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

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Table IV.B.2. Number of large dams* in Mediterranean countries (Haas, 2002)<br />

Region, country Number of large Percentage of dams<br />

North Mediterranean<br />

dams in 2000 in <strong>the</strong> region<br />

Albania 306 7.8<br />

Bosnia-Herzegovina 25 0.6<br />

Croatia 29 0.7<br />

Spain 1196 30.6<br />

France 569 14.5<br />

Greece 46 1.2<br />

Italy 524 13.4<br />

Malta - -<br />

Monaco - -<br />

Portugal 103 2.6<br />

Slovenia 30 0.8<br />

Yugoslavia<br />

East Mediterranean<br />

69 1.8<br />

Cyprus 52 1.3<br />

Israel ? ?<br />

Jordan 5 0.1<br />

Lebanon 5 0.1<br />

Syria 41 1.0<br />

Palestinian authority territories ? ?<br />

Turkey<br />

South Mediterranean<br />

625 16.0<br />

Algeria 107 2.7<br />

Egypt 6 0.2<br />

Libya 12 0.3<br />

Morocco 92 2.4<br />

Tunisia 72 1.8<br />

Total 3914 100<br />

*15 m or more high (from <strong>the</strong> foundation). If dams are between 5-15 metres <strong>and</strong> have<br />

a reservoir volume of more than 3 million cubic metres <strong>the</strong>y are also classified as<br />

large dams (Dams <strong>and</strong> Development, 2000).<br />

IV.B.3. Climatic Variations within <strong>the</strong> Regions<br />

The climate of Europe is dominated by a westerly flow of cyclonic depressions that<br />

are sometimes blocked by stationary areas of high pressure. Although sou<strong>the</strong>rn<br />

areas enjoy long periods of cloudless skies during summer, <strong>European</strong> wea<strong>the</strong>r can<br />

change rapidly, with significant differences from year to year.<br />

The climate in Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Europe ranges from temperate to arctic <strong>and</strong> from wet to dry.<br />

Sc<strong>and</strong>inavia contains some of <strong>the</strong> cloudiest regions in <strong>the</strong> world with considerable<br />

cloudiness throughout <strong>the</strong> year. In a belt along <strong>the</strong> Sc<strong>and</strong>inavian western,<br />

northwestern <strong>and</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn coasts, <strong>the</strong> number of clear days averages 25 to 35 days<br />

a year, while <strong>the</strong> high mountain regions of <strong>the</strong> Sc<strong>and</strong>inavian Peninsula experience an<br />

average of 35-45 clear days a year (<strong>European</strong> Daylighting Atlas, 1996).<br />

57

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