1

3nd EIONET workshop on Climate Change Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation

EEA, 30 June – 1 July 2009

Objectives of the meeting and overview of 2009/2010 EEA activities

André Jol(EEA Head of group Vulnerability and Adaptation)

2

• Europe-wide EIONET network of national experts on climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation practices (new NRC/PCP agreed)

• Progress in activities by EEA (+ETC), EEA member countries and European Commission

• Scoping EEA multi-annual activities

Objectives of the meetingObjectives of the meeting

3

• Mitigation of climate change: EU climate change and energy package with 2020 targets, EU long term 2050 targets, UNFCCC negotiations (mitigation, adaptation, financing, deforestation), COP15 Copenhagen Dec 2009

• Commission White Paper ‘Adapting to climate change : Towards a European Framework for action’

• Water Framework Directive (River basin management plans to report by 2010, assessment in 2012); Water Scarcity and Droughts strategy

• Marine Strategy Framework Directive (achievement of good environmental status of the EU's marine waters by 2020), initial assessment by 2012

• Nature protection directives (e.g. Habitat directive) and implementation of the Natura2000 network; policies to halt biodiversity loss (2010 target assessment); discussion on post-2010

• Communication on disaster risk prevention (2009), Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (Geneva, June 2009) and first Global Assessment Report on DRR, with links to CC (2009)

Key EU climate change policy processesKey EU climate change policy processes

4

White Paper Adapting to climate change: Towards a White Paper Adapting to climate change: Towards a European framework for action (Phase 1, 2009-2012)European framework for action (Phase 1, 2009-2012)• Strengthen the Knowledge/Evidence Base (by 2011):

• Clearing House Mechanism, a repository/platform for knowledge on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation

• Research (data, methods, prediction tools, mapping, costs, effectiveness of adaptation actions)

• Monitoring of actions• Mainstream climate adaptation into:

• Health• Agriculture and forests• Biodiversity, ecosystems and water • Coastal and marine areas• Physical infrastructure

• Advance work within UNFCCC and bilateral/regional (including mainstreaming and financing)

• Impact and Adaptation Steering Group (e.g. on national adaptation strategies)

5

Main scientific developments (IARU Copenhagen Main scientific developments (IARU Copenhagen scientific conference March 2009)scientific conference March 2009)

• Many key climate indicators are already moving beyond the patterns of natural variability within which contemporary society and economy have developed and thrived.

• There is a significant risk that many of the trends will accelerate, leading to an increasing risk of abrupt or irreversible climatic shifts.

• Societies and ecosystems are highly vulnerable to even modest levels of climate change, with poor nations and communities, ecosystem services and biodiversity particularly at risk.

• Temperature rises above 2 C will be difficult for contemporary societies to cope with, and are likely to cause major societal and environmental disruptions through the rest of the century and beyond.

• An effective, well-funded adaptation safety net is required for those people least capable of coping with climate change impacts.

6

• Scoping of content of IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) due in 2013/2014:• Expert meeting, 13-17 July 2009, Venice• IPCC plenary meeting, 26-29 October 2009, Bali

• Scoping Meeting on report on Extreme events and disasters: Managing the risks (Oslo, 23-26 March) (together with ISDR)

IPCC developmentsIPCC developments

7

• EEA “Climate information services based on atmospheric reanalyses” (CPH, 11-12 Feb)

• JRC “Prospects on European capacity for monitoring and assimilating space-based climate change observations” (Ispra, 30-31 March)

• EEA “Global environmental observation, monitoring and forecasting” (CPH, 13-15 May 2009)

• GMES Advisory Council (CC discussion) (BRX, 12 June)

Events on CC observations and projectionsEvents on CC observations and projections

8

Possible GMES climate change contribution (to fit Possible GMES climate change contribution (to fit environmental assessment needs)environmental assessment needs)

Operational service:• Easily accessible for the general public • Expert interpretations and integrated assessments

Observations:• Long-term time series (incl extreme events), need for

reanalysis• Spatial resolution (e.g. river catchments)• Pan-European• Consistency (time, space and between variables)• Quality (fit for purpose)

Projections (modelled):• Climate change impact, vulnerability and adaptation

assessments (focus on ecosystem services)

9

Progress in EEA activities (1)Progress in EEA activities (1)• Progress in EEA data centres (land use, water, biodiversity, air,

climate change)• Input to DG ENV lead scoping study on the proposed EU

Clearinghouse on CC impacts, vulnerability and adaptation• Draft GMES (environmental) user needs document, presented

at GAC, 12 June and sent for EIONET review up to 3 July• Draft EEA Technical Report ‘Vulnerability to climate change and

adaptation to water resources problems in the European Alps - A regional perspective’ (comments included, publication in Aug)

• Published: • Report on progress towards the EU 2010 target of halting

biodiversity loss by 2010 (indicator based)• Water resources across Europe — confronting water

scarcity and drought

10

Progress in EEA activities (2)Progress in EEA activities (2)• Presentations and discussions at various conferences• Support to WHO strategy on climate change and health (input

to ministerial conference early 2010, Italy)• Support to various meetings/networks including:

• DG ENV meetings on adaptation (white paper) and working group on climate change impacts on biodiversity

• WFD group on climate change and water • Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA) Network, working group

on adaptation• European Nature Conservation Agencies (ENCA) Network, working

group on adaptation• EU Council expert groups on science and adaptation

11

Progress in EEA activities (3)Progress in EEA activities (3)• Storyline on climate change mitigation and adaptation for

SOER2010 analysis (building e.g. on research projects):• Impacts in Europe (some updates of 2008 report)• Vulnerability maps where feasible (e.g. floods, forest fires,

agriculture from JRC; ecosystems and coastal areas from ETC ACC/PIK; health from WHO)

• Mapping of past (environmental) impacts of major natural and technological disasters (ETC LUSI with JRC, and also using CRED data)

• Comparison of national and regional adaptation strategies (ETC ACC)

• Future adaptation actions and costs (analysis of existing scenarios) (ETC ACC)

• Global climate change tipping points (Autumn 2009) (ETC ACC)• Complementary work by ETC Water (marine, freshwater) and ETC

Biodiversity (synergies with other SOER chapters)

12

Ideas for 2010 EEA activities on CC IVAIdeas for 2010 EEA activities on CC IVA• Further develop the EU Clearinghouse with DG ENV and JRC

(also incorporating disaster risk reduction)• Working papers/meetings on GMES climate change user needs

(including pathway for a European reanalysis)• Updated climate change impact indicators on the web• Further develop vulnerability methods and indicators and

adaptation indicators (links to disaster risk mapping)• Finalise SOER2010 contributions including web based elements• Contributions to Biodiversity assessment (2010), EURECA

(European ecosystem assessment, 2012), freshwater assessment, 2012

All activities in close collaboration with other EEA groups (water, biodiversity, land use, and SEIS/GMES) and also JRC

13

Additional slidesAdditional slides

14

Main recommendations & conclusions Oct 2008Main recommendations & conclusions Oct 2008• White Paper: outcomes of this meeting can provide inputs,

e.g. planning adaptation for different temperature scenarios, coherence between mitigation and adaptation measures.

• 2008 indicator-based report on climate change impacts: Interest in updated indicators at EU level, consistent with national indicators. Need for a more coordinated European climate observing system. Kopernikus expected to help deliver this.

• Clearinghouse: added-value confirmed but there is a need to clarify:• Target groups and data needs• Country reporting is currently voluntary• Links to existing systems (EU & global)• How to make EU & national research and Interreg results accessible

15

Main recommendations & conclusionsMain recommendations & conclusions• Consultation of countries• Resources implications (e.g. maintenance)

• Interest in the Alps study confirmed. Interested countries can be further involved. Further work is needed to reach stakeholders and facilitate the transfer of findings to other mountain regions (e.g. the Carpathian under EURECA).

• Review and comparison of adaptation initiatives and measures at national and regional levels is of value and could also be communicated through the clearinghouse.

• General support for developing methodologies on vulnerability indices and process-based adaptation indicators. Gaps in evaluating, monitoring and further defining concepts (e.g. mal-adaptation).

• Use of spatial analysis for EEA integrated assessments on ecosystems, water and for vulnerability mapping.

16

Main recommendations & conclusionsMain recommendations & conclusions• Biodiversity and ecosystems goods and services

assessments a key issue (EURECA, including N2K network and SEBI2010)

• Work in the Steering Group ‘Climate change and water’ regarded as important, in particular the guidance to incorporate climate change into the RBMPs in 2009.

• Support for developing integrated climate change scenarios, i.e. linking across time scales and temperature scenarios the mitigation targets, impacts, adaptation needs, uncertainties and economic assessments.

• The EIONET network on climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation will be consulted on the EEA products and plans.

• Consider forthcoming back-to-back meetings of ENCA and EPA Interest Groups with the EIONET workshops.