Adapting to climate change

The Third EWA Brussels Conference in November this year brought European leaders together to face the developments of climate change and discuss the adaptation of water management.

climate change is one of the most critical challenges facing the planet, threatening the environment, human life and economic activity. Projected global warning is likely to trigger a greater frequency and severity of extreme weather events, as well as a rise in sea levels endangering coastal areas. as the effects continue to impact the Danube River basin, it is vital that countries develop practical measures to adapt water management to the climate change.

European water management. The European Water Association (EWA) held its third EWA Brussels Conference in November this year, bringing together experts and leaders from throughout Europe to address climate change, its impact on the water sector and the mitigation and adaptation measures that can be adopted. The conference outlined the latest scientific knowledge and updated delegates on policy measures being developed by the European Commission.

“The conference was extremely useful to get an overview of the situation of climate change in Europe”, says Philip Weller, Executive Secretary of the ICPDR. “The European Water Association is actually dealingwith these issues at a management level and it was very helpful to see how people in the region are addressing the problems from a management level or how they would do things differently.”

Highlights of the conference included an in-depth look at climate
change at the transboundary river basin level and specifically at the changing nature of the Danube. Weller spoke at the conference, outlining the work of the ICPDR and the need for cooperation with people in the various industries that may be affected.

Looking at climate change regionally. On 3 December, a conference on the ‘Adaptation of Water Management to the Effects of Climate Change in the Danube Region’ took place in Vienna. The conference, organised by the Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs, the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management and the ICPDR Secretariat, addressed the effects of climate change in the Danube River Basin, and included representation from the water supply, hydropower, navigation and wastewater sectors.

“Adaptation strategies must be developed at the local and regional level…it makes sense to focus on the Danube, this valuable water reservoir connecting our region”, said Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik.

The results of the conference will directly influence the work of the ICPDR. “The ICPDR has a way forward to respond to climate change”, says Weller. “We need in particular to define clearly what the likely scenarios are and what research or what activities are needed to better understand those, but most importantly to say, ok, given these likely scenarios, what are the actions that maybe should be taken and how do we incorporate that into the programme of measures and the River Basin Management Plan.”

Kirstie Shepherd is a freelance journalist living in Vienna and has
called the Danube River Basin home since 2000.