1. Climate change and European water policy
Robert Wilby
Climate Change Science Manager
Environment Agency of England and Wales

2. EU Water Framework Directive:
climate sensitive, yet means of adaptation
2004
2006
2015
2012
2007
2008
2009
Source: Adapted from EA (2004)

3. Projected regional climate change by the 2020s Temperature:
‘Early bird’
European summer temperature anomalies under medium-high emissions. Source: Hadley Centre
2020s
Precipitation:
‘Noisy bird’
Summer precipitation anomalies downscaled for the Thames Basin. Source: Diaz-Nieto and Wilby (2005)
2020s

4. Example impacts of climate change: good ecological status

5. UK Presidency Workshop on Adaptation
London 9th November 2005
Recommended actions:
Monitoring and risk assessment
Integrated sectoral policies
Clearly defined roles
Effective communication
Tools for integrated assessment
Research key knowledge gaps
Changes in summer precipitation by the 2080s under SRES A2 emissions projected by four RCMs
Source: Frei (pers. comm.)

6. UK Presidency Workshop on Adaptation
London 9th November 2005
Two key questions emerge:
What steps can be taken to factor climate change into the first RBMP cycle?
What longer-term strategies would enable Europe to evolve a more coherent framework for water adaptation?
Summer 1995 Derwent Reservoir, UK
Source: Nick Jacoby

7. options to incorporate climate change
First RBMP cycle ( ):
options to incorporate climate change
Possible actions include:
Set up a preparatory group to review MS adaptation activities
Examine adaptation opportunities through the WFD
Share best practice amongst MS
Undertake a Pan-European risk assessment of all RBDs
Develop seasonal forecasting capability for Europe
West-Wide Seasonal Hydrologic Forecast System: April-July 2006 outlook.
Source: University of Washington

8. 2nd and 3rd RBMP cycles (2015+): towards a more coherent framework
Possible actions include:
Shift emphasis from supply- to demand-side measures
Link adaptation to payments
Harness EU research by involvement of end-users
Integrated assessments of adaptation options
Projected peak nitrate concentrations in the River Kennet for different adaptation measures under climate change

9. Concluding remarks:
next steps
Possible outcomes include:
Review of strategies for adapting to climate change (monitoring, intercalibration)
Preparatory group on water policy and climate change
Pan-European assessment of RBDs most at risk
Workshop on research links ahead of FP7