From water quality to
climate change
Peeter Nõges
Centre for Limnology
Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Estonian University of Life Sciences
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
Work history
1979 - 2003
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
Describing the elephant
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
2003-2009 JRC Ispra
Institute for Environment and Sustainability
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
River basins
in Europe
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
European Centre for Ecological Water
Quality and Intercalibration (EEWAI)
to help Member
States in harmonising
and intercalibrating
surface water
ecological status
assessment systems
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
Final intercalibration register
1500 sites
Lakes
Rivers
Coastal waters
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
Discussion: Climate Change
and Water Policy (2004)
• What do we know about climate change
scenarios for Europe and its various regions?
• How is this likely to affect water resources,
river flow and river basin management?
• What are the impacts on biogeochemical
cycles and contaminant cycling?
• What are the impacts to ecological
functioning, biodiversity, fish dynamics and
stocks.
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
Synthesis document
• Mandate to JRC (Steven Eisenreich) to
coordinate the writing of a scientific
synthesis document.
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
Impacts on lakes
Climate and lake
impacts in Europe
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
http://agrienv.jrc.ec.e
uropa.eu/publications/
pdfs/CC_and_the_Eur_
Water_Dim_EUR21553
EN_2005.pdf
253 pp.
About 100 citations
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
Workshop in 2006
• Water resources
• Water quality
• Economic and social
implications
• Adaptation needs
DG JRC
DG Environment
DG Research
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
What about ecological status?
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
1940
1965
1990
2015
Chl a
mg/m3
2
Eutrophication
H
G
8
M
P
14
B
Restoration
measures
Approach without considering CC
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
Reference
condition
2 mg/m3
Restoration
target
8 mg/m3
1940
1965
1990
Chl a
mg/m3
(
Climate change
2
More bottom anoxia
More sediment P release
More algae production
2015
)
H
G
8
M
14
Reference
condition
2 mg/m3
Restoration
target
4 mg/m3
8 mg/m3
P
Restoration
measures
Strengthened
restoration
measures
Moving the targets (after having done the best
with restoration measures)
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
B
16 mg/m3
Guidance for managers
• 2007 - Strategic Steering Group on
Climate Change and Water co-led by
Germany and the European Commission
• 2009 – Guidance document
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
• Guiding principles
– Suggested actions
• Examples
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
Elaborating new CC indicators for
Europe (EEA, JRC, WHO)
Water
temperature
155
150
145
140
135
130
125
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
Year
2000
1993
1986
1979
1972
1965
1958
1951
1944
1937
1930
1923
1916
1909
1902
1895
1888
1860
1853
1846
1839
1832
115
1881
120
1874
LEJ DA SAN MUREZZAN
LAKE NÄSIJÄRVI
LAKE KALLAVESI
RIVER TORNIONJOKI
1867
Day number from 1
st
of January
Ice break-up
date
Common EU FP projects
• (Climate and lake impacts in
Europe)
• Water bodies in Europe:
Integrative systems to assess
ecological status and
recovery
• Adaptive strategies to mitigate
the impacts of climate change
on European freshwater
ecosystems
• Managing aquatic ecosystems
and water resources under
multiple stress
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia
MARS
Thank you!
28 May 2013
Conference JRC & Estonia