STREAM 3rd Policy Seminar: The Climate Change Challenges and Managing Flood Risks in Member States
17 December 2012
Austria
One of the biggest challenges facing mankind today is Climate Change. Temperatures are rising, rainfall patterns are shifting, glaciers and snow are melting, and the global sea level is rising. Europe faces large issues with Climate Change increasing the chances of flooding in some regions and therefore, flood damage is expected to rise across much of Western, Central and Eastern parts of the continent. This is particularly valid for the Eastern European countries where river basin floods are threatening the regions and the people living on their shores.
The Floods Directive requires Member States to first carry out a preliminary assessment by 2011 to identify the river basins and associated coastal areas at risk of flooding. For such zones, they would then draw up flood risk maps by 2013 and establish flood risk management plans focused on prevention, protection and preparedness by 2015.
Water and the climate are intricately linked in the hydrological cycle, meaning that any alteration in the climate system inevitably results in changes of water levels. Thus, the adaptation to Climate Change is crucial: adaptation strategies are needed at all levels of administration, from the local up to the international level. In order to address the challenges in a co-operative and coordinated way, the Member States, Norway and the Commission agreed on a Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) for the Water Framework Directive five months after the entry into force of the Directive. The CIS includes twelve different topics among which are the Flood Risk Management and the Climate Change and Water themes. Therefore, facilitating the exchange between science, policy and business regarding the impact of Climate Change on water management is essential.
The STREAM project (Sustainable Technologies and Research for European Aquatic Management) is an EU project which aims to reduce the gap between research on water, policy making and industry. To facilitate the exchange between these actors on the crucial topic of Flood Risk Management, the STREAM Project will be organizing this Policy Seminar, which will bring together representatives of the European Parliament, national policy makers and researchers who will present FP7 funded project results on flood risk management and climate change.
For registration: http://www.stream-project.eu/content/third-policy-seminar-registration-form(opens in new window)
For more info: http://www.stream-project.eu/policy-seminars/climate-change-and-flood(opens in new window)
The Floods Directive requires Member States to first carry out a preliminary assessment by 2011 to identify the river basins and associated coastal areas at risk of flooding. For such zones, they would then draw up flood risk maps by 2013 and establish flood risk management plans focused on prevention, protection and preparedness by 2015.
Water and the climate are intricately linked in the hydrological cycle, meaning that any alteration in the climate system inevitably results in changes of water levels. Thus, the adaptation to Climate Change is crucial: adaptation strategies are needed at all levels of administration, from the local up to the international level. In order to address the challenges in a co-operative and coordinated way, the Member States, Norway and the Commission agreed on a Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) for the Water Framework Directive five months after the entry into force of the Directive. The CIS includes twelve different topics among which are the Flood Risk Management and the Climate Change and Water themes. Therefore, facilitating the exchange between science, policy and business regarding the impact of Climate Change on water management is essential.
The STREAM project (Sustainable Technologies and Research for European Aquatic Management) is an EU project which aims to reduce the gap between research on water, policy making and industry. To facilitate the exchange between these actors on the crucial topic of Flood Risk Management, the STREAM Project will be organizing this Policy Seminar, which will bring together representatives of the European Parliament, national policy makers and researchers who will present FP7 funded project results on flood risk management and climate change.
For registration: http://www.stream-project.eu/content/third-policy-seminar-registration-form(opens in new window)
For more info: http://www.stream-project.eu/policy-seminars/climate-change-and-flood(opens in new window)