21.3.2005 | Folie 1
Experiences and Approaches Related to
Adaptation - AUSTRIA
“Working Together to Respond to Climate Change”
Seminar of the AIXG on the UNFCCC
Paris, 21-22 March 2005
Klaus Radunsky
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Overview
Introduction
 Adaptation
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flood risk management
Forest management
Grassland management
Cropland management
Tourism (avalanches, snow cover)
lessons learned
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Introduction
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Significant increase in average temperature from 1900
to 1990s
 + 1.5o C yearly average
 + 1.5o C to + 2.0o C during winter
 + 1.0o C during summer
expected temperature increase by 2050: +2o C to +3o C
Significant increase in GHG emissions at an average
rate of 0.9%/a over the last 13 years
no coherent and effective adaptation regime
some extreme weather events with significant impacts
and already visible impacts of climate change that raise
concerns
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Adaptation - Flood risk management (1)
Challenge:
 Flood in August 2002, with return
periods of 2,000 to 10,000 years
in some regions
 9 people died, economic loss ~3
Bio € (~1% of GDP)
 current level of flood protection
designed for return periods of 30
and 100 years
Measures:
 investigation on the possible contribution of climate change
(but it became evident that the high damage was also due
to other factors)
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Adaptation - Flood risk management (2)
Additional measures:
 stricter implementation of integrated flood risk
management (combining aspects of Meteorology,
Hydrology and actual construction measures like
dams with land-use planning, legal aspects and
warning- and evacuation measures),
 measures to limit damage in case of flood
(mandatory structural measures in buildings, e.g. no
oil tanks in regions with risk),
 speeding up the preparation, completion and
updating of hazard zone plans,
 improvements in disaster management (e.g.
improved training for disaster protection
administrators, standardization of flood alarm plans,
improving the coordination of the relevant plans of
the public authorities),
 raising of public awareness
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Adaptation – forest management
Challenge:
 long life time (80-120 years)
 damage by insects is
spreading to higher elevations
storms (wind speeds > 160/170
km/h result in area-wide damage)
 Draught, if global T increases
above 2o C
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Measures:
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establish forests as close to the (potential)
natural forests as practical (nature-conforming
forestry)
Need for further research
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Adaptation – grassland management
Challenge:
 summer 2003 significant
damage by draught
 Little awareness about
future damage
Measures:
 limited to buy hay
 No infrastructure for
irrigation
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Adaptation – cropland management
Challenge:
change in precipitation
pattern (drought)
 local extreme weather
events (floods, hail,
storms)
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Measures:
improved water
management
 use of more drought
resistant crops
 insurance
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Adaptation in tourism - avalanches (1)
Challenge:
 avalanches in Feb 1999 Galtür (Tyrol)
 31 people died
Measures:
 2002: ALPS Centre for Natural Hazard Management was
founded
 issues: natural hazard management (debris flows,
landslides, rock falls, avalanches)
 goal: develop new strategies, technologies, systems
to improve the handling of natural hazards and to
evaluate present and future potential hazards
 1st meeting (January 2004): expert meeting on
climate impacts for Tyrol
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 See http://www.alp-s.at/v2/en/
Adaptation in tourism - avalanches (2)
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Additional measures
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Improved modeling and data
assessment
development of natural
hazard scenarios (focus:
alpine region)
development of risk-oriented
approaches for structural
engineering, technical forest
planning, development
planning and short-term
measures (e.g. improved
disaster management - is
planned in Tyrol to be fully
operational by 2006)
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Adaptation – tourism (artificial snow)
Challenge: reduced snow cover at elevation<1500m
Measures:
 artificial snow (9200 ha or 40% of total)
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investment costs in winter 2003/04: 176 Mio €
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significant water and power consumption (4000 m3 water
per ha; 25000 kWh per ha)
future: artificial snow will be extended to ~90% of total
meteorological experts: artificial snow may not work in
the future due to further temperature increase
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Lessons learned (1)
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Austria: reluctant to be proactive on adaptation (top
down approach) although more vulnerable compared to
many other countries (high share of the alpine region
(70% of the land is higher than 500m))
significant damage from extreme weather events or
already visible impacts (reduction in snow cover)
triggered significant investments and short as well as
long term measures (bottom up approach)
large and growing adaptation deficit
international efforts and co-operation could help to get
on the right track and begin to address the deficit more
effectively
Goal should be: development of a more coherent and
operational adaptation regime
climate risk assessment should become common
practice for many activities
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Lessons learned (2)
Hurdles for a coherent and effective adaptation
regime:
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lack of awareness (e.g. of stakeholders in industry, the
general public),
lack of information on climate vulnerabilities, impacts
and ways and means to adapt,
lack of resources at the MoE to start information
process,
lack of willingness to raise the profile of adaptation and
to prepare for a public debate on climate change
issues.
Work at the OECD and under the UNFCCC may
help to overcome national hurdles.
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