Europe must take the lead
in adapting to the impacts of climate change
according to Professor Jacqueline McGlade,
executive director of the EEA. Speaking
after the launch of a report from the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which outlines
the likely impacts of climate change, Professor
McGlade stressed that effective action would
need to be coordinated at the highest level.
She also called on Europe to set an example.
“Europe sees itself as a leader in terms
of setting targets and establishing policies
for the mitigation of climate change. We
also now need to lead on adaptation if we
are to make a successful transition to the
changing environment,” she said.
Adapting to a new environment
The trans-boundary nature of climate change
means that successful adaptation strategies
will take time and will require co-ordination
at local, national, regional, and International
levels
Professor Jacqueline McGlade
The IPCC report, ‘Climate Change Impacts,
Adaptation and Vulnerability’, is the second
of three major reports planned by the UN
panel of international scientists. The report
says climate change is already affecting
the global environment and that drought,
flooding and changes to seasonal patterns
will increase as global temperatures increase.
However, the extent of the impacts will
be closely linked to the increase in temperature.
The report underlines the fact that many
of the most vulnerable regions are in developing
countries in Africa, Asia as well as island
communities around the globe. However, the
entire global community will be affected.
As a result effective adaptation measures
must be coordinated, according to Professor
McGlade.
“The trans-boundary nature of climate change
means that successful adaptation strategies
will take time and will require co-ordination
at local, national, regional, and International
levels,” she said Professor McGlade stressed,
however, that the focus must still remain
on controlling and reducing increases to
the global climate as a first priority.
“We can delay and reduce some of the effects
of climate change by cutting emissions of
greenhouse gases – the drivers of global
temperature increases. However, real cuts
must start now as there will be a lag time
before reductions have a positive effect.
Failure to do so, could lead to major adverse,
possibly irreversible impacts that are beyond
the capacity of many regions to adapt to,”
she said.
The IPCC report presents observed and projected
changes that include:
Increasing global ice melt leading to enlargement
and increased numbers of glacial lakes,
with increased risk of outburst floods
Increasing ground instability due to thawing
in high-Alpine mountain and other permafrost
regions
Growing risk of ice and rock avalanches
in mountain regions
Enhanced run-off and earlier spring peak
discharge in many glacier and snow-fed rivers
Lake and river warming - affecting thermal
structure and water quality
Earlier spring events: leaf unfolding, bird
migration and egg-laying, for example
Shifting ranges of plant and animal species
Shifting ranges of plant and animal species
Changing Arctic and Antarctic flora and
fauna with far-reaching disruptions of the
food chain
The IPCC report also shows that some adaptation
is already occurring. However more extensive
adaptation is required in vulnerable regions
and sectors (such as water resource management;
human health; agriculture; building sector).
For more information on climate change
impacts, vulnerability and adaptation in
Europe, please see the following reports:
Climate change and water adaptation issues
Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate
Change in Europe
You can visit the IPCC homepage here: http://www.ipcc.ch/
Access more information on this IPCC report
here: http://www.ipcc.ch/press/prwg10apr07.htm
