About Us

KRI – Climate and Development Institute

was establish in 2004 with the original name Carpathian Development Institute – KRI. The basic idea was to create an independent space for the promotion of well-founded approaches to the development of the territory, which reflect only professional opinions supported by arguments. Adhering to this principle, we have gradually become a renowned Slovak organization that supports and promotes a systemic, comprehensive approach to regional and local development. In this approach, we emphasize not only the needs and requirements of the given territory, but also the existing and expected threats that already have and will have an impact on the development of the territory. We are particularly dedicated to the transformation of the governance processes and the creation of public policies, the quality of which, in our opinion, is a fundamental tool for sustainable development. In our projects and activities, we project our own research, the latest global knowledge, and experiences with the functioning of local governments.

Most KRI activities are pilot in nature with the possibility of subsequent replication in similar conditions. An important part of the KRI approach is the participation in international research projects and cooperation with various foreign and Slovak institutions such as universities, specialized professional organizations, local and regional spatial development departments, professionally related non-governmental organizations, as well as with different sectors experts.

As part of our expertise, we provide development analyses, studies, scenarios and methodologies, and we develop strategic concepts, development plans and programs, including their implementation mechanisms. These serve as a basis for the planning and decision-making process at the regional and local level.

We engage publicly in our topics, we actively contribute to the design of a national enabling environment for self-governments and building capacities of their representatives, and last but not least, we have been passing on our knowledge to university students at universities for many years.

Key principles of KRI work

Comprehensive concept of development

KRI understands the development of municipalities/cities/regions as a broader concept that includes not only the economic dimension, but also positive change in other areas – social, cultural, health, environmental, technological, but also in the area of human resources development and civil society development.

Knowing and using the uniqueness of each territory

KRI tailors all its activities and outputs to the territory in question and its challenges (problems and opportunities), builds on local knowledge and respects the local spirit of each territory.

Inclusion of external impacts

KRI considers it correct that processes in governing the territory are not only based on past experience, existing requirements and the traditional system of development management, but also reflects the expected threats and opportunities coming from outside the given territory.

Mobilizing local subjects and human potential

KRI is aware that for the purpose of dynamic and synergistic development of the territory, it is necessary to accumulate local human capital and coordinate goals and interests of a large number of subjects (institutions and individuals) operating in the territory.

Irreplaceable key role of territorial self-government

The KRI is based on the fact that the territorial self-government is directly responsible for the transparent and participative management of the territory, and therefore the KRI helps it to find ways so that planning and decision-making is the result of the coordination of various activities and interests of citizens, but also of public and private institutions.

Research & Innovation

KRI considers the application of research and innovative solutions to be an integral part of its activities and projects.

An enabling environment for regional and local solutions

KRI promotes „good solutions“ at the local and regional level by engaging in national and transnational strategic, institutional and legislative processes.

Exchange of knowledge and experience

KRI considers international cooperation and the mutual transfer of knowledge and experience between countries to be its priority.

Milestones

2004

Foundation of the KRI

2007

Governance

We are implementing the first major project "Good governance at the regional level in the field of regional development in Slovakia"

2010

Climate change

We are opening a new topic "Climate change - a challenge for local development in Slovakia"

2014

First Adaptation strategy

In cooperation with the city of Trnava, we prepared the first comprehensive urban adaptation strategy for climate change in Slovakia

2017

Catalog of adaptation measures

Successful publication "Catalog of adaptation measures of BSK cities and municipalities to the adverse consequences of climate change" usable for the cities and towns throughout Slovakia.

2022

Climate strategy of the Malacky city

Producing the first climate strategy that integrates mitigating climate change and adapting to its impacts.

Dr.Andrej Steiner, PhD.

The Chairman of the KRI Executive Board and the lead expert is a graduate of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Charles University in Prague in the field of geophysics. He is the founder of KRI in 2004 and has been at its head since then. He has extensive theoretical knowledge and practical experience in the area of territorial development governance, strategic planning and implementation of development plans at the national, regional and local level. He has experience in the field of creating a legislative, institutional and support framework; incorporation of environmental and climate challenges into the decision-making process of public administration. In the past, he also worked as the chief adviser to the UNDP for Europe and the countries of the former Soviet Union in the field of environmental governance, as the director of the environmental program of the American Peace Corps in Slovakia, and as a consultant to the European Commission.

Mgr. Michal Schvalb

KRI's executive director and senior expert is a political scientist by education, and in more than 18 years of experience at KRI, he has gained extensive expertise in the field of governing local and regional development. He has extensive experience in the transfer of knowledge in this area to and from abroad. Currently, he applies analytical, strategic and methodical skills mainly in the field of development plans preparation, further in the process of assessing the procedural and spatial vulnerability to the climate change hazards, in the preparation and implementation of climate adaptation strategies, as well as in the incorporation of climate threats into the sustainable development of the territory. It also works on the topic of increasing awareness and participation of the public and public administration entities in the field of climate resilience.

Mgr. Zuzana Jarosova

KRI senior analyst exploits her knowledge of geography, cartography and applied geoinformatics acquired during her studies at the University of Presov, University of Zilina and Charles University in Prague. She has been working at KRI since 2017. She is the author of independent outputs of an analytical and methodological nature with an emphasis on assessing the territory's vulnerability to the effects of climate change and socially just adaptation. She is a specialist in data processing and visualization in geographic information systems.

Mgr. Karin Kernerová

The KRI program coordinator is a graduate of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the Comenius University in Bratislava with a focus on regional geography, regional development and European integration. He has been working at KRI since April 2020. In his position, he applies his rich experience in the field of management, coordination and promotion of national and international projects and events. She is also a co-author of several studies focused on the EU and the national legislative and strategic environment.

Ing. Petronela Zahurancova

The KRI analyst is a graduate of the Department of Economics and Public Administration Management at the Faculty of Economics of the Technical University in Košice. Since 2020, she has been working at the KRI on socioeconomic perspectives of the adaptation of settlements to climate change and on methodological issues related to the detailed assessment of vulnerability to climate change in the field of planning and decision-making processes at the local and regional level. At the same time, within the framework of the creation of socioeconomic plans and strategies, he deals with the analysis and interpretation of data.

Collaborating experts

If necessary, we strengthen the expertise of the internal KRI team with the diversely focused expertise of our network of colleagues.

Ing.Zuzana Zaborska
strategic planning and management of processes of socio-economic development of territories

Ing. Ladislav Hegyi

environmental challenges

Mgr. Pavol Stano

regional development and functioning of regional and local governments

Ing. Zuzana Hudekova, PhD.

landscape planning, climate change

PhDr. Jana Knežová

management of processes in self-government

Ing. arch. Martin Jergus
urbanism

Mgr. Richard Filcak, PhD., MSc.

research of climate change economic and social dimensions

RNDr. Pavel Stastny, CSc.
climatology

Mgr. Juraj Holec, PhD.
climatology

Mgr. Katarina Mikulova, PhD.
climatology

Ing. Marian Kucera
hydrology

Ing. Josef Novak, PhD.
low-carbon strategies

Mirek Lupac
climate change methodology

Doc. Ing. Miriam Sebova, PhD.
processes of measuring and evaluating economic impacts in the field of regional development

They said about us

„KRI inspired us to start thinking about climate change adaptation in our city. They have provided us with expert assistance making sure our efforts are systematic. Moreover, KRI transferred their knowledge and experience to Trnava in close cooperation with our staff and with sufficient expert (as well as human) understanding.“

Peter Brocka, LL.M., Mayor, City of Trnava

„Support and know-how transfer from KRI, which respected our specificities and expertise, allowed us to introduce new topics, knowledge and, last but not least, new approaches into our way of thinking about regional development priorities.“

Vladan JEREMIC Director, Regional Development Agency Eastern Serbia (RARIS), Zajecar, Serbia

„In my opinion, what makes KRI unique is mainly the fact they not only highlight but also bring solutions to new and highly topical European issues pertaining to public administration and governance in Slovakia.“

Vazil HUDAK Vice-president, Globsec

„Specific approach, vast experience and high-quality outputs are what makes KRI a unique expert organisation, one of a kind not only in the region of Eastern Slovakia.“