Generic Adaptation Approaches

Plenary Session, Thursday, 02 October 2008

"Generic Adaptation Approaches"

Organisers: Jeroen Aerts
Florrie de Pater

Dealing with climate change and climate variability is generally considered to be one of the largest challenges for the coming decades, on all geographical scales, across all economic sectors. The urgency to take action is more apparent than ever, yet clear guidance on exactly how to respond to the challenge of climate change is often lacking. A consensus, however, is emerging around the viewpoint that it is not only necessary to mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also to adapt to the inevitability of climate change by preparing for impacts and reducing vulnerability in all sectors.

The adaptation session will assess impacts of climate change, what adaptation strategies are available in Europe and what type of information, such as climate scenarios, is required to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of adaptation strategies in various sectors. The adaptation session also highlights bottlenecks and gaps in current knowledge and sets the agenda for science to better meet the requirements of end users and policy makers in the various sectoral domains (water, health, nature, finance, urban areas, agriculture, etc).

The general adaptation session AC0 starts with four keynote presentations of adaptation studies in different sectors and highlights the following issues:

  • the type of climate scenarios needed for adaptation studies;
  • the type of effects that may appear under climate change and an assessment of the risks when adaptation policies are neglected;
  • the type of adaptation options available to mitigate climate vulnerability;
  • how EU and National policies support adaptation strategies or what policies are missing;
  • how stakeholders are involved in developing adaptation policies.

These five issues are key for the discussion in each of the break-out sessions AC1-AC5. Within each of these sessions, various presentations will highlight different aspects of each of these issues and at the end of the session a summary will be made as to how each issue is currently addressed in EU member states and what actions, policies and scientific information are still missing.

Keynote Programme 08:30–10:30

Prof. Jacqueline McGlade
(Executive Director, European Environment Agency)

Prof. Dr. Peter Höppe
(Head Geo Risks Research/Corporate Climate Centre, Munich RE)

Tanja Wolf
(WHO Regional Office for Europe)

Alex Nickson
(Strategy Manager, Climate Change Adaptation and Water, Greater London Authority)

Ir. Rob Roggema
(Manager Strategy and Integrated Spatial and Environmental Policy, Province of Groningen)

Session Feedback & Panel Discussion (17:00–18:30)

The findings of each break out session will reported back by the conveners in a plenary session where a discussion takes place with a panel of specialists:

Panelmembers: Prof. Dr. Pier Vellinga (Wageningen University)
Prof. Dr. Peter Höppe (Munich RE)
Dr. Marianne Kuijpers-Linde (Geodan Next)
Tanja Wolf (WHO Regional Office for Europe)
Alex Nickson (Greater London Authority)
Maryam Golnaraghi (World Meteorological Organization)