Efficient use of water resources in a changing climate in Europe

Blaz KurnikEuropean Environment Agency

Drought situation in Europe for April 2012EDO JRC - IES

Irrigation demands across Europe

The Water Resource Challenge - management of competing uses

Water management in green economy

Human well-being(social and human capital)

goal: enhance social equity

and fair burden-sharing

Ecosystem(natural capital)

goal: ensure

ecological resilience

Economy(manufactured and

financial capital)

goal: improve

resource efficiency

GREENEconomy

Water accounts• Water balances in a strict

accounting framework so to link the physical and economic worlds

• The accounting spatial unit: ‘territory of reference’, made of ‘statistical units’

• Analysis carried out across the inland resource system (natural assets) and the economy

• Exchanges between the different components: rain on soil that receives irrigation; rivers fill reservoirs used for abstraction and supply; etc.

• Applies to the physical catchments

Soil water balance model

Soil water balance components

Soil water deficit

Dry soil

DDS – number of days with dry soil

(SWB ~ Wp)

SWD – soil water deficit

(cumulative amount of water below

20% (Fc-Wp)

Changes in cumulative soil water deficitChanges in cumulative soil water deficitChanges in cumulative soil water deficitChanges in cumulative soil water deficit

Soil water deficit:

•higher annual deficit in southern Europe (in average 400 mm/year in period 2061-2080)

•the largest changes in Mediterranean area and Turkey•in central and northern Europe lower annual deficit is projected•in far north increase in deficit is projected - frozen soils and snow ??

2021 – 2040 vs 1981 - 2000 2041 – 2060 vs 1981 - 2000 2061 – 2080 vs 1981 - 2000

Changes in number of days with dry soilChanges in number of days with dry soilChanges in number of days with dry soilChanges in number of days with dry soil

Days with dry soils (when SWB ~ Wp):

•Increase in southern Europe – coastal regions •Projected decrease in central Europe

2021 – 2040 vs 1981 - 2000 2041 – 2060 vs 1981 - 2000 2061 – 2080 vs 1981 - 2000

EU information systems – Presenting information

is gateway to information on European water issues

aims to support Europe in adapting to climate change

is a single entry point for data and information on biodiversity in the EU

What is Climate-Adapt?

The European Climate Adaptation Platform (CLIMATE-ADAPT) aims to support Europe in adapting to climate change. It is an initiative of the European Commission and helps users to access and share information on:

1) Expected climate change in Europe2) Current and future vulnerability of regions and sectors3) National and transnational adaptation strategies4) Adaptation case studies and potential adaptation options5) Tools that support adaptation planning

http://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu

Spatial information data attached to Climate Adapt

Climate-Adapt mapviewer

ClimWatAdaptproject

ENSEMBLES FP6 project

JRC-IES maps

ESPON Climate project

PostGIS to WMS

NetCDF to WMS

WMS

DBF to WMS

Water related spatial data in Climate-Adapt

Questions

Thank you

Blaz.kurnik@eea.europa.eu

European Environment Agency