EEA Briefing 3/2005 - Vulnerability and adaptation to climate change in Europe

Significant changes in climate and their impacts are already visible globally, and are expected
to become more pronounced. In Europe, mountain regions, coastal zones, wetlands and the
Mediterranean region are particularly vulnerable. Although there could be some positive effects,
many impacts are likely to be adverse. Existing adaptive measures are concentrated in flood
defence, so there is considerable scope for adaptation planning and implementation in other areas,
such as public health, water resources and management of ecosystems.