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TRANSCRIPT
A review of adaptation practice in
Europe: Challenges ahead
Ángel Aparicio Technical University of Madrid
European Topic Centre on Climate Change Adaptation
(ETC/CCA)
European Environment Agency
1. The Context: ETC/CCA
• ETC/CCA
– European Topic Centre on Climate Change impacts, vulnerability
and Adaptation
• A consortium of European research centres
– Selected through a public call of the European Environment Agency
(EEA)
• Annual implementation programmes approved by EEA:
– 2013 and 2014: reports on transport adaptation
– 2015: screening inspiring case studies for the database platform
CLIMATE-ADAPT
http://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/
Research and studies
• EU FP7 projects
– EWENT, WEATHER, ECCONET
– MOWE-IT
– TOPDAD, BASE, ENHANCE…
• National research projects
– UK: TRACCA (rail)
– DE: KLIWAS (waterborne transport)
CLIMATE
MODELS
TRANSPORT
DISRUPTION
ADAPTIVE
ACTIONS
REVIEWING TRANSPORT ADAPTATION PRACTICE
REVIEWING TRANSPORT ADAPTATION PRACTICE
Vulnerability assessment
• Pilots based on risk assessment concepts
Vulnerability = Probability of Occurrence x Impact
– France: Nice airport
– Denmark: Copenhagen airport
– Scotland: Scottish road network
• Developing new assessment tools
– Norway: xGEO (roads)
– Denmark, Sweden…: Blue spot concept (roads)
– Austrian: ÖBB database on rail disruption events
REVIEWING TRANSPORT ADAPTATION PRACTICE
Revision of maintenance and design guidelines
• Identification of priorities:
– UK: Railway drainage standards
– DK: Copenhagen metro
• Comprehensive revision
– European Commission mandate on revision of standards (2014)
– FR: Comprehensive revision of transport infrastructure standards
REVIEWING TRANSPORT ADAPTATION PRACTICE
• Contingency plans and revision of operational practices
• Tailored weather information
• Quick recovery vs. major infrastructure investments
REVIEWING TRANSPORT ADAPTATION PRACTICE
Long-term analysis and scenario building
• Limited consideration of adaptation within long-term planning
– TEN-T: adaptation should be included within “working plans” for 9
TEN-T priority corridors
– FR: On-going study on long-term changes in urban mobility patterns
– DHL: Exploring resilience of future logistics chains
WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED THUS FAR?
• Quick reaction of the transport sector to the adaptation challenge
– Although almost limited to infrastructure
– … and focusing on current (and not future) operational conditions
• Pragmatic approach, providing quick answers to urgent concerns
– Mobilizing “in-house” know-how.
– Focusing on hot-spots
• Knowledge on transport adaptation is quickly expanding
– Climate information too general: transport impacts difficult to identify.
– Studies based on current transport systems: low-carbon transitions not considered
WHAT WOULD BE NEEDED IN FUTURE?
• Coupling mitigation and adaptation studies and action
– How resilient will future low-carbon transport systems be?
– And how consistent/resilient are transition paths to low-carbon mobility?
– … and focusing on current (and not future) operational conditions
• Integrating adaptation in long-term transport planning
– TEN-T as a key opportunity to develop appropriate adaptation assessment tools
– Research needed on appropriate assessment methods and tools
• Strengthening collaborative planning practices
– Adaptation is closely related to operators’ and users’ needs, flexibility and experience
– Expanding focus from modal infrastructure to (multimodal) transport services
THE NEED FOR A POLICY DEBATE
Integrating the transition challenge Asssessing adaptation options
“A”
OPTION
“M”
OPTION
“A + M”
OPTION
CURRENT
TRANSPORT
SYSTEM
MITIGATION
AD
AP
TA
TIO
N
“S”
OPTION
“E”
OPTION
BALANCED
OPTION
CURRENT
TRANSPORT
SYSTEM
ENGINEERING RESILIENCE
SY
ST
EM
RE
SIL
IEN
CE
BASED ON A SOUND RESEARCH AGENDA?
IMPROVING THE KNOWLEDGE BASE:
Further development of transport-tailored climate forecasts
DEVELOPING STRONGER ASSESSMENT TOOLS:
Including compatibility with low-carbon transitions
Including demand management and flexibility
ADAPTATION WITHIN LONG-TERM PLANNING
Joint approach to mitigation and adaptation
Build upon current practice: TEN-T and national transport plans
MOVING FORWARD TOWARDS COLLABORATIVE PLANNING
Adaptation as an opportunity to collaborative governance
…and to stakeholder involvement
FURTHER INFORMATION
ETC/CCA TECHNICAL PAPER 03/2013
http://cca.eionet.europa.eu/reports
CLIMATE ADAPT PLATFORM
http://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/
EEA REPORT 8/2014
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/adaptation-
of-transport-to-climate