UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE EVOLUTION

IN THE PYRENEES FOR A COLLECTIVE WORK ON ADAPTATION

CIRCLE 2 MOUNTAIN

Final Meeting

Barcelona, 26-27 September 2013

Pyrenees Climate Change Observatory (OPCC)

P Y R E N E E S

About the Pyrenees Working Community (CTP)

Eight political entities from three states:

• France (Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrénées, Languedoc-Roussillon)

• Spain

(Catalunya, Aragón, Navarra, Euskadi)

• Principat d'Andorra

IPCC 2007 report -> mountainous areas particularly sensitive to climate change.

Climate change impacts natural systems and socio-economic sectors.

Climate change has no borders

Why cross-border cooperation and climate change is a priority to the Pyrenees Working Community (CTP)?

-> CTP launched the Pyrenees Climate Change Observatory (OPCC) in 2010.

-> First actions of OPCC: A project supported by European program POCTEFA 2011-2013 (65% ERDF)

OPCC’s mission: to interpret and disseminate scientific knowledge, and to support decision-making on climate change in the Pyrenees.

OPCC’s main goal: to monitor and understand climate evolution in the Pyrenees with the aim of becoming less vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and adapting to its effects

OPCC's actions (2012-may 2014)

Climate, Biodiversity, Forests and Natural Hazards, Water, Remote Sensing, Geoportal and Adaptation

-> Transboundary network of stakeholders -> working on common methodologies and indicators for the Pyrenees

Climate action in the OPCC's project: Development of a unique database based on precipitation, temperature -> Common indicators to all territories of the Pyrenees.

Biodiversity action in the OPCC's project: Network monitoring of species and populations of the vascular flora of the Pyrenees to detect the impact of climate change -> Developement a common Atlas of Flora in the Pyrenees + Monitor community Salix herbaceae

Forests and Natural Hazards in the OPCC's project: Understanding the role of forest in the Pyrenees against the impacts of climate change and the increased risk of natural hazards and their capacity of adaptation in a changing climate

Water in the OPCC's project: Apply knowledge of the impact of climate change on water resources. Develop methodologies to integrate climate change in the Drought Management Plan.

Remote Sensing in OPCC's project: vegetation, snow and soil occupation.

Geoportal in OPCC's project: common transboundary shared space for information on climate change in the Pyrenees:www.opcc-ctp.org

Adaptation action in OPCC's project: Diagnosing the Pyrenees: impacts and vulnerability to climate change. Understand and analyze adaptation initiatives in the territory.

Coordination Project coordination among partners, communication and dissemination of the project through website, organizing the final event of the project .

7

“Adaptation to climate change in the Pyrenees”

PHASE 1 : PYRENEES

Common diagnosis of the Pyrenees and adaptation experiences

Identify climate change impacts in the Pyrenees for a first approach on vulnerability analysis

Identify and analyze existing adaptation initiatives in the Pyrenees

PHASE 2 : EUROPEAN MOUNTAINS

Knowledge transfer of European experiences on adaptation

Identify and analyze existing adaptation initiatives of other European mountain areas

Elaborate useful documentation of reference for Pyrenean stakeholders that support them in their adaptation planning to climate change

May 2013,Toulouse (Midi Pyrénées)

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“Adaptation to climate change in the Pyrenees”

A study about vulnerability: Characteristics of the Pyrenees; observed and expected impacts of climate change

Date base with 85 Pyrenean adaptation initiatives and 18 European adaptation initiatives, classified and analyzed

2 publications

For further information: www.opcc-ctp.org

9

Zone 1: West and North

Zone 2: South

Zone 3: Piedmont (between 750 et 2000 m)

Zone 4: Alpine (above 2000 m)

Lleida

Girona

OPCC

10

Fuente:

ACTeon, 2012

11 (Source : ACTeon, 2012 basée sur les données du projet SCAMPEI)

1 Zna 3 Zona 2

Ubicaciónaproximativa de las tres zonas

Horizonte 2080Horizonte 2030Actualidad

Nú

me

ro d

e d

ías

con

man

to n

ivo

so

Zona 1 Zona 3Zona 2

PYRENEES: Number snow days at 1800, 2100 and 2400 m years 2010/2030/2080

12

PYRENEES: 85 initiatives analyzed and classified

19

2610

9

52

6

1

7

Eau

Agriculture

Forêt

Biodiversité

Tourisme

Santé

Risques naturels

Energie et industrie

Transversal

Water

Cross-sectorial

Agriculture

Forest

Biodiversity

Tourism

Health

Natural hazards

Industry and energy

13

1

21

1

3

416

24

5

221 1

6

10

41

2

42

2

3

5

3312

1

7

4513

12

22

411

1

10Leyenda

Agua Agricultura

Bosques Biodiversidad

Turismo Salud

Riesgos Energía

Transversal

PYRENEES: 85 initiatives analyzed and classified

14

• Type 1: new initiatives implemented with a clear objective to adapt to climate change

• Type 2 : already existing initiatives that evolved to integrate climate change

• Type 3 : already existing initiatives that contribute to reduce vulnerability to climate change (of the territories or economic activities) where « adaptation » is explicitly NOT an objective

{1}

27 iniciativas

{2}

5 iniciativas{3}conocimiento

18 iniciativas

{3}operacionales

35 iniciativas

Fuente:

ACTeon, 2012

PYRENEES: 85 initiatives analyzed and classified

15

TURISMO

AGRICULTURA

GESTION DEL

AGUA BOSQUE

BIODIVERSIDAD

RIESGOS NATURALES

POTENCIALES

TRANSVERSAL

7 13 12

15 1 5

9 8

10 2

16 18 3

4

11

14

14

17

6

Fuente:

ACTeon, 2012

EUROPE: 18 initiatives analyzed and classified

Adaptation study:

Key conclusions

• Adaptation is about integration of climate change into current practice and not limited to specific adaptation measures per se. This has implications as to the adaptation approach to be followed at local level:

-Whether to approach stakeholders by inviting them to develop an

adaptation strategy with a programme of measures

OR

-Support or incentive them to include the factor “climate” into their

existing decision making framework.

• The Pyrenees have started to adapt in comparable ways to other mountain areas in the EU with most efforts focused on knowledge building.

• There is a key role for public institutions to help stakeholders to take into account the climate change in particular through knowledge development and diffusion.

Climate action:

Development of a unique database of high quality climate series based on precipitation, temperature, and the definition of common indicators for the Pyrenees

Would you like to share your knowlodge with us?

Come to our next event at Hemingway’s favourite place !!

“International symposium on climate change in mountain areas: observation for adaptation”

6th November 2013, Pamplona (Navarra)

THANK YOU !!

Gabriel Borràs, Catalan Office for Climate Change

Anne Sota, Pyrenees Climate Change Observatory

(a.sota@ctp.org)

To know more about OPCC adaptation study :

www.opcc-ctp.org