Research on Adaptation to Climate Change

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Research on Adaptation to Climate Change
Needs for Future Research Bridging the Gap
Conference14 16 May 2008, Portoro, Slovenia
Dr. Wolfram Schrimpf and Dr. Elisabeth
Lipiatou Climate Change Environmental Risks
Unit Research Directorate General European
Commission
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Key global impacts as a function of global
average warming
EU 2 C objective
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Importance of adaptation to Climate Change

• - Even under the most optimistic emission
  scenarios we are already
• facing a certain level of climate change and
  related impacts
• gt Adaptation to climate change is not an
  option
• - Mitigation and adaptation are to be seen as a
  co-exercise
• Important European and international milestones
• - European Commission Green Paper Adapting to
  climate change in
• Europe options for EU action
• - Fourth Assessment Report of the
  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
• Change

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An integrated approach
Financial sector
Energy
Ecosystem
Agriculture
Soil
Fisheries
Water
Nature
Air
Infrastructure
Biodiversity
Construction
Tourism
Transport
Impacts transpire gradually from the environment
into the economies and society
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Importance of research for adaptation

• Practical adaptation actions and measures are to
  be based on sound,
• scientific, technical and socio-economic
  information (ref. i.a. Green Paper,
• Third Pillar Reducing uncertainty by Expanding
  the knowledge base
• through integrated climate research)
• Adaptation to climate change
• Initiatives and measures to reduce the
  vulnerability of natural and human systems
  against actual or expected climate change
  effects. Various types of adaptation exist, e.g.
  anticipatory and reactive, private and public,and
  autonomous and planned . (IPCC Glossary)
• Adaptation aims at reducing the risk and
  damage from current and future harmful impacts
  cost-effectively or exploiting potential benefits
  (Adaptation Green Paper)

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European Research

• Contribution to understand Earth system
  functioning, the origin and impacts of climate
  change and to predict its future evolution
• Guidance and support to EUs international
  commitments and EU policies
• Basis for effective mitigation and adaptation
  measures

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Research on Adaptation in Framework Programs

• FP5/FP6
• The increasing importance of research on
  adaptation to climate change has been recognized
  by the Commission in funding a number of projects
  related to this issue
• Examples
• ADAM Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies
  Supporting European climate
• Policy
• PRUDENCE Prediction of regional Scenarios and
  Uncertainties for Defining
• European Climate Change Risks and Effects
• ENSEMBLES Ensemble based predictions of
  climate changes and their impacts
• CECILIA Central and Eastern Europe Climate
  Change Impact and Vulnerability
• Assessment
• CIRCE Climate Change and Impact Research the
  Mediterranean Environment
• cCASHh Climate Change and Adaptation
  Strategies for Human Health
• WATCH Water and Global Change

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Research on adaptation in Framework Programs

• FP7
• Research on adaptation will play a bigger role
• The development of a EU research agenda on
  adaptation to Climate Change has been initiated
• - Many disciplines and sectors are
  affected/involved
• - Encompasses inside the Commission DG Research
  and
• other Services dealing with
  adaptation to climate change
• - Requires integration and cooperation to
  reduce risks of
• fragmentation and more effective
  use of resources
• - Adaptation should be considered within the
  triangle
• mitigation, socio-economic
  development and adaptation.

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FP- Preparation of the Work Programme

• Annual process
• Following consultation and expert advice
• Advisory Group
• Open consultations
• Symposia, Workshops, expert meetings..
• Climate Change Research Challenges Symposium,
  February 2006
• Climate change impact on water resources,
  September 2006
• Time to adapt Climate change and the European
  water dimension
• Polar Environment and Climate Symposium, March
  2007
• EU-India ST Workshop, February 2007
• EU- Japan meeting
• IPCC 4th Assessment Report EC Integrated
  Climate Research (symposium), Nov 2007
• EU-CHINA Workshop on Energy and Climate Change
  Research, March 2008
• Consultation with other Commission Directorate
  Generals
• Subject to opinion by Programme Committees
  (Member State representatives)

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6. Environment including Climate change
Activities
Sub-activities
Climate change, pollution and risks
- Pressures on environment and climate -
Environment and health - Natural Hazards
Sustainable management of resources

• Conservation and sustainable management of
• natural and man-made resources
• - Management of marine environments

Environmental Technologies

• - Technologies for observation, prevention,
• mitigation, of the natural and man-made
• environment
• Protection, conservation and enhancement of
• cultural heritage, including human habitat
• - Technology assessment, verification, testing

- Earth observation - Forecasting methods and
assessment tools
Earth observation and assessment tools
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Pressures on Environment and
Climate (1st Call 39 M)
The Earth System and Climate Functioning
abrupt changes
The Global Carbon cycle and GHG budgets
Climate Change Natural and Socio-economic Impacts
Response strategies Adaptation, Mitigation and
Policies
Natural and anthropogenic emissions and pressures
Future Climate
Stability of the Thermohaline Circulation THOR
Air quality and climate in megacities CITYZEN MEG
APOLI
Climate change impacts in the Parana-Plata river
basin CLARIS LPB
Full costs of climate change CLIMATECOST
Ocean acidification EPOCA
Climate change impacts on mountain regions ACQWA
Impacts of climate policies on land use and
ecosystems CCTAME
Natural Hazards (1st call 13M
Climate Change impacts adaptation strategies in
water policies CLIMATEWATER
Investigating Europes Risk from
Droughts XEROCHORE
Risk Assessment Management
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Pressures on Environment and
Climate (2nd Call 42 M)
The Earth System and Climate Functioning
abrupt changes
The Global Carbon cycle and GHG budgets
Climate Change Natural and Socio-economic Impacts
Response strategies Adaptation, Mitigation and
Policies
Natural and anthropogenic emissions and pressures
Future Climate
New components in Earth System modelling
Water resources in Northern India, and adaptation
strategies
Climate-chemistry interactions in the stratosphere
Sea-Level Rise
Analysis of emerging economies in a post-Kyoto
regime
Addressing deforestation in tropical areas
Climate variability terrestrial carbon cycle
Natural Hazards (2nd call 13M
Risks of novel options to limit climate change
Arctic Ocean ecosystems
Preparedness and risk management for flash floods
including generation of sediment associated
debris flow
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• Key topics identified for the development of a
  roadmap
• for research on adaptation to Climate Change
• Improvement of the information base and analysis
  of climate change impacts
• Limits to resilience, thresholds and points of
  no return in human systems and ecosystems
• Costs and benefits of adaptation and the global
  dimension
• Support to governance at implementation level
• Comparative analysis of developed/adapted
  adaptation strategies with regard to support or
  constraints at EU, national, regional and local
  level