The increasing pressure on European coasts due to climate change and human use increases the need for actions for sustainable coastal management. The third edition of this symposium (first day in German, second and third day in English) brings together scientists and practitioners and is a forum for exchange on the research topics, such as nature-based coastal adaptation.
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On 7 June 2022, the European Commission announced the first 118 regions and local authorities that will participate in the EU Mission for Adaptation to Climate Change, the so-called Mission Adaptation, which will support the European Green Deal and the EU Climate Adaptation Strategy.
On 31 May 2022, the LIFE Programme announced the five winners of the annual LIFE Awards at a ceremony held during EU Green Week. The LIFE Awards recognise the most innovative, inspirational and effective LIFE projects in three categories: nature protection, environment and climate action. The LIFE VinEcoS (Optimizing Ecosystem Services in Viniculture facing Climate Change) project became the winner for climate action.
The Policy Support Facility is a new initiative launched by the European Commission under the Covenant of Mayors – Europe, to help local and regional authorities implement adaptation strategies. Forty local and regional authorities from 12 EU Member States have the opportunity to receive tailored support from experts to advance on adaptation action. They are invited to submit an application by 21 June 2022.
Climate change, urbanization, declining biodiversity, extreme weather and increasing food production: these are just a few of the factors that challenge the future of cities. There is growing evidence that Nature-based Solutions can be sound investments for future urban challenges. Just solutions for cities is another topic. In particular practitioners, researchers, policymakers and students are invited for this two-days conference.
WHO/Europe launched its annual #KeepCool campaign, during the European Public Health Week (16 - 20 May 2022), to remind all people that in periods of hot weather it is essential to take measures to keep cool in order to avoid negative health effects.
A proposal for the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive adopted by the European Commission in December 2021 includes several provisions on adaptation and climate resilience.
Taking rapid and ambitious action to halt and reverse the climate crisis has the potential to bring many health benefits. In addition, the public health benefits resulting from ambitious mitigation efforts would far outweigh their cost. A World Health Organization (WHO) presentation will elaborate on health issues in climate decision-making processes.
Climate change has severe implications for the health and well‐being of all humanity; some groups are particularly vulnerable to physical and mental health impacts of climate‐related hazards. An EEA presentation will highlight the vulnerable groups in the European society, which are disproportionately exposed to, and affected by climate change, and will look at solutions in policy and practice in Europe.
The Summary for Policymakers (released on 4 April 2022) presents the key findings of the Working Group III Report, as a contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the IPCC. The Working Group III Report provides an updated global assessment of progress in climate change mitigation and related pledges, and examines the sources of global emissions. A new chapter on innovation, technology development and transfer, can contribute to and achieve both mitigation and adaptation targets, along with broader sustainable development goals.
The report from the EU project EXHAUSTION: “Interactive Effects of High Temperature and Air Pollution in Europe” summarizes the evidence from analyses on the interactive effects of high temperature and various air pollutants on heart and lung related death and diseases. The findings highlight the urgency in improving air quality across Europe, and for policymakers that climate change adaptation measures need to be also taken into account to protect vulnerable subgroups.
The recently published Global Drought Observatory (GDO) report analyses the impacts of the severe drought that has been affecting large areas of Europe and provides forecasts for the upcoming months.
The conference aims to promote healthy urban development by bringing together different disciplines working within cities. It will address science and practice and provide pathways to low carbon, liveable, equitable and healthy cities. Resilience to climate change is one of the topics addressed in an integrative way.
New synergies have emerged in climate change adaptation efforts in Aarhus, Denmark. The surroundings of the Danish centre for rehabilitation, research and development - MarselisborgCentret - integrate health, urban nature, rehabilitation and climate change adaptation in a single project. The project is called SPARK and it is part of the local water company (Aarhus Vand's) strategy to contain and retain almost all the rainwater that falls on the centre site.
In the Municipality of Assens on Funen, Denmark three new retention ponds are keeping the town of Tommerup Stationsby dry-shod, even after persistent and heavy rainfalls. Combined, three lakes - together known as Tallerupsøerne - form the largest climate adaptation project to date on Western Funen. The lakes were designed to withstand a five-year rainfall event but have proven capable of withstanding more.
In December 2020, the Permanent Committee 'Climate Change' under the German Working Group on Water Issues of the Federal States and the Federal Government (LAWA) prepared a comprehensive report on the concerns, potential responses and strategic fields of action in water resources management, updating the previous work done in 2017. The application-oriented report describes how changes in climate elements affect surface water, groundwater and the ecology of water bodies and practical examples of solutions.
As part of the Adaptive Cities Through integrated Nature-based Solutions (ACT on NbS) project, funded by EIT-Climate KIC, researchers at Wageningen University & Research, Deltares and the University of Bologna, assessed the different challenges that cities experience in urban NbS implementation. They conducted structured interviews and workshops with municipalities, and reviewed available tools that support NbS uptake in urban areas.
The euROpean observAtory on Disaster risk and crisis MAnagement best Practices (ROADMAP) has the main objective to establish a European “Doctrine on disaster risk and crisis management”, funded on the mutual cooperation between scientific communities and disaster risk management (DRM) authorities. The fourth bulletin focuses on floods and landslides due to their potential severe and even disastrous consequences with fatalities, diseases, and construction and infrastructure failures, and can damage or completely destroy vast areas of a country. According to the IPCC (IPCC 2021), both the probability and the consequences of floods and landslides are expected to increase in the coming decades, as a result of climate change and increased vulnerabilities and exposure, especially in urban areas.
The IPCC Task Group on Data Support for Climate Change Assessments (TG-Data) together with the Data Distribution Centre (DDC) organised webinar series focused on using IPCC Working Group I Interactive Atlas. On 18 March 2022 a training session webinar for Europe was held.
This guide to climate services presents projects funded under the European Research Area for Climate Services (ERA4CS), a co-funded action initiated by JPI Climate with co-funding by the European Union, national public Research Funding Organisations (RFOs), and Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) from 18 European countries. It sets out to increase understanding of different pathways, methods, and approaches to improve knowledge co-production in the area of climate services.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) generated a wide range of authoritative, quality-controlled information and datasets about the state of the climate, in support of scientific research and climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies carried out by policy makers and businesses. C3S released its annual findings showing that, globally, the last seven years were the seven warmest on record by a clear margin, with Europe experiencing its warmest summer on record.
In the first months of 2022 new climate and health materials - such as an analysis on key climate impacts on human health in national policy documents; European health policies and activities; evidence review of the climate change impacts on mental health, and updated indicators on health - were published in the Observatory webpage.
On the occasion of the French presidency of the Council of the European Union, Santé publique France and The International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI) organised a discussion day on climate change and public health on 8 April 2022. The event aimed to raise better awareness of the interlinkages between climate, biodiversity and health in public policies, and to encourage concrete actions at the local, national and European level to adapt to climate change.
Global warming is likely to increase the number of people requiring hospitalisation due to critically low sodium levels in the blood, a condition known as hyponatremia. A new study projects that a temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius would increase the burden on hospitals from hyponatremia by almost 14%.
The Working Group II contribution to the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report – AR6 Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability – released 28 February 2022, includes important messages about current and future impacts of extreme heat on human health.
The European Court of Auditors’ report 'EU Support to tourism - need for a fresh strategic orientation and a better funding approach' is meant to provide input for the Commission’s work in defining a comprehensive 2030 tourism strategy with medium- and long-term objectives. In this regard, sustainable tourism is one of the most prominent concepts in tourism development and involves environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects to address the effects of tourism on climate change and to cope with the impacts of climate change on the tourism sector.
The members of the new European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change have been appointed, and this independent body can now provide the EU with scientific knowledge, expertise and advice relating to climate change, climate change impacts and adaptation. The Advisory Board’s work will underpin the EU’s climate action and efforts to reach climate neutrality by 2050.
The European State of the Climate (ESOTC) is an annual report compiled by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on behalf of the European Commission. Through a short overview of the global context in 2021, the ESOTC presents a more comprehensive overview of climate conditions and key events in Europe, and focuses on the Arctic.
On 17 May 2022, the European Commission published this year’s calls for proposals under the LIFE programme, opening a new application round for funding. Altogether, just under €600 million is available for nature conservation, environmental protection, climate action, and clean energy transition projects. Depending on the type of projects, the deadline to apply is either 8 September or 4 October 2022.
The European Commission announced an investment of over €110 million in LIFE programme integrated projects for environmental and climate protection. The funding will support major new environmental and climate projects in 11 EU countries: Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland and Slovenia. The projects contribute to a green recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and support the European Green Deal's objectives of making the EU climate neutral and pollution free by 2050.
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