Climate change impacts and vulnerability in Europe 2016

Policy context
and climate change concerns by rewarding the
introduction of practices that are beneficial for
the environment and climate, by setting minimum
targets for measures concerning environment and
climate-related investments, and by promoting
Member States' action towards the preservation
of ecosystems and supporting a climate-resilient
economy. Adaptations to the implementation
and/or design of the CAP might occur as a follow-up
to the mid-term report on implementation foreseen
in 2017.
2.4 Adaptation at country level
This section provides a brief overview of adaptation
actions undertaken at the level of individual EU Member
States. It is based on the 2014 EEA report on national
adaptation processes (EEA, 2014), reporting in 2015 by
all 28 Member States under Article 15 of the Monitoring
Mechanism Regulation, and the sixth UNFCCC National
Communications of the EU Member States.
National adaptation strategies and plans, and
monitoring, reporting and evaluation
To date, 23 European countries (20 EU Member
States and three further EEA member countries) have
adopted a national adaptation strategy (NAS) and 12
have developed a national adaptation plan (NAP) (see
Map 2.1). More than half of European countries have
made progress in identifying and assessing adaptation
options.
Adaptation is most often implemented by applying 'soft'
measures (e.g. providing information or mainstreaming).
The water, agriculture and forestry sectors are reported
to be the most advanced in terms of implementing
portfolios of adaptation measures at all administration
levels.
An increasing number of European countries are now
taking action on monitoring, reporting and evaluation
(MRE) of adaptation at national level (EEA, 2015a). So
far, 14 countries have systems for monitoring, reporting
and/or evaluation of adaptation in place or under
development (see Map 2.1). Most countries have so
far focused on monitoring and reporting activities. The
evaluation of adaptation policies is often at an early
stage because the implementation of adaptation has
only just begun.
Across European countries, progress on adaptation
strategies and plans varies considerably and the same
is true for MRE of adaptation. Despite these differences,
early insights from this dynamic field of practice can
be valuable to countries with established approaches,
as well as to those just beginning to consider MRE
of adaptation. These experiences contribute to an
essential information base for countries to learn from.
Success factors for and barriers to adaptation and
knowledge gaps
Progress in adaptation depends on a number of
success factors and their interconnection. For example,
effective coordination among authorities supports the
involvement of a wide range of stakeholders by ensuring
the availability of consistent and reliable information,
and by ensuring clarity with respect to roles and
responsibilities.
Barriers to adaptation are not simply the inverse of
success factors. A lack of resources (e.g. time, money
and equipment) and uncertainties are viewed by
European countries as the most important barriers.
Uncertainties are a common feature across all levels of
advancement in policymaking. Policymaking can benefit
from embedding processes that focus on learning from
experiences, reviewing progress and policy objectives,
and encouraging innovative experimentation.
To further support adaptation in European countries,
more information is needed on the costs and benefits
of adaptation, as well as on the risks and uncertainties,
vulnerabilities at local level, and the availability of data
for monitoring and evaluation purposes (see also
Chapter 7).
Transnational cooperation
Transnational cooperation in adaptation to climate
change has increased with the recognition of the
importance of adaptation as a cross-cutting policy
area. Half of European countries report considering
transnational cooperation in national adaptation policy
processes. Transnational cooperation in adaptation has
often been developed with the support of European
funding instruments, and in the context of established
cooperation forums such as European regional
conventions.
Water management is an area that has a broad
experience of transnational cooperation in the EU, and
was the first area in which adaptation to climate change
was considered, e.g. transboundary river basins or
catchment management. Coastal area management is
another common sector for transnational cooperation
and where adaptation to climate change has been
recognised as a transboundary issue, as well as
biodiversity conservation and strategies, and risk
management protocols for natural hazards.
Climate change, impacts and vulnerability in Europe 2016 | An indicator-based report
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