Press events, Research results

The Mediterranean region is experiencing a broad range of threats to water security. According to climate projections, Southern Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East are at risk due to their pronounced susceptibility to changes in the hydrological budget, which is expected to have strong impact on the management of water resources and on key strategic sectors of regional economies. Related developments like extended droughts, extreme floods, salinisation of coastal aquifers as well as increasing degradation of fertile soils have capacity to exacerbate tensions, and intra- and inter-state conflict among social, political, ecological and economic actors. Triggered mostly by a strong increase in temperature and a moderate to strong reduction and seasonal redistribution of precipitation, impacts will mostly be felt in water resources management, agriculture, tourism and its consequent implications on security. Effective adaptation and prevention policy measures call for multi-disciplinary analysis and action.

In order to better assess the manifold consequences and uncertainties in climate impact on man-environment systems, the EU established the research cluster CLIWASEC (Climate Change, Water and Security; www.cliwasec.eu) in 2010, bringing together the three projects CLICO (socio-economic sciences and humanities), WASSERMed and CLIMB (both environment) to improve scientific synergy.

The funding period will end by December 31, 2013. The Final Conference brings together scientists, stakeholders from the case studies and policy makers to discuss and exchange on related implications on policy and decision making from international, national and regional perspectives. In the course of the Conference, the three projects will publish a Joint Policy Position Paper, summarizing the findings of the cluster and providing recommendations for an improved adaptation to climate change and related threats to water security in the region. Finally, CLIMB will launch its GeoPortal, a web-based, public platform to access CLIMB results and interpretations. The GeoPortal will provide decision makers with a specifically designed tool to better assess local and regional climate change impacts and related threats to security in high resolution.

The lunch-time press conference takes place
on Thursday, 21 November 2013, from 12h45 to 13h45
at the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the EU
Rue Wiertz 77, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

In this context,
- Prof. Roberto Roson, Università Ca’ Foscari, Venice, Italy – Co-ordinator of the EU project WASSERMed
- Prof. Ralf Ludwig, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Germany – Co-ordinator of the EU project CLIMB
- Dr. Julia Kloos, United Nations University (UNU) – Institute for Environment and Human Security, Bonn, Germany – Project Manager of the EU project CLICO at UNU, and
- Dr. Andrea Tilche, Head of Unit Climate Change and Natural Risks, Directorate Environment, Directorate General Research & Innovation, EU Commission
will report about the final results of the cluster and will be available for questions related to the topic of the conference.

Note:
The lunch-time press conference is held in the course of the day-long Final Conference. As a media representative, you are cordially invited to all presentations and panel discussions. A full program of the Conference can be found at www.bayfor.org/climb2013_en.
All project partners would be pleased to welcome you to the Final Conference and the lunch-time press conference. We kindly ask you to register by fax or email by using our template linked at the site mentioned above. In case of any further question, please do not hesitate to contact the Bavarian Research Alliance.

Contact:
Anita Schneider
Team Coordinator Public Relations
Bavarian Research Alliance GmbH
Phone: +49 (0)89 99 01 888-191
Fax: +49 (0)89 99 01 888-29
Email: schneider@bayfor.org
Web: www.bayfor.org | www.hausderforschung.bayern.de

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Weitere Informationen:
http://www.cliwasec.eu
http://www.clico.org
http://www.wassermed.eu
http://www.climb-fp7.eu
http://www.bayfor.org
http://www.hausderforschung.bayern.de