ateam - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
ateam - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
ateam - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
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ATEAM final report Section 5 and 6 (2001-2004) 47<br />
China (“The methods <strong>for</strong> impact study on climate change in China”) and Dagmar Schröter, <strong>Potsdam</strong><br />
<strong>Institute</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Climate</strong> <strong>Impact</strong> <strong>Research</strong> (“Global change vulnerability - assessing the European humanenvironment<br />
system”). Subsequently, the panel members discussed vulnerability and adaptation issues<br />
with the attending delegates, NGO representatives and scientists. This first session was attended by ca.<br />
300 delegates from the UN Parties.<br />
This workshop was held in response to a decision by the Parties to initiate new work under the<br />
Convention on "Scientific, technical and socio-economic aspects of impacts of, vulnerability and<br />
adaptation to climate change" after the Subsidiary Body <strong>for</strong> Scientific and Technological Advice<br />
(SBSTA) has completed consideration of the IPCC Third Assessment Report 32 . The workshop was<br />
somewhat unique in that it was the first time that an UNFCCC workshop was held during an official<br />
negotiating session. This timing was specifically requested by Parties to provide <strong>for</strong> a better exchange<br />
of in<strong>for</strong>mation and experiences between experts/practitioners and all delegates attending the session.<br />
The ATEAM vulnerability assessment has there<strong>for</strong>e provided direct input to the discussions among<br />
stakeholders on a policy negotiation level at the UNFCCC.<br />
Joint AVEC-EEA-MA workshop on the Future of Ecosystems in Europe, June 2004, Copenhagen,<br />
Denmark<br />
Five ATEAMers participated in the Workshop on Global Change and the Future of Ecosystems in<br />
Europe, jointly organized by AVEC 33 , The European Environment Agency (EEA) 34 and The Millennium<br />
Ecosystem Assessment (MA) 35 , on June 10-11, 2004, in the European Environment Agency,<br />
Copenhagen, Denmark.<br />
This workshop brought together scientists with policy advisors from the European Commission and from<br />
nine national governments. In opening the conference, EEA Executive Director Jacqueline McGlade<br />
emphasised that "managing European landscapes in the context of sustainable development requires<br />
sound up-to-date scientific in<strong>for</strong>mation as well as a long-term vision <strong>for</strong> possible future development<br />
paths in all sectors involved in environmental decision making."<br />
Scientists presented the assessment process and preliminary findings of the Millennium Assessment<br />
(MA), ATEAM and current EEA assessment and communication ef<strong>for</strong>ts to a large group of European<br />
scientists and policy makers. Wolfgang Cramer (project leader of AVEC and ATEAM) and Rik Leemans<br />
(leading ATEAM partner and MA co-chair, AVEC summer school tutor) co-organised the workshop,<br />
chaired sessions and led panel discussions. Dagmar Schröter (scientific coordinator ATEAM, AVEC<br />
summer school head of the tutors) and Marc J. Metzger (ATEAM partner, AVEC summer school tutor)<br />
gave an invited presentation of ATEAM’s vulnerability assessment methodology and results on potential<br />
global change impacts and vulnerability. Finally the digital atlas, or ‘mapping tool’ of ATEAM<br />
vulnerability maps was introduced and presented. Anne C. de la Vega-Leinert (coordinator of the<br />
ATEAM stakeholder dialogue, AVEC summer school tutor) participated in the discussions with a special<br />
focus on scientist-stakeholder communication.<br />
The results, similarities and inconsistencies between different assessment methodologies were<br />
discussed. European representatives indicated which findings were most relevant <strong>for</strong> European policy<br />
over the short and longer term. Workshop participants agreed that scientists from social and natural<br />
disciplines, owners and users of the land and policy makers need to work together more closely to<br />
minimise the risk to biodiversity, agricultural and <strong>for</strong>est yield, water resources and other values.<br />
ATEAM’s achievements were recognized as fundamentally paving the way towards this closer<br />
32 The Intergovernmental Panel on <strong>Climate</strong> Change (IPCC) Third Assessment Report 2001, www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/<br />
33 EU concerted action: Integrated Assessment of Vulnerable Ecosystems under Global Change (AVEC), www.pikpotsdam.de/avec/avec_ma_eea.html<br />
34 The European Environmental Agency (EEA), www.eea.eu.int/<br />
35 The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), www.millenniumassessment.org