Expert Group on Climate Change and Water
Progress report December2010–April 2011

for the Strategic Co-ordination Group of 11-12 May 2011

Author:Balázs Horváth, v1 – 05May 2011

1.KEY EVENTS IN THE PERIOD

  • A meeting of the Expert Group took place on 31March 2011 back to back with the 2nd stakeholders’ workshop of the DG ENV project ‘Climate Adaptation – Modelling Water Scenarios and Sectoral Adaptation (ClimWatAdapt)’ which took place the day and morning before the EG meeting and was attended by the majority of EG Members as well as by WG F and EG WS&D members.

2.UPCOMING KEY EVENTS AND DEADLINES

  • A workshop on water, climate change and agriculture in September or October 2011 (tbc) in Madrid (co-organizers: ES and UK).

3.PROGRESS CIS WORKPROGRAMME DELIVERABLES

Activity 1 – Exchange information on specific elements of climate change incorporation in river basin management

Themes identified for potential workshops which might be organisedduring 2011 and 2012 are:

2011

  • water, adaptation to climate change and agriculture

2012

  • potential consequences of climate change on the management of water ways in the context of WFD implementation (in particular hydro-morphology)

A questionnaire was agreed to be sent after the meeting to Member States to collect information on the experience about monitoring and assessment of the impacts of climate change on water quality and water related ecosystems (with reference to the preparation of art 5 analysis in future WFD planning cycles).

Activity 2 – Give input to activities of the follow-up process of the White Paper on Adaptation related to river basin management issues

DG ENV project ‘Climate Adaptation – Modelling Water Scenarios and Sectoral Adaptation (ClimWatAdapt)’

The majority of EG Members took part in the 2ndstakeholder´s workshop of the DG ENV project ‘Climate Adaptation – Modelling Water Scenarios and Sectoral Adaptation (ClimWatAdapt)’on 30-31 March 2011. The EG also discussed the results of the workshop during its own meeting on 31 March. Final outcomes of the project are expected in August. More is available about the project here: .

CIS ad hoc activity on Science Policy Interface (SPI)

The SPI representative gave a presentation about ongoing related research projects. The EG considered useful to collect climate change and water related research needs and channel them into the SPI ad-hoc activity, it was agreed to collect research needs by end of April 2011 and make them available to CIS ad hoc activity on SPI. A research correspondent is to be appointed soon.

4.OTHER ISSUES

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5.KEY NEXT STEPS

- Organizing the workshop on water, climate change and agriculture subject to SCG approval.

- Preparing and sending the questionnaire on monitoring and assessment of the impacts of climate change on water quality and water related ecosystems (with reference to the preparation of art 5 analysis in future WFD planning cycles).

- Collect climate change and water related research needs

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