.
Sources
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08 February 2019: The Law on mitigating and eliminating the consequences of natural disasters (Zakon o ublazavanju i uklanjanju posljedica prirodnih nepogoda
(narodne-novine.nn.hr)
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05 July 2019: The Rulebook on the Register of Damages from Natural Disasters (Pravilnik o registru šteta od prirodnih nepogoda)
(narodne-novine.nn.hr)
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16 December 2022: The Rulebook on the Implementation of the Support Program for Agricultural in 2022 (Pravilnik o provedbi Programa potpore poljoprivrednim proizvođačima za ublažavanje štete od suše u 2022. godini)
(narodne-novine.nn.hr)
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28 August 2023: The Rulebook on the Implementation of the Support Program for Agricultural in 2023 (Pravilnik o provedbi Programa potpore poljoprivrednim proizvođačima za ublažavanje posljedica prirodnih nepogoda nastalih u 2023. godini)
(narodne-novine.nn.hr)
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15 September 2023: Amendment to the Rulebook on the Implementation of the Support Program for Agricultural in 2023 (Izmjene Pravilnika o provedbi Programa potpore poljoprivrednim proizvođačima za ublažavanje posljedica prirodnih nepogoda nastalih u 2023. godini)
(narodne-novine.nn.hr)
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27 October 2023: Lessening the consequences of the storm (Ublazavanje posljedica nevremena)
(plusportal.hr)
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11 March 2024: Plan for Adapting to Climate Change and Mitigating the Effects of Extreme Weather Conditions in the City of Rijeka (Plan grada Rijeke za prilagodbu na učinke klimatskih promjena)
(www.rijeka.hr)
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24 February 2025: The State Audit Office assessed the activities related to climate change
(www.revizija.hr)
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17 September 2025: The Program for Climate Change Mitigation, Climate Adaptation, and Ozone Layer Protection of the City of Zagreb for 2025–2028 (Ublažavanja klimatskih promjena, prilagodbe klimatskim promjenama i zaštite ozonskog sloja grada Zagreba 2025.-2028.)
(zec.zagreb.hr)
