Climate change impacts on EU agriculture and the adaptation challenge

• Autores: M. Fuertes Merino
• Localización: Phytoma España: La revista profesional de sanidad vegetal, ISSN 1131-8988, Nº 203, 2008, págs. 70-71
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • The changing climate is a major challenge - also for European agriculture. Agriculture is highly exposed to climate change, as farming activities directly depend on climatic conditions. The farming sector is thus in the front line of the battle against climate change impacts. The presentation will outline the projected impacts on agriculture in the European Union, and some of the aspects of the adaptation challenge for the sector. Europe has warmed by almost 1°C in the past century, faster than the global average. Climatic conditions have become more variable. Rainfall and snowfall have significantly increased in northern Europe, while rainfall has fallen considerably and droughts are more frequently experienced over southern Europe. Temperatures have become more extreme (for example the record-breaking 2003 summer heat wave) and floods more common. While individual weather events cannot be attributed to a single cause, statistical analyses show that the risk of such events has already increased considerably as a consequence of climate change. Economic losses due to weather-related disasters have increased considerably in recent years.

    Los interesados en recibir la traducción de este artículo al castellano deben dirigirse a Francesc Barelles. E-mail: francesc.barelles@iqs.url.edu