A Climate for Change

Human Development Report - Croatia 2008 Agriculture^127

damage to infrastructure, buildings, and agriculture.
Many olive trees were uprooted, while the sea salt
left on vegetation caused damage to sheep farming
on the northern Adriatic islands.^64 Again in 2007, hail
damaged or destroyed crops in several regions.^65 The
following year, in June, July and August, exceptionally
strong hail hit northern Croatia, causing severe dam-
age to maize and vineyards.^66 A state of natural disas-
ter was declared in several municipalities.

Figure 8-6: Share of extreme weather conditions in

damage claims.

the damage caused by existing climate conditions and

climate variability already has a substantial impact on

agriculture in Croatia. This may or may not be due to

climate change, but it certainly points towards current

vulnerability.

In the period from 1980-2002, natural disasters caused

approximately EUR 5 billion in damage in Croatia (aver-

age EUR 217 million per year). Some 73% of this dam-

age was due to weather. The damage from drought,

frost and hail – extreme weather conditions causing

damages predominantly in agriculture – is estimated

at EUR 3.5 billion for the period 1980-2002, which is

the equivalent of EUR 152 million per year.^68 Drought

has caused the most damage, followed by hail, frost,

rain, floods and wind/ storms (Figure 8-6).

V Assuming that the GVA figure of about 626 MEUR as estimated by

the Economic Institute (2007) and Znaor (2008) is more accurate,

this damage would be equal to some 28% of the GVA created by

agriculture.

Figure 8-5: “The Harvest of 2008” - exceptionally large hail-
stones size of an egg on August 8, 2008 in Zagreb.

Source: Ana Pisak.

Source: Znaor, after MF 2008

8.3.3. Existing economic damage from

current climate variability

All of these natural disasters and climate variability
events have resulted in economic damage. During
2000-2007, Croatian counties claimed EUR 1.4 billion
in crop damage caused by extreme weather condi-
tions.^67 This figure is equivalent to an average of EUR
176 million per year, representing approximately 0.6%
of GDP or almost one tenth of the GVA generated by
the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector. This dam-
age surpasses, by 25%, the value of the average an-
nual direct payments (subsidies) for the same period,
paid to farmers by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishery
and Rural Development by (see Figure 8-7). Therefore,

Wind/storm

Flood 1%

3%

Rain

4%

Frost 8%

Hail 19%

Drought 65%