Climate Change and the European Water Dimension - Agri ...

Climate Change
and the
European Water Dimension
PREFACE
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published in 2001 an
assessment document on the global and regional evidence for and the potential
impacts of climate change. The IPCC said ..”there is new and stronger evidence that
most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human
activities.” To the question is the Earth warming, the answer is a scientifically
unequivocal YES. Science is also clear that increasing greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere are the most direct driver of the warming of the
planet.
In 2004, two important reports appeared. The European Environment Agency (EEA)
published its report on “Impacts of Europe’s Changing Climate, an Indicator-Based
Assessment”, updated the information and findings reported by the IPCC at the
European scale. On water, it states “….therefore, water availability will change over
Europe in the coming decades.” In October 2004 the Arctic Council under the work
of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment published its report “Impacts of a Warming
Climate”. They conclude that climate warming in the Arctic region will dramatically
impact the land, flora, fauna, mammals and indigenous people of the region. They
additionally point out that the Northwest Passage is likely to be open again in the
warming seas at least during the summer months.
With this new report on “Climate Change and the European Water Dimension (JRC,
2004) the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission contributes to the
focused evaluation of the possible impact of climate change on water resources and
quality in the European inland and marine/coastal waters. It is obvious that in many
aspects we do not have sufficient information to be absolutely confident of some
conclusions, but it is, in our opinion, necessary to make an effort at assessment now
by compiling and evaluating existing scientific knowledge. In any case we dare to say
that the evidence of change is already overwhelming and it may be critical that we
act now to secure these natural resources for the future. I hope that this report serves
as a useful input to further discussions and decisions taken in respect to the
sustainable utilization and management of European water bodies being exposed to
substantial pressures arising from the climate change phenomenon.
Professor Manfred Grasserbauer, Ph.D.
Director
Institute for Environment and Sustainaibility
Joint Research Center
European Commission
Ispra, Italy 21020
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