Impacts of Climate Change

Impacts of Climate Change

According to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the annual temperatures in Europe are likely to increase more than the global mean.  The predictions are only listed for northern, central and southern areas in Europe so the Netherlands was categorized as one of the central countries.  Looking at Europe as a whole, the northern countries lower temperatures are predicted to be higher than average during the winter months and in countries like the Netherlands in central Europe the temperatures are predicted to have higher average temperatures than averages in the summer months.  Netherlands’s annual precipitation is predicted to increase during winters but decrease during summers.  The warming climate during the summer is also predicted to cause an increase in summer droughts throughout central and southern Europe in the future.

"Nearly all European regions are anticipated to be negatively affected by some future impacts of climate change, and these will pose challenges to many economic sectors" (IPCC).  Natural resources in Europe (including the Netherlands) will more than likely face some difficulties in the future  due to climate change which will likely cause an increase of inland flash floods, increased occurrences of coastal flooding, and increased erosion due to increased storms and sea-level rise.  Most organisms and ecosystems will struggle while trying to adapt to climate change.  (IPCC)  Water stress in Central Europe is projected to increase in relation to the decreasing summer precipitation and increasing heat waves will likely cause greater health risks.  Forest productivity is expected to decline and the frequency of fires to increase (IPCC 2).

(IPCC 2). (http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg2/en/spmsspm-c-10-europe.html)

Source: http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg2/en/ch12s12-4.hStudieSome 

Projections are predicting a rise in sea level being a major concern for coastal areas of the Netherlands along with inland areas as well.  "Coastal flooding related to increasing storminess and sea-level rise is likely to threaten up to 1.6 million additional people annually." (IPCC) coastal areas are predicted to be affected with loss of land and increased flooded areas along the coast with land that sits below sea level having the most impact.  Increasing sea level in the future could cause future destruction of structures and properties during storms or from tsunamis.  that are close to the coast and that will or are sitting below sea level.  Increased storms are also predicted to cause inland and coastal flooding.