WATER, WETLANDS AND CLIMATE CHANGE Building Linkages for their Integrated Management Mediterranean Regional Roundtable Athens, Greece, December 10-11, 2002 GREECE-Water Resources Planning and Climate Change Adaptation Prepared by: Nicos X. TSIOURTIS Consultant Nicosia-Cyprus Tel:+357 22 33 22 26, Fax +357 22 33 22 26 e-mail:
[email protected] 21,50 900 21,00 800 20,50 700 20,00 600 19,50 19,00 500 Degrees in oC Annual Rainfall in mm 18,50 400 18,00 300 17,50 17,00 200 1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 Year Draft for Discussion November 2002 IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean Preface The Global Water Partnership (GWP), the Dialogue on Water and Climate Change, and IUCN-The World Conservation Union, have joined forces to facilitate an exchange of views on the common challenges faced by Mediterranean societies in enhancing their capacities to adapt to climate change. Scientific consensus is that climate change would have a pervasive influence on the future demand, supply and quality of fresh water resources in the Mediterranean, and would add pressure to water and environment resources, and coastal systems currently under stress. All sectors of the economy, environment and society may be vulnerable to one degree or another, where steps to increase the capacity to adapt to greater hydrological variability, including more frequent flood and drought extremes are required. Under Article 4 of the UNFCCC, it was agreed all Parties would develop short, medium, and long- term strategies for climate adaptation in a phased manner, taking into account the different socio- economic contexts.