summary

climate change is affecting all regions in Europe a wide range of impacts on society and the

environment are already visible further impacts are expected in future

temperaturethe last decade (2002–2011) was the warmest on

record in Europeland temperature was 1.3° C warmer than the pre-

industrial averagecompared to the 1961–1990 average projections show

that Europe could be 2.5–4° C warmer by the close of the twenty-first century

heat waves

heat waves have increased in both frequency and length

they have caused tens of thousands of deaths over the last decade

the projected increase in heat waves could increase the number of extreme weather-related deaths over the next decades

precipitation

precipitation is decreasing in southern regionsprecipitation is increasing in northern Europeclimate change is projected to increase river flooding,

particularly in northern Europe

rivers

minimum river flows are projected to decrease significantly in summer in southern Europe

river flow droughts appear to have become more severe and frequent in southern Europe

belowground flow is declining in many central European watersheds

the Arcticthe Arctic is warming faster than other regions. record low sea ice was observed in the Arctic in 2007,

2011 and 2012melting of the Greenland ice sheet has doubled since

the 1990s

glaciers

250 billion tonnes of mass has been lost each year between 2005 and 2009 on the Greenland ice sheet

Glaciers in the Alps have lost two-thirds of their volume and continue to melt

sea levelsea levels are rising, raising the risk of coastal

flooding during storm eventsglobal average sea level has risen by 1.7mm a year in

the 20th centuryit is likely that 21st century sea-level rise will be greater

than during the 20th century

human health

climate change plays a part in the transmission of certain diseases

the tick species Ixodes ricinus is thriving further north

further warming may make parts of Europe more suitable for disease-carrying mosquitos and sandflies

the pollen season arrives 10 days earlier than 50 years ago

plants and animals

widespread changes in plant and animal characteristics are already observed

plants are flowering earlier in the yearfreshwater phytoplankton and zooplankton blooms

are also appearing earlier

landcapes

animals and plants are moving northward or uphill as their habitats warm

the migration rate of many species is insufficient to keep pace with the speed of climate change

they could be pushed towards extinction in the futuremitigation requires the construction of local and

regional biocorridors

agriculture

water available for agriculture in southern Europe is decreasing

the expansion of warm-season crops will continue to expand into more northerly latitudes

Yields are projected to fall for some crops due to heat waves and droughts in central and southern Europe

adaptation

adaptation means anticipating the adverse effects of climate change and taking appropriate action to prevent or minimize the damage they can cause

adaptation also means taking advantage of opportunities that may arise

task

most adaptation initiatives will be taken at the regional or local levels

the ability to cope and adapt also differs across populations, economic sectors and regions within Europe

working in pairs, students are asked to prepare a report with actionable recommendations for their region on one of the themes presented