EUROPE: September 30, 2008
Europe is warming faster than the world average and governments need to invest to help citizens adapt to a global warming, according to a study on Monday.
Following are highlights of the report by the European Environment Agency and branches of the World Health Organisation and the European Commission:
- European average temperatures have risen by 1.0 Celsius (1.8 F) above pre-industrial levels, faster than an average global rise of almost 0.8 degrees.
- Shifts in precipitation are worsening differences between a wet northern Europe and a dry south, with some Mediterranean regions receiving 20 percent less rain than a century ago and could get steadily more arid.
- Global sea level rise could place 4 million Europeans at risk of flooding by 2100 along with 2 trillion euros (US$2,926 billion) of assets, from London to Athens.
- The reduction in Arctic sea ice has accelerated: in September 2007 the minimum surface was only half the normal minimum measured in the 1950s.
- Glacier retreat in Europe's mountains, and changes in temperature and precipitation, will affect river flows and farming. Two-thirds of Alpine glaciers had vanished since 1850.
- A northward movement of some fish species, by 1,000 km in the past 40 years, can have adverse effects on fisheries.
-- Plants, birds, insects and mammals are moving further north and uphill. By the end of this century, plant species may have shifted several hundred kilometres to the north and up to 60 percent of mountain plant species may face extinction.
- The agricultural growing season is now longer, especially in the north. Although this may favour the introduction of new crops, crop yields will become more variable because extreme weather events are projected to increase.
- Increasing water demand for agriculture in the Mediterranean region will lead to unsustainable competition for water with tourism and households.
- The growing season of forests is also changing and the danger of forest fires will increase in southern Europe.
- Human health is also significantly affected by climate change. The 70,000 excess deaths reported from 12 European countries in a 2003 heatwave could be an example of health impacts to come. Health systems will need to be strengthened.
(Source: European Environment Agency (EEA) -- For Reuters latest environment blogs click on: http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/ (Editing by Angus MacSwan)
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