CIRCLE-2 Policy Brief#2 - MOUNTain Areas - Climate Change Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation

Following CIRCLE-2 MOUNTain Kick-off on "Needs and opportunities in climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation research in mountain areas" last February, in (Chambery) France. This policy brief is directed towards funders and managers of research programmes on climate change impacts and adaptation as well as policy makers concerned with these issues. It notes various challenges in addressing climate change in research and policy for mountain areas and provides recommendations on research needs.

While much knowledge and data about likely future climate change is available for Europe’s mountains, projections, socio-economic scenarios, and assessments of impacts and vulnerabilities are highly variable across different mountain ranges and sectors. New focused research is required to advance the knowledge and understanding of the changing climate of mountain areas, and the resulting impacts and vulnerabilities, to inform policy- and decision-makers most effectively and support the development of sound adaptation actions.