Climate change is affecting all regions of Europe and causing a wide range of impacts. The last decade was the warmest on record in Europe, with temperatures 1.3°C warmer than pre-industrial levels. Heat waves have increased in frequency and severity, and projections show Europe could warm 2.5-4°C by 2100. Precipitation is decreasing in southern Europe but increasing in the north. Sea levels are rising and coastal flooding is a growing risk. Species are migrating northward as their habitats warm but many may not keep pace with climate change. Adaptation efforts will be needed at regional levels to address the effects.

2. summary
climate change is affecting all regions in Europe
 a wide range of impacts on society and the
environment are already visible
further impacts are expected in future

3. temperature
the last decade (2002–2011) was the warmest on
record in Europe
land temperature was 1.3° C warmer than the preindustrial average
compared to the 1961–1990 average projections show
that Europe could be 2.5–4° C warmer by the close of
the twenty-first century

4. heat waves
heat waves have increased in both frequency and
length
they have caused tens of thousands of deaths over the
last decade
the projected increase in heat waves could increase
the number of extreme weather-related deaths over
the next decades

5. precipitation
precipitation is decreasing in southern regions
precipitation is increasing in northern Europe
climate change is projected to increase river flooding,
particularly in northern Europe

6. rivers
minimum river flows are projected to decrease
significantly in summer in southern Europe
river flow droughts appear to have become more
severe and frequent in southern Europe
belowground flow is declining in many central
European watersheds

7. the Arctic
the Arctic is warming faster than other regions.
record low sea ice was observed in the Arctic in 2007,
2011 and 2012
melting of the Greenland ice sheet has doubled since
the 1990s

8. glaciers
250 billion tonnes of mass has been lost each year
between 2005 and 2009 on the Greenland ice sheet
Glaciers in the Alps have lost two-thirds of their
volume and continue to melt

9. sea level
sea levels are rising, raising the risk of coastal
flooding during storm events
global average sea level has risen by 1.7mm a year in
the 20th century
it is likely that 21st century sea-level rise will be greater
than during the 20th century

10. human health
climate change plays a part in the transmission of
certain diseases
 the tick species Ixodes ricinus is thriving further
north
further warming may make parts of Europe more
suitable for disease-carrying mosquitos and sandflies
the pollen season arrives 10 days earlier than 50 years
ago

11. plants and animals
widespread changes in plant and animal
characteristics are already observed
plants are flowering earlier in the year
freshwater phytoplankton and zooplankton blooms
are also appearing earlier

12. landcapes
animals and plants are moving northward or uphill as
their habitats warm
the migration rate of many species is insufficient to
keep pace with the speed of climate change
they could be pushed towards extinction in the future
mitigation requires the construction of local and
regional biocorridors

13. agriculture
 water available for agriculture in southern Europe is
decreasing
the expansion of warm-season crops will continue to
expand into more northerly latitudes
Yields are projected to fall for some crops due to heat
waves and droughts in central and southern Europe

14. adaptation
adaptation means anticipating the adverse effects of
climate change and taking appropriate action to
prevent or minimize the damage they can cause
adaptation also means taking advantage of
opportunities that may arise

15. task
most adaptation initiatives will be taken at the
regional or local levels
the ability to cope and adapt also differs across
populations, economic sectors and regions within
Europe
working in pairs, students are asked to prepare a
report with actionable recommendations for their
region on one of the themes presented