The Environmental Atlas

Adapting to climate change - SOER 2010 thematic assessment: Climate change is happening and will continue to have far-reaching consequences for human and natural systems. Impacts and vulnerabilities differ considerably across regions, territories and economic sectors in Europe. Strategies to adapt to climate change are necessary to manage impacts even if global temperature stays below a 2 °C increase above the pre-industrial level. The EU adaptation framework aims at developing a comprehensive strategy by 2013, to be supported by a clearinghouse for sharing and maintaining information on climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation.
Located in The European environment – state and outlook 2010 › Thematic assessments
City of five seas: Environmental Atlas of Europe — Russia: Nizhny Novgorod has a population of 1.3 million and is one of Russia's most important industrial cities. Its process manufacturing plants are heavily reliant on water, supplied from the Volga River and one of its tributaries, the Oka. The region's drinking water also comes from the Upper Volga Basin.
Located in The Environmental Atlas › … › City of five seas › Video
Climate change impacts — exposure to flood risk under the climate change scenario A2: Several major European cities (&gt; 100 000 inhabitants) are potentially exposed to flood events (return period 100 years)
Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs
Climate change, adaptation is vital: Climate change is one of the biggest environmental, social and economic threats our planet currently faces. Profound changes are about to affect the mechanisms supporting life on earth, and their impact in the next few decades will be considerable.
Located in Multimedia centre
EEA - Climate change issues: Width is 320 Duration is 517.34 Video Type is Flash FLV Height is 180
Located in Multimedia centre
EEA Briefing 3/2008 - Impacts of Europe's changing climate: Global climate change is a reality. In Europe the most vulnerable regions are the Arctic, mountain areas, coastal zones and the Mediterranean. Key economic sectors, which will need to adapt include energy supply, health, water management, agriculture, forestry, tourism and transport.
Located in Publications
Elbe catchment area: evolution of exposure to flood in the period 1990-2000: Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs
Exposure of population in European cities to flood risk under climate change (scenario A2 — high emissions; 100-years flood): -
Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs
Extreme weather variations with climate change: (This video has no audio.) In the past decade Europe has been affected by three remarkable weather extremes. The summers of 1995 and 2003 were extremely hot throughout most parts of Europe. In contrast, 2002 was very wet and saw extreme flooding in central Europe. Changes are also projected for the amount of rainfall in Europe, which could more pronounced flooding. Cold winters (which occurred once every 10 years from 1961 to 1990) are likely to become rare and will almost entirely disappear by 2080. In contrast, by 2080 nearly every summer in many parts of Europe is projected to be hotter than the 10 % hottest summers in the current climate. In southern Europe, these changes are projected to occur even earlier (in Spain by the 2020s) (Parry, 2000). This could have severe consequences for agriculture, water resources and the frequency of forest fires in southern Europe. Source: EEA Report No 2/2004 "Impacts of Europe's changing climate" (published 18 Aug 2004)
Located in Environmental topics › Climate change › Multimedia
Floating cities: Environmental Atlas of Europe - The Netherlands: Almost a third of the Netherlands lies below sea level, and over the centuries the country has developed a highly efficient flood-defence system. The tragic floods of 1953, caused by a storm surge and exceptionally spring tides, led to a range of modern-day engineering solutions as well as a heightened awareness in Dutch society of the dangers of sea level rise. But when, in the mid 1990s, unusually heavy rain in Belgium and Germany caused the Rhine and the Meuse to breach their banks and hundreds of thousands of people had to be evacuated, it was clear that long-term action would have to be taken to protect against flooding from river water as well. The government has now launched a wide ranging programme of adaptation schemes to protect the coasts from sea-level and to create 'Room for the River', by establishing unobstructed spaces into which the major rivers can safely over-flow.
Located in The Environmental Atlas › … › Floating cities › Video