1. emanate ISSUE 02
February 2009
The Magazine of the Erasmus Mundus
Students and Alumni Association
EMA to Organize Life after Global Photo-Competition
its First Thematic ‘Mundus’ Warming Capturing Changing
Conference Climates
Changing
Perspectives of Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni
Climates

2. Introduction
Many Perspectives on
Erasmus Mundus
’Changing Climates’
Changing
The theme of this second edition of Emanate is ’Changing
Climates’. Last year the EMA Magazine Team invited all mem-
bers of the Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni Association
(EMA) to make their personal interpretation of the theme and
send in articles and photos which they would like to share
with the EMA community. The team is very grateful for all the
interest and the numerous contributions – and we hope you,
as reader of this magazine, will enjoy diving into the many In its own unique way Erasmus
different perspectives on ‘Changing Climates’ presented in Mundus is all about ’Changing Cli-
this edition. We feel this issue truly reflects the diversity of mates’ – just as this edition of Ema-
Erasmus Mundus students and alumni – not only because of nate is. The rare opportunity to live
the many ways of approaching the theme, but also because and study in several European coun-
of the numerous nationalities and disciplines that the authors tries within one master programme
represent. is certainly an example of students
Many contributors have chosen to reflect on climate change changing climates; not only with re-
and its serious consequences for the environment and hu- spect to weather and temperature,
manity. Climate change is high on the agenda – also in the but also with respect to cultures and
minds and professional lives of Erasmus Mundus students and learning environments. The Erasmus
alumni. On February 26th and 27th 2009 many EMA members Mundus experience challenges the
will gather in Budapest to attend the very first EMA confer- cultural and intellectual skills of
ence. This major event will address the role of higher educa- its students and produces unique graduates with amazing
tion institutions in addressing climate change questions, and abilities to adapt to very different cultural and professional
the potential of multidisciplinary solutions. In Budapest the circumstances.
debate launched in this issue of Emanate will continue.
The Erasmus Mundus concept itself is going through a
We hope you will enjoy reading the second edition of change of climate. Next year a new round of Erasmus Mun-
Emanate! dus (2009-2013) will begin. Novelties in the second round
will include scholarships for Europeans, doctorate pro-
The EMA Magazine Team grammes and more cooperation with universities in third
countries. The EMA is looking forward to a new chapter of
Erasmus Mundus beginning next year.
The Emanate Team are (from left to right):
Magazine Team Coordinator Rikke Skovgaard Andersen, Denmark | Karel Van Acoleyen, Belgium | Michael Eshiemokhai, Nigeria
Jasmine Kang, India | Gregor Lichtfuss, Germany | Amber Parker, New Zealand | Zachary Rothstein, US
Natasha Sardzoska, Macedonia | Valentina Villoria, Venezuela | Luca Zanaica, Italy
2 emanate | ISSUE 02

3. Table of Contents
and Table of
limates Contents
News from EMA
The theme of this edition is – obvi- 2nd General Assembly in Italy: The EMA Keeps Growing................................................. 4
ously – also about one of humanity’s Feedback is Crucial – Student Survey from the EMA General Assembly ..................... 5
greatest challenges: climate change. Dancing Samba Together .......................................................................................................... 6
On the 26th and 27th of February, Er- Mexican Alumnus is New Vice-President of the EMA ...................................................... 7
asmus Mundus students and alumni will Together in Jakarta ...................................................................................................................... 8
gather at the Central European Univer- Does Erasmus Mundus Make a Difference? ......................................................................... 9
sity in Budapest to discuss how higher The Key to a Technologically Advanced Future .................................................................10
education can provide a response to cli- EMA at the Far End of the World .......................................................................................... 11
mate change. This is the first major EMA
conference, with a highly salient topic.
Climate Change
Nowadays most academic disciplines
are, in one way or another, concerned
with climate change and the “Erasmus EMA to Organize its First Thematic Conference ...............................................................12
Mundus Conference – Higher Education Harvesting the Crops.................................................................................................................13
and Climate Change” will be a meeting Climate Change in the Arctic ................................................................................................14
place for EMA members of many differ- Climate Change in India – a Need for a Rights-Based Approach ................................15
ent backgrounds. Is Climate Change more Important than Environment? ................................................16
I hope you will enjoy reading this sec- Fruitful Future? Great Grapes to Wonderful Wine ...........................................................18
ond edition of Emanate. Experience in the Field: Internships at the UN Institutions ..........................................20
Climates of the Mundus...........................................................................................................21
HANNEKE A. LUTH Life after Global (“Mundus”) Warming ................................................................................22
President
Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni
Higher Education News
Association (EMA)
Erasmus Mundus Round 2 – In Action! ...............................................................................23
Photo Competition
The EMA Photo Competition ..................................................................................................24
Your Say
Global Citizenship: Benefits and Challenges......................................................................26
India, the next Superpower: Myth or Reality?...................................................................28
International Health from within Germany ......................................................................30
3

4. News from EMA
2nd General Assembly in Italy:
The EMA Keeps Growing
by RIKKE SKOVGA ARD ANDERSEN,
EMA Magazine Team Coordinator
A new round of Erasmus Mundus,
the launch of EMA regional chap-
ters, Brazilian samba and a photo
exhibition – these were just a few
of the ingredients for this year’s
biggest EMA event
Delegates of Erasmus Mundus Master Courses
The 2nd EMA General for Foreigners in Perugia the 2nd EMA
at the 2nd EMA General Assembly.
Assembly... General Assembly (hosted by EMA) and
4th Student Seminar (hosted by the Eu-
and the 4th Erasmus Mundus Student ropean Commission) took place in Italy.
Seminar were held in Perugia, Italy on The major Erasmus Mundus event coin-
the 6th and 7th of June 2008. More cided with ‘Studybox’, the 1st European
than 150 Erasmus Mundus students and Forum on the right to university study
Welcome to EMA Regional Chapters
alumni - delegates of courses, EMA serv- and was part of the local university’s
ice team representatives, regional chap- celebration of the European Year of In-
ter representatives and observers - made tercultural Dialogue. For Erasmus Mun- The event in Perugia proved to be an excellent example of
the journey to Perugia, Italy, to attend dus students and alumni it were two the fact that the EMA keeps growing. EMA China and EMA
the most important EMA event in 2008. days of serious debates, lots of fun and Latin America (EMA-LA) Chapters and the Erasmus Mundus
On the kind invitation of the University networking with old and new friends. Association of India (EMAI) introduced themselves and shared
their activities planned for the next year. Furthermore, some
enthusiastic EMA members decided to start building pro-
chapter teams in order to create new chapters. These teams
Contact the EMA regional chapters Contact the pro-chapter teams were: Africa, Community of Independent States (CIS), and
and associations North America. All of them are glad to welcome new people
North America to their networks.
EMA China Ryan Bushek | naema.info@gmail.com
Mengmeng Cui Community of Independent States
A New Round of Erasmus Mundus
mengmeng.c@gmail.com Denis Popov | denis.a.popov@gmail.com
EMA Latin America Southeast Asia
Tahia Devisscher | info@ema-la.eu Iqbal Akbar / Chaidarun Iamphak Another big theme for the two days in Perugia was the sec-
EMA African Chapter erasmusmundus.sea@gmail.com ond round of Erasmus Mundus which is scheduled to begin
Karen Basiye in 2009. Among the speakers was Member of the European
karen.basiye@mespom.eu Contact the regional networks Parliament, Allesandro Battilocchio (Italy), who has been
EMA of India writing a report on the proposal for the new Erasmus Mun-
Vijita Aggarwal Oceania dus programme for the European Parliament’s Committee on
vijitaaggarwal@yahoo.com Gregor Lichtfuss | gregor@lichtfuss.eu Development. Mr. Battilocchio presented some of his conclu-
sions and discussed the programme with the students and
alumni present.
4 emanate | ISSUE 02

5. News from EMA
Feedback is Crucial
Student Survey Results from the
EMA General Assembly in Perugia
At the EMA General Assembly in Pe-
rugia in June 2008, student and alumni
representatives were asked to complete
a survey evaluating their experiences at
each university they attended within
their Erasmus Mundus (EM) consortium.
The questions asked respondents to rate
on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 = Poor, 3 some students in EM master’s courses
= Satisfactory and 5 = Excellent) their with high tuition fees found the schol-
experiences on Arrival and Settling, arship to be grossly inadequate.
Local Culture, University Experience &
Courses and the adequacy of the EM Many prospective students have had
Scholarship. Student and alumni repre- difficulty finding information on stu-
sentatives were also asked to answer a dent experiences in specific EM master’s
series of open questions relating to their courses. While there is ample evidence
overall experiences. The EMA received from the EMA survey and others which
Making new friends in Perugia.
59 survey responses and is pleased with indicates that Erasmus Mundus is work-
the overall positive feedback. ing well overall, it is less clear whether
this general experience is true for all
The average rating for Arrival and Set- EM master’s courses and all universi-
tling was 3.6 with most respondents ties within them. As the EMA survey
reporting positive experiences relating evaluated student experiences at each
Between Cultures in to their welcoming from the host uni- university, the most interesting finding
Photos… and Samba! versity. The price of student housing and was the variation in ratings given by re-
assistance from the university in secur- spondents across different universities
Next to the debates on regional chap- ing appropriate housing (particularly for within their consortium.
ters and the new Erasmus Mundus students with families), were the areas
programme the trip to Perugia also of greatest concern identified in the This initial survey was designed by the
included plenty of social and cultural survey and written feedback. On expe- EMA Policy Team as a first step towards
events. Among other things there was rience with Local Culture the average the involvement of the EMA into course
an exhibition of 10 photos from the first response was 3.3 with most students quality and student feedback. The EMA
EMA photo competition which provided reporting positively on integrating with will continue to work closely with the
some insight into the rich multicultural local culture, but having greater diffi- European Commission to develop an
life of Erasmus Mundus. Another suc- culties learning the local language and online survey and feedback system for
cessful social event was a concert with interacting with local students. the EMA website, which will provide
Brazilian singer Selma Hernandez who prospective students with more courses
inspired a room full of Erasmus Mundus Most students rated highly the aca- and university specific information. The
students to dance samba! demic opportunities in their master’s EMA has an important role to play in
A big thanks to the University of For- course with University Experience & gathering honest, accurate and objec-
eigners and the Project Erasmus Perugia Courses receiving an average rating of tive feedback directly from its members
for their help and hospitality. 3.7. In particular, experiences were very and would like to thank everyone who
positive regarding student-professor took the time to provide critical feed-
Would you like to know more about relations, academic quality and overall back in Perugia.
the conclusions from Perugia? academic experience. The survey found
Please visit www.em-a.eu for minutes the EM Scholarship to be broadly ad-
of the General Assembly and results of equate, receiving an average rating of About the authors:
the statute voting. 3.3. This rating however varied greatly Peter Bentley is a student in the European
among survey respondents, notably Master’s Programme in Higher Education.
5

6. News from EMA
Dancing
Samba Together
How can a Samba dance be compared with the feel-
ing of “we can change the world”? It might be a
matter of rhythm, at least if you can follow it. Or
maybe it is not the samba, but being together with
Erasmus Mundus friends that gives you the powerful
feeling
It is a usual cliché that when one comes out of the university,
one stops experimenting with life. Experiments which enable
us to deviate from norms and embark on the path we are
happy with. We somehow make ourselves believe that after
education, we are entering a real world which will not tol-
erate our happy-go-lucky nature and would not accept the
changes we propose. We will have to fit in the system. Hence
we stop trying anything new and just go with the flow losing
the capacity for changes.
More than one year has passed since I finished my Erasmus
Mundus Master programme and I came back to reality. I have
been no different, until my trip to Perugia for EMA General
Assembly. There I felt that energy inside me again. Energy that
makes me feel things can change and I can be part of that
change again. The energy that once made me feel that I can
change myself. It was the EMA event that refilled me with
energy and reignited my creativity. Now I felt it again, that
things can change. I met people that will accompany me and
give me strength and energy to keep following the plans for a
future. Now I am more aware of things that were preventing
me; I was afraid of heights, speaking in front of the people,
fearing nobody would agree with me and was getting used to
agreeing with anything that life gave me. But the push that
I received from my peers during the event gave me hope, as
the audience was broad and open-minded to others’ opin-
ions and different points of view. It is the magic of Erasmus,
of both Erasmus and Erasmus Mundus programmes, that one
6 emanate | ISSUE 02

7. News from EMA
by RIKKE SKOVGA ARD ANDERSEN,
EMA Magazine Team Coordinator
Mexican Alumnus is New
can be accepted with less prejudgement
Vice-President
because everybody understands that we
all are different and everybody comes
with good intentions.
of the EMA
Once a friend told me that there are
turning points in life when everything
looks very fragile, however those can
become important if you take advan-
tage. For me, one of these points was
Chapters, course associations and networking
Erasmus Mundus. It was fragile because
with other student and academic organizations
I found an alternative way to live my
life, a moment where everything was
are on the agenda of the newly elected Vice-
possible because we started believing
President of the EMA: Ricardo Chávez Medellín
in change and living a dream that the
world now belonged to us. Within the
from Mexico
event, I saw new ideas being accepted,
discussed, speculated, supported and
pushed … It was fragile because I don’t
see it everyday, not since I came back One of the outcomes of the 2008 EMA
home to reality as I used to say, after the General Assembly was a decision to in-
Masters programme. vite motivated EMA members to apply
for the position as Vice-President of
A samba concert at the impressive the EMA. In October last year the EMA
Aula Magna of the University of Peru- Steering Committee selected Ricardo
gia also taught me something. At the Chávez Medellín, a Mexican alumnus
beginning we all sat on our seats and from the Joint European Masters in
listened. But little after, there were Materials Science, as the association’s
some people who started to move their new Vice-President. Ricardo is currently
feet. They were not afraid of looking ri- a Ph.D. student at Darmstadt University
diculous while moving with the rhythm. of Technology in Germany. We had the
Many were moving in their own cultur- chance to ask Ricardo a few questions Ricardo Chávez Medellín
al style. I couldn’t help myself and also about his background and visions for
did some flamenco steps, luckily oth- the EMA:
ers started following me, which made What will be your three top priori-
me even stronger. We were moving What inspired you to run for the ties as Vice-President?
together at the same rhythm with joy position as Vice-President of the Chávez: First of all I want to consoli-
and „allegria“ - the word that often is EMA? date and to further develop the Region-
used in samba songs. The scene was Chávez: There were actually two main al Chapters within the EMA structure.
peculiar and beautiful because it came reasons. Firstly, I had the chance to see Then, secondly, I would like to promote
form our energy inside. the process that led to the formation of the interaction between Course Repre-
EMA. Since its beginning, the EMA has sentatives and EMA Steering Committee.
It was a moment in life that took my shown a lot of potential and this deeply Lastly, it is my goal to create stronger
dark side away and gave me a ray of impressed me. Therefore, I decided to ties between the EMA and other student
light that would change my life. contribute as much as possible to its and academic organizations.
further development. Secondly, I had
the chance to serve as the Vice-presi- Where do you see the EMA in 10
dent of the Latin American Chapter. In years?
this position, I got some experience of Chávez: I see EMA in 10 years as a dy-
the development of regional chapters namic and well-known organization
and their interaction with third-party with world-wide presence in which all
About the authors:
institutions and I would like to share its members contribute with their en-
Andrea Piehl Harms is an alumna of the
this experience with the rest of the EMA thusiasm and ideas to its further devel-
Joint Master in Water and Coastal Man-
community. opment.
agement Programme.
7

8. News from EMA
Biking trip around
the center of Old
Batavia
ing intercultural experiences in a more
Together in local sense. From the city trip, alumni
Jakarta
went for dinner at a famous Indone-
sian ethnic restaurant, Lara Djonggrang.
During this occasion, alumni discussed
various key issues and agreed to launch
the EMA Southeast Asia (SEA) chapter.
This new chapter has several goals such
as to enhance EM promotion to new
Fifteen Erasmus Mundus alumni visited students and employers; trigger coop-
eration between alumni and EU in vari-
the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, to pro- ous local projects; and provide feedback
to EMMC coordinators about the pro-
mote the programme and lay the foun- gram. The participants agreed that the
launching of SEA chapter will bring es-
sential benefit not only to the regional
dations for the establishment of EMA community but also to the EMA com-
munity as a whole.
Southeast Asian chapter
Working as a team with fellow alumni
On 1–2 November 2008, EMA held its 3rd networking event, the adequacy of the materials around was fun. Although the members had
coinciding with the European Higher Education Fair (EHEF) the booth. EM also had a scheduled 55- never met before, the studies in Europe
in Jakarta. 14 EMA members from Indonesia, Malaysia, the minute presentation, given by Mr. Koen certainly brought them together as a
Philippines, and Thailand, plus one EMA Steering Committee Nomden (Education, Audiovisual and solid team. Being from different courses
member came to Jakarta for this purpose. The fair was attended Culture Executive Agency, Brussels) and was a great advantage because inquiries
by 88 education institutions from 20 countries, plus 1 booth Ms. Jennifer Lenhart (EMA promotions for particular programs can be referred
from European Union. In the EU booth, EMA work hand-in- team). to fellow alumni.
hand with the local European Commission (EC) delegation to The whole event was exhilarating and
introduce Erasmus Mundus (EM), answer questions from pro- The networking event was held on had an incredible turnout. The allocat-
spective students and parents, and share experiences of study- the first day and included a short city ed 1 seminar room was never enough;
ing in Europe. EC’s support was excellent. They provided a vari- trip and dinner in the evening. During hence we utilized both seminar rooms.
ety of promotional materials and were continuously monitoring the city trip, alumni explored the Old In addition, we also held an extra pres-
Batavia which refers to the old name of entation session on day 2. The seminar
Jakarta. The journey began with a little rooms were packed during each session.
tour of museum Bank Mandiri, which The visitor count reached 15,000 (from
was an old Dutch trading company, built expected of 4,000) for the two days – a
with art-nouveau architecture that was smashing success on all counts.
once famous in the early 20th century.
To get more acquainted with the fine About the authors:
details of this architecture, a black- Yansen Darmaputra is an alumnus of
and-white movie made in 1941 was the Joint European Master’s Programme
shown. Afterwards, the alumni went in Clinical Linguistics, Abigail Yao is an
on a half-hour biking trip around the alumna from the CoMundus Programme
center of Old Batavia. These joyful mo- and Iqbal Akbar is an alumnus from the
ments indeed brought friendship among European Masters in Nuclear Fusion Sci-
the alumni and an opportunity for shar-
EMA members in Batik (traditional cloth from Indonesia) ence & Engineering Physics.
emanate | ISSUE 02
8

9. News from EMA
Does Erasmus Mundus
Make a Difference?
Overview of the Results of the Graduate Impact Survey
b y ANA GOELDEN and NATALIA SPARTAKOVA, ICUnet. AG, EMA Ser vice Provider
On request of the European Commis-
How has your attitude towards Europe and the EU changed due
sion ICUnet.AG, the service provider for
EMA, has been conducting both quali- to your Erasmus Mundus experience? (In percent)
tative and quantitative studies during
2007-2008 among first-year students
49,00
and alumni with the scope to evalu- 50
ate the impact of Erasmus Mundus on
its graduates. Overall 817 participants 40
took part in the survey representing 92
30,50
countries. 30
The results provided us with important
17,00
insights into students and graduates 20
level of satisfaction with the EM, im-
pact of the programme on their career 10
2,50
and personality, as well as attitudes 1,00
towards Europe and the EU. 0
in a very in a fairly no changes in a fairly in a very
Among motives for application Eras- positive way positive way negative way negative way
mus Mundus the factor of scholarship
has been chosen by more than 50% of
students. The “academic level of EMMC
universities” also seems to be impor- employment rate tendency among Erasmus Mundus gradu- students and graduates lean towards
tant to the students, especially in the ates is overall satisfying: 59% of graduates of September-De- intercultural competence, followed by
case of non-EU country students and cember 2007 have found a job or a PhD position, even though communication competence and self-
graduates. For the students who are the Survey was conducted shortly after the graduation or confidence.
EU citizens, such categories as “joint even before the official end of the programme; 79% of earlier
or multiple degree” and “availability graduates have a job or a PhD position. Attitude towards Europe, which be-
of the subject” represent the most im- Another exciting finding that we were able to observe is the comes a home for Erasmus Mundus stu-
portant motivation criteria. We plan to fact that Erasmus Mundus graduates earn considerably more dents for a significant time period, was
look into the motivational factors even than first year students earned before starting the EM pro- also in focus of the survey. According
more deeply in the next upcoming gramme, which signifies that the Erasmus Mundus has a sig- to the obtained results the majority of
Graduate Impact Survey, which would nificant impact on participants’ income. students and graduates perceive the EU
help the European Commission to in- in a positive way.
fluence the processes of the future EM When asked to which extent the knowledge acquired during Last, but not least, the impact of the
programme more precisely and react Erasmus Mundus studies is relevant for the present job, 78% EM programme on students’ social life
adequately to the existing challenges. of respondents state that it was very or quite relevant. There seems to be quite considerable. Not
When it comes to impact of the Eras- also seems to be a strong impact of the EM programme on only have many Erasmus Mundus stu-
mus Mundus programme on the grad- the improvement of subject related competences among the dents found a lot of friends from all over
uates, the categories “career” and “at- alumni. When choosing which additional skills gained during the world, but 26% of the graduates
titude towards the EU” were preferred the EM programme are the most relevant for their present oc- also found a partner during the Erasmus
by most respondents. We can conclude cupation, the majority of graduates named intercultural com- Mundus times.
that the EM programme represents a petence, communication abilities and language skills.
very important milestone and a solid Many survey participants state that the impact of the Eras- We will continue exploring the impact
basis for successful career develop- mus Mundus programme on their personality is strong or very of Erasmus Mundus in the following
ment, be it academic or industrial. strong. Upon choosing two areas where the programme had Graduate Impact research in 2008-
According to the survey results, the the most impact on their personality, most Erasmus Mundus 2009.
9

10. News from EMA
The Key to a
Technologically
Advanced Future
1st Erasmus Mundus Materials Science Workshop
opment. As there is frequently a considerable time lag be- Institut National Polytechnique de Lor-
tween a scientific discovery and its useful application, people raine, France; Universitat Politècnica
often forget the important link that connects fundamental de Catalunya, Spain and Luleå Tekniska
research and future prosperity. It is only with continued in- Universitet, Sweden) as well as within
vestment that the discoveries of today and the highly trained several industries will certainly raise
experts necessary to develop and exploit them will also be awareness of Erasmus Mundus Master
available for the innovative products of the future. courses.
Within the field of Materials Science, the barriers that divide It was with some financial support
academia, government institutions, and the industry must be from the EMA Thematic Conference
reduced if not completely eliminated. Only in this way will it Events Funds that EMA became part of
be possible to turn fundamental discoveries into practical ap- this project. The EMA Thematic Con-
plications for the benefit of Europe. Promoting links between ference Events Funds was initiated by
researchers, theoreticians, industrial scientists, and managers Conferences and Events Team on be-
Concentrating on the technologically through collaborative schemes and joint research institutes is half of the European Commission with
advanced future
an obvious solution. For this reason a thematic chapter in the the main idea to facilitate the internal
area of Materials Science was created, fundamentally for the and external communication as well as
prosperity of Europe and its High Education and more specifi- networking among Erasmus Mundus
cally within the Erasmus Mundus programme. Students.
EMMSSA, a students’ wing of the EMMS (Joint European Aveiro, one of Portugal’s most beauti-
Masters in Material Science) hosts an Annual Workshop with ful cities, had the honor to be the host
a poster and oral section for students, professors and indus- of this event. Three enriching days with
Materials Science is an interdiscipli- try interaction. The success of this workshop is proven by the around 60 participants, including EM
nary field involving the properties of continuance of this project over the years. students and alumni (EMMS, AMASE
matter as well as its applications to var- and FAME) and course coordinators
ious areas of science and engineering. It Progress is the vital word for Erasmus Mundus and based expressed themselves among others.
is within this science that the relation- on that, expansion was the next step. Therefore, collabora- EMMSSA also had the honor to invite
ship between the structure of materials tion between related Erasmus Mundus Master courses EMMS speakers from the Erasmus Mundus Se-
at atomic or molecular scales and their and AMASE (Advanced Materials Science and Engineering) lection Board, the Portuguese Erasmus
macroscopic properties are investigated. was formed and the 3rd EMMS & 1st Erasmus Mundus Ma- Mundus representative, the Portuguese
It embraces elements of applied chem- terials Science Workshop entitled “Materials Science: The National Structure as well as guests
istry and physics, as well as mechanical, Key to a Technologically Advanced Future” was created. This from University of Aveiro.
chemical, civil and electrical engineer- project is equally beneficial for EMMS/AMASE students and The Erasmus Mundus National Struc-
ing. This is an on-growing natural sci- alumni, for the EMMS/AMASE professors and for the over- tures are contacts and information
ence that has faced several challenges all EMA community. With this project it is possible to create points in each of the European coun-
at the beginning of the 21st Century. a great networking opportunity between fellow students as tries participating in Erasmus Mundus.
The first main challenge is to convince well as professors from both consortiums. The publicity of this Leonor Santa Clara, the representative
the industry, the public, and politicians event within the 7 Universities (University of Aveiro, Portugal; of the Portuguese National Structure
of the importance of materials science Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg, Germany; Aalborg said “It was with great pleasure that
in driving modern technological devel- Universitet, Denmark; Universität des Saarlandes, Germany; we participated in the 3rd EMMS & 1st
10 emanate | ISSUE 02

11. News from EMA
The participants of the Erasmus Mundus
Materials Science Workshop
Erasmus Mundus Materials Workshop throughout and beyond Erasmus Mundus. As stated by Juliano may provide the solution in order to re-
that took place in September at the Soyama, an EMMS student who just started his masters : „This duce the considerable time lag between
University of Aveiro. This was the occa- workshop was a great opportunity to meet my fellow students a scientific discovery and its useful ap-
sion to see the evolution of one of our from Erasmus Mundus and to have an overview on what they plication. Therefore, in this way we are
pioneer EMMC especially through the have been developing. It was also important for me to realize trying to promote future collaborative
contact with the students and the un- the extension of our EMMS program concerning its interna- schemes and joint research institutes.
derstanding of their experiences. This is tional character and post-activities.“
both useful and motivating for National
Structures. Congratulations! “ The organization of the 1st Erasmus Mundus Materials Sci-
The main objectives of this event were ence workshop should be considered as a milestone in the About the author:
to facilitate the dissemination of knowl- story of the Materials Science EMMC programme. Since net- Sonia Pinho is an alumna of the Joint
edge and promote interdisciplinary dis- working among EM students, who are future researchers, the- European Masters in Material Science
cussions regarding material science oreticians, future industrial scientists, and future managers Programme.
at the Far End of the World
EMA
ErasmOz - an Initiative for EMApac,
the EMA Pacific Region Network
by GREGOR LICHTFUSS
The Pacific region is not only home to iting EMA members with local professional and social support. site and let us know what you think of
numerous Erasmus Mundus students, At the same time information on Erasmus Mundus and study- a regional base, whether you would like
but also the home of EM course insti- ing in Europe can be provided and promoted to interested stu- to actively or passively participate and
tutions and an exciting destination for dents and educational and research institutions. what you would expect of such an ini-
research activities across study fields. tiative.
As the Pacific region is somewhat uncharted territory in the
Based in Australia, the regional ini- EMA world, a primary aim of ErasmOz is an appraisal within You will find the short questionnaire
tiative ‘ErasmOz’ for the Pacific region the EMA community to evaluate interest. here: http://www.EMApac.eu/ and you
aims to lay the foundation for a regional If the country you are coming from, you are currently living can also join the ErasmOz/EMApac Fa-
home for Erasmus Mundus Students, in, you are going to live in or you are going to study/work in cebook group. Don’t hesitate to contact
alumni, lecturers, friends and interested enclosed by the circle from Tokyo to Hobart to Christchurch to us anytime with questions or sugges-
people. Clipperton Island to Hawaii, this call is for you. tions or if you would like to get involved
ErasmOz aims to provide resident or vis- Please take part in a short online survey on the EMApac web- in the process!
11

12. Climate Change
EMA to Organize its
First Thematic Conference
Higher Education and Climate Change,
on 26-27 February 2009 in Budapest, Hungary
Climate change is the most pressing Mundus Master Courses (EMMCs), embraces a great national The EMA Climate Change Confer-
threat to the world‘s environment, al- and cultural diversity of people in different fields of study: ence is organized by the Conference &
ready contributing to a visible effect on from agricultural and forestry sciences to architecture, ur- Events Team. The Team currently con-
human health, food security, economic ban and regional planning, business studies, communication sists of 32 members and its mission is
activity, water and other natural re- and information sciences, geography, environmental studies, to assist the Association in constructing
sources and physical infrastructure. Ris- health and humanities, engineering, technology, law and so- a strong community with ever-lasting
ing concentrations of greenhouse gas cial sciences. This diversity has substantial potential to offer a inter-personal relationships among its
emissions into the earth’s atmosphere, variety of multidisciplinary solutions in addressing the issues members, through the organization of
brought about by human activities, are of climate change. EMA-supported conferences and events.
leading to changes in the climate, and To achieve this goal, the first General
the result of this will impact on all areas Recognizing the challenge and the potential contribution Assembly of the EMA in October 2007
of human activities. towards climate change, and with support from the European (held in Brussels, Belgium) has defined
Commission, the EMA is going to organize its first thematic threefold roles and responsibilities for the
conference on higher education and climate change. This team: first, to create a platform for the
Erasmus Mundus Conference will bring together students, communication and cooperation among
alumni and scholars mainly from the EMMCs to discuss what the EM students and alumni body via
role higher education can play in front of the changing climate the implementation of EMA supported
today. It offers a communication and networking platform for conferences and events; second, to pro-
the students and alumni and the EMMC faculty members to mote networking among EMA members
broaden their knowledge and insight on climate change issues and contribute to the establishment of a
beyond their own fields of study and to utilize different angles united community through the provision
for meeting the challenges climate change poses to human of various means of support for different
society. This conference will also involve experts and profes- events; and third, to promote Europe as
sionals in the emerging climate change sector, which will be a centre of excellence in international
an excellent opportunity for EM students and alumni to es- higher education on all EMA organized
tablish connections with climate change professionals and to conferences and events, in close coop-
deepen their commitment to professional development in the eration with other EMA teams (esp. the
field of climate change. Promotion Team).
Chunyu on his way to a hydropower
project site on the eastern Tibetan
The two-day conference intends to accumulate valuable ex-
Plateau.
perience and to create a model project for the preparation
and organization of future EMA conferences. It will consist
The scale and long-term potential of of a plenary session delivered by internationally recognised
the impact of climate change has drawn experts specialising in higher education and/or climate
enormous attention from policy-mak- change, as well as parallel workshops focusing on different
ers and academics to media and citi- subjects contributed by EMA members. The participating Er-
zens from countries around the world. asmus Mundus students and alumni have the opportunity to
Higher education institutions as the bring issues from their field of study associated with climate
knowledge centre of mankind assume change. They also get a possibility to interact with one an- About the author:
a crucial role in finding the means to other in order to find ways of addressing such points through Chunyu Liang is Coordinator of the EMA
respond to climate change and to train the course of higher education. The conference will also seek Conferences and Events Team and an
the future leaders to tackle it with a to establish an Erasmus Mundus Forum on Climate Change to alumnus of the Master’s Programme
holistic approach. The Erasmus Mundus continue the dialogue and networking in the climate change in Environmental Sciences, Policy and
Programme, consisting of all Erasmus field among the interested EMA members. Management.
12 emanate | ISSUE 02

13. Climate Change
Harvesting the Crops
How Changing Climate can Affect
Agriculture in Developing Countries
Global warming is influencing our climate. It could get drier
or wetter, warmer or colder. We are able to fight against these
changes by taking off clothes or adding more... But what
about plants and especially food crops that are cultivated by
80% of the world population in order to feed themselves?
In Europe, we observe the effect of climate change on the
delay of seasons and the changing temperatures but as we
are living in temperate climates the impact on our lives and
especially our agriculture is not really important.
Contrarily, in Asia, Africa or Latin America, the impact of cli- Province of Mwaro, Burundi, 2007. On the left side, cultivated valleys of vegetable
mate change is more important because the variability be- crops and on the right, the same area after a heavy rain, all the crops are lost.
tween the seasons in those tropical and arid areas is extreme.
Cyclones and heavy rains are intensifying the precipitation archaic methods, bad quality or absence realized by the United Nations Devel-
level during the wet seasons; heat waves and droughts are of inputs (seeds, fertilizers, irrigation). opment Program in 2007-2008, shows
increasing temperatures during the dry season, which induces Moreover, the land they use is some- in the figure below strongly developing
water stress. In these countries, the majority of the popula- times infertile or eroded. Added to these countries could have their agricultural
tion consists of farmers with small surfaces to cultivate with fragile conditions of production, there output potential affected by climate
are extreme climatic conditions, which change in 2080.
induce more soil erosion and loss of fer-
tility and lower yields. From the green Solutions have to be found to al-
Change in agricultural output
hills of Burundi cultivated with cassava, low the agriculture of these regions to
potential sweet potatoes and beans to the arid adapt and fight against climate change
valleys of Yemen full of watermelon and effects. European farmers are generally
(2080s as % of 2000 potential)
maize, farmers can watch, in one day, all protected by their government in case
their production disappear, which rep- of climatic catastrophe; for example
-20 -10 0 10 20 resents several months of food for their in the south of France where there are
family. In some countries of Africa, this many orchards, farmers can be insured
Industrial countries kind of event has forced parents to feed against frost damage. Developing coun-
their childrens with mud pancakes. tries’ governments have to implement
structures that can support vulnerable
World
According to the Study, carried out by farmers when they are touched by bad
the US journal Science in 2007, climate climatic conditions. Moreover, as their
Developing Countries
change could cause severe crop losses economy depends mostly on agriculture,
in developing countries over the next it is inevitable to find adaptations to ag-
Asia 20 years. Its results demonstrate that ricultural policy.
“by 2030 southern Africa could lose
more than 30% of its main crop, maize About the author:
Middle East and North
and South Asia 10% of rice, millet and Julie Mayans is a student in the Agris
Africa
maize crops”. As these crops represent Mundus Master’s Programme in Sus-
Latin America the main food of those populations, it tainable Development in Agriculture.
could be catastrophic. Another study,
Africa
Source: Human Development Report 2007-2008: “Fighting climate change: Human solidarity in a divided
world”, UNDP (United Nations Development Programme).
13

14. Climate Change
Climate Change
in the
Arctic
The Arctic is a hotspot for climate change research.
A Spanish Erasmus Mundus alumna reports from
a research trip to Svalbard
by ANDREA PIEHL system. This master thesis project was released his movie “The Inconvenient
part of a broader project which studied Truth”, raising awareness and surprising
how the species of Arctic water, such as audiences, including me. The IPCC also
These are times of change in the environment. The Arctic plankton are the food elements for cod did a remarkable job, being a scientific
is an area where this change has scientifically already been and local sea birds and consequently organization working together to give a
observed for some time. I can consider myself fortunate to larger marine mammals like seals (i.e. sound basis to what had previously been
have been there before it was too late, but especially to have the whole food chain), are being af- only treated as a theory. I definitely
taken part in a scientific expedition that contributed towards fected by the intrusion of warmer and agree that both IPCC (Intergovernmen-
the understanding of the main driving-forces that influence more saline Atlantic water masses. This tal Panel on Climate Change) and Al
the whole ecosystem of a fjord. My master thesis took place is what science can do. Gore deserved the Peace Nobel price for
in the remote island archipelago of Svalbard, located 79ºN what they achieved in raising to the top
within a Norwegian-founded research project, in the fjord of the international agenda the prob-
The Momentum
of Kongsfjorden where a community of international bases lem that Climate Change may cause the
of scientists work together in what is called the “the World world and humankind. I would have to
Northernmost community”, the population of which varies But other advances, as well as setbacks, congratulate also the German presiden-
from 100 in summer to about 10 scientists during winter. have arisen recently. Thanks to some cy of the European Union for setting the
key public actors and initiatives, cli- target of reducing the emissions of CO2
My background in Marine Science and the Joint Erasmus mate change has been put top of the in Europe by 20%, by 2020. I feel proud
Mundus Master in Water and Coastal Management gave me international agenda. Some of these ad- of the EU for taking the lead on Climate
the unique opportunity as a Spanish citizen to go to the Arc- vances have created a momentum that Change issues. Nevertheless, nowadays
tic and study the oceanographical characteristics of the fjord. has inspired many important political all these advances are being severely
Basically, local Arctic cold and fresh water masses in the fjord initiatives. The first I remember, back in threatened by the world economic cri-
are being increasingly influenced by the intrusion of warmer 2006, was the so-called “Stern Report”, sis. Unfortunately, the environment has
and more saline water masses from the northernmost exten- a report ordered by the UK Government traditionally been regarded as the last
sion of the Gulf Stream. The result of this intrusion is an which concluded that ignoring climate priority, as a “luxury” asset.
unstable change in the whole ecosystem. My Master thesis change would be economically more ex-
project task was to develop a tool to identify the short-term pensive than putting in place measures There is a very special initiative tak-
changes in water masses that would allow scientists to fore- to halt it. At the same time, Al Gore, ing place at the moment that I would
cast a consequent change in the long term of the whole eco- the former vice-president of the USA, like to highlight. The International Polar
14 emanate | ISSUE 02

15. Climate Change
Year (IPY) is an enormous research ef-
Climate
fort taking place for the 4th time be-
tween March 2007 and March 2009.
Change in India
This initiative promoted by the World
Meteorological Organization has given
the polar scientific community the op-
portunity to study in a coordinated and
A Need for a Rights-Based Approach
detailed way the polar environment and
socio-economy, at the same time. It
must be said that this time-frame em-
by BUDDHADEB HALDER
braces the two summer seasons of both franchised and so there is a high pos-
poles, the most suitable season to take sibility of arising internal conflict over
samples in these extreme environments. Climate Change presents a real chal- the natural resources and agricultural
I will be very excited to see the outcome lenge and danger for India. A developing products like water and food grains.
of this considerable research effort. country like India will face huge human Now, let us examine the standpoint of
and environmental problems in coming the Indian Government in regard to deal-
New Dangers years due to climate change. Geographi- ing with the impact of climate change?
cally, India is a tropical country with a Mr. Pradipto Ghosh, Ex-Secretary of the
However, there are some concerns - long coastline and having a large number Ministry of Environment and Forest, has
the Arctic has remained one of the last of poor and rural population, India is said: ‘‘India is certainly not responsible
frontiers on Earth and now, with the highly vulnerable to climatic changes for the mess. We are, in fact, victims
International Polar Year, another spe- which will dramatically affect human of it. So why expect us to tighten our
cial issue has arisen. The sea ice in the rights, either directly or indirectly. belts?‘‘ Thus, the position of Indian Gov-
Arctic cap is in fact retreating and for India‘s emissions are now rising and ernment on the issue of climate change
some key economic sectors this is seen projected to be among the top three in is easily understandable. The govern-
as an advantage. For example, drilling less than a decade. As India has 7500 ment‘s argument is not entirely rational
for fossil fuels in the area will increase km coast and 50 million people at risk because the global climate cannot dif-
due to their accessibility, which will of sea level rise, so these large num- ferentiate between borders. And here
cause serious damage to an environ- bers of people will be displaced from lies the main question: is it possible for
ment already changing and, as is occur- the coastal zone and will move inwards. the government to guarantee ‘Right to
ring now, an international discussion Seven of the world‘s major river basins Development‘‘ to the Indian population
about the ownership of underwater originate in the Himalayan and Tibetan after having such a position on this very
mineral resources. Maritime traffic will plateaus which are the source of water particular issue?
also increase after the retreat of the ice for the population of China, India, Ne-
cap. So a vessel travelling from Rotter- pal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Apart from this, the other concerns are
dam will reach Asia saving 40% of the Climate change will also cause flooding on the issue of ecological displacement,
time. All these new topical issues will in low-lying regions and the deltas will different diseases, food insecurity and
need international regulation as well as turn infertile. Agricultural productivity the growing poor population in India.
sound research to understand and pre- will decline; so hunger and food inse- Recently, in June 2008, the Government
vent further problems. curity will increase rapidly. This climate of India launched the National Action
change will damage economic assets Plan on Climate Change. Though the
Climate change has been put on the and the infrastructure of India. Thus, intellectuals have described this action
international agenda, and I think we the impacts of climate change on hu- plan as incorporating the country‘s vi-
will have to congratulate these people man lives will be felt not just in years, sion of sustainable development, it was
for at least raising the public profile of but over generations. business-as-usual it seemed. It has
an ecological concern that will make already been proven that most of the
us all work for the earth to be a bet- We have already seen the impact of victims would be the poor and the mar-
ter place. I wish this could also be done climate change across South Asia. In ginalised group of society, whose rights
with other issues such as the loss of 2007, 20 million were diplaced due to have always been neglected, so there is
biodiversity which urgently needs our “wild weather” in South Asia. Climate a real need to introduce a human rights-
public attention, as well as many others. change will affect the identity and the based approach to different action and
However, in the meantime I am happy culture amongst India‘s tribal and in- development plans to deal with the is-
that people are at least changing their digenous communities. These commu- sue of climate change in India.
behaviour to some degree for one eco- nities will be obliged to change their
logical reason. This will make the path food habit, cultural identity and so on. About the author:
easier for further ecological needs that Diseases such as malaria, dengue, and Buddhadeb Halder is an alumnus of the
we have been putting aside and that are cholera have increased already in the Human Rights Practice Master’s Pro-
of a concern to us all before we destroy region. Its greatest victims will be the gramme.
the planet we are living on. poor, the marginalised and the disen-
15

16. Climate Change
Photo: geralt/PIXELIO
Climate Change more
Is
Important than Environment?
For decades, environmental protection has been overlooked,
but the fight against climate change might provide
a golden opportunity for change
No doubt about it, climate change has According to two of the latest updates of the Eurobarometer that challenge the responsibility of hu-
received a lot of attention in the last cou- surveys, ‘Attitudes of European citizens towards the environ- mans in bringing about changes in the
ple of years within the international po- ment‘ and ‘Attitudes of European citizens towards climate climate. While it is true that it is an
litical arena, media and even EMAnate has change‘, 75% of EU citizens believe that climate change is extremely complicated subject and the
drawn attention to it as its second theme. a very serious problem, 62% consider climate change as the impacts are far from understood, it also
In fact, it could be argued that, among most serious problem the world is currently facing (higher seems clear that we humans are living
other mistakes made by President Bush, that international terrorism with 53%) and 57% mentioned it beyond our natural means. According to
his timid response to act on climate as a top concern among their top five [global] environmental the latest WWF’s Living Planet Report
change has played a role in the low concerns. 2008 “more than three quarters of the
ratings. Indeed, in the present United world’s people live in nations that are
State’s elections, the candidates’ pledg- ecological debtors – their national con-
Ecological Debt
es to address this issue have certainly sumption has outstripped their coun-
been an important point in the debate. try’s biocapacity”.
On the other side of the Atlantic, cli- However, there are still some climate change sceptics. Some For my work at the European Commis-
mate change seems to have become a believe that the discourse has been exaggerated, others think sion, I was asked to assess which projects
great concern for EU citizens. that the science behind it is misleading and there are those funded by the external cooperation of-
16 emanate | ISSUE 02

17. Climate Change
75 % of EU
citizens believe that climate
change is a very serious
problem, 62% consider
climate change as the most
serious problem the world
Photo: helei/PIXELIO
is currently facing.
fice (EuropeAid) of the Commission were is an important cause of global warming. According to the Environmentalists have fought for many
actually related to climate change. As it Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change released decades to protect the environment, to
turns out, due to the complexity of eco- in 2006 by economist Lord Stern of Brentford for the Brit- halt biodiversity loss, to stop the deple-
systems and the factors driving climate ish government, deforestation is responsible for more than tion of natural resources, among many
change, the issue of climate change (the 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than other environmentally related issues.
mitigation strategies and the adaptation the transport sector. At the same time, forests, and especially Some of them may agree that the fact
to ‚change‘) is a cross-cutting concern tropical forests (paradoxically, tropical forests are being lost that climate change has become a top
covering a very broad range of topics: the fastest), host an immense number of species making them priority on the international agenda has
biodiversity, energy efficiency, air pollu- essential for preserving biodiversity. Besides that, they also opened many doors either to influence
tion, recycling, transport, deforestation, protect soil and water quality along with a number of other environmental policies or channel more
human health, disaster preparedness, benefits for the environment and society. In conclusion, curb- - but not enough - economic resources
diversification of energy sources (energy ing deforestation is not only good for tackling global warm- to environmentally related projects... or
security), sustainable consumption and ing, but for many other things such as preserving biodiversity development.
food security, among many others. and water quality. If climate change has become more im-
portant than environment and both are
For instance, one of the many examples clearly linked, then why shouldn‘t we
Development and Adaptation
of the links between climate change take advantage of this as a starting point
and other environmental issues is for- for influencing politicians and advocat-
ests. As far-fetched as it might seem to Many believe that promoting good development polices will ing for changes in people‘s behaviour?
you now, what you eat affects forests, make those most affected by climate change less vulnerable. If it is genuinely good for fighting cli-
by encouraging the conversion of for- As the Stern Review report stated, “development itself is key mate change (and scientifically-based),
est areas into cattle grazing land or crop to adaptation” by building resilience to cope with the inevita- it should be good for the environment
land. Moreover, as you surely know, by ble impact of climate change. and societies around the world.
reading this article online instead of a It is as simple as this: if you live in a shanty town without a
printed version on paper you are con- proper health care system there is a higher risk of not surviving
tributing to a reduction in the exploita- and not recovering from a climate-related natural hazard, such
tion of forests. Nowadays, even trans- as a hurricane or a flood. On the other hand, if you are better
portation is linked to forests: trees are off, you will be less vulnerable when facing a heat or a cold About the author:
being cut down to produce agrofuels, wave. Furthermore, in general, economies of developing coun- Valentina Villoria is an alumna of the
which are used to power vehicles. By tries depend on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, to Joint Master in Water and Coastal Man-
now, it is well known that deforestation a much larger extent than those of the developed states. agement Programme.
17

18. Climate Change
Fruitful
Future?
Great Grapes to
Wonderful Wine
There are several main climate chang- and Spain being the first, second and duction of grapes at an optimal qual-
es and predicted changes affecting ag- third largest producers (in hectolitres) ity for each variety. When the growth
riculture described by the Inter-govern- worldwide. Grapes are grown across and ripening period of a variety is well-
mental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) the continent of Europe with thousands adapted, great grapes can be obtained
and the Special Report on Emission of varieties found in different regions: to make wonderful wine.
Scenarios (SRES) by the IPCC in 2007 from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
(Table 1)¹. in Bordeaux, Nero d’Avola in Sicilia, This balance will be disturbed by the
Even without considering the effects of Agiorgitiko in Greece to the Gruner climate changes that have been predict-
human activity, which to a large extent Veltliner in Austria. ed. The increase in temperature, espe-
drives these climate changes, tempera- cially minimal temperatures are crucial
tures will continue to increase globally to grape ripening. The change in the an-
Rising Temperatures
in the future. So we might be happy nual precipitation cycles and CO² have
with warmer weather as we head to all been predicted to play a role. Stud-
the beach, but what are the effects go- So what will happen to this crop and ies have already shown that the average
ing to be on agriculture in the future? the quality of wine that will result if temperature of viticultural regions have
Are crops going to grow out of control, the climate continues to change as pre- increased by 1.3°C during the growing
shrivel up, or no longer be grown in re- dicted? Development of the grapevine is season over the last 50 years. Further-
gions that they are grown today? Will dependent on local conditions and most more, between 1950 and 1999, 17 out
England become the new Italy, France importantly the temperature, as well as of 27 viticultural regions tested indicat-
or Spain for growing grapes for exam- being dependent on how quickly a va- ed an increase of temperatures during
ple??!! riety undergoes its physiological devel- the growing season. These regions cor-
opment (for example Chardonnay ripens responded to: 7 in France, 1 in Spain, 4
Grapes are grown across the world for before Merlot). Due to the climate and in the USA, 2 in Australia, 2 in Portugal
consumption and wine-making. 15 of varietal interactions different grape va- and 1 in Italy. The climate changes have
the top 20 producing countries (in hec- rieties have been historically planted been seen to affect worldwide grape
tolitres) are in Europe with Italy, France in different regions that allow the pro- production!² The harvest time which
18 emanate | ISSUE 02

19. Climate Change
can estimate the ripeness of the variety become unbalanced resulting in lesser wheat, potato, rice etc. Hence, the ef-
has been observed to mirror that of the quality wines. Establishing relationships fects of climate change on these crops
temperature changes; a study of Pinot between the ‘vintage ratings’ of well- need to be well-explored. However,
Noir between 1370-2003 showed that renowned wine tasting guides and ex- economically, grapes represent an im-
the harvest date was as good as other perts on one side and the temperature portant part of agricultural production
temperature reconstruction methods increase on the other side has already especially in Europe and an important
(for example tree ring measurements)³. been done with some success, but this part of history and culture. Changing
Therefore, we can already see that in- is still not easy to quantify. There have climates do not need to change this
creasing temperatures are causing ear- been optimum temperatures suggested historical and cultural importance, but
lier ripening of grapes on a global level. above which current varieties in the re- an understanding of these changes will
gions should not pass if a quality wine ensure great grapes for wonderful wine
The changing climate is going to drive is desired. in the future.
changes in the viticulture world, notably
Photo: weinkellerei mertes/PIXELIO
A Helping Hand
varieties that are suited to one region ¹ For further details on the impact of climate change and
and its climate today may no longer the SSRES see: http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/index.htm
² Jones, G.V., White, M.A., Cooper, O.R., Storchmann, K.
be suitable in the future. We can turn So science needs to give us a helping (2005). Climate Change and Global Wine Quality. Climate
back the clock, and let history teach us hand to ensure that grapes will con- Change. 73, 319- 343.
³ Chuine, I., Yiou, P., Viovy, N., Seguin, B., Daux, V., Le Roy
about the geographical distribution of tinue to ripen as desired. Grapes rep- Ladurie, E. (2004). Grape harvest dates and temperature
grapes. During the period “Little Opti- resent only one agricultural crop. Given variations in eastern France since 1370.
Nature. 432, 289-290.
mum” between 900-1200 A.D the aver- the effects already seen, measured and
age temperature in Europe was approxi- predicted for this crop, one can only im-
mately 1°C higher than it is today. And agine the impact that current climate About the author:
yes, grapes were grown in England and change will have on other crops. Grapes Amber Parker is a student in the Interna-
also on the Baltic Sea coasts. Winding for wine production do not represent tional Master “Vintage”, Vine, Wine and
the clock forward a bit to the “Little Ice a staple crop for human nutrition like Terroir Management.
Age” (1550-1850), these more northern
vineyards disappeared due to the de-
crease in temperature.
Change observed Forecasted changes
So a 1°C difference can have a serious (predictions from the 40 different
scenarios proposed)
impact on the grape distribution! Grape
growers are going to need to have a bet-
ter understanding of their local climate Increase of greenhouse gases by CO² will vary between 490-1260
to ensure future production of great 1.5ppm CO² between 1980 and ppm
grapes and the possibility of adapting 2000
grapes that ripen later than the current
ones that are planted. A temperature increase of 0.2°C A continual temperature increase
What does this all mean for the wine? between 1990-2000 with this pe- of 1.4-5.8°C from 1990 to 2100
One of the great difficulties in the field riod being one of the most hottest
is to quantify the effect of adapting to be recorded in history
a variety that ripens well in the local
conditions and therefore can produce An increase of the average global An increase in average tempera-
a quality wine. The temperature af- temperature by 0.6°C during the ture of 0.2°C during the next two
fects the development of the sugar and 20th century, and of 0.15°C each decades (a average value obtained
acid in grapes, the colour compounds decade since the 1970s from the 40 different scenarios)
and the flavour components. If grapes
ripen too quickly due to the increased A change in precipitation cycles An increase in extreme daily rain-
temperatures, these compounds could with an increase in evapo-transpi- fall even when the overall rainfall
ration levels are predicted to decrease
19