1. ESPON CLIMATE - Climate Change and Territorial Effects on Regions and Local Economies Stefan Greiving (TU Dortmund) ESPON Climate

2. Vulnerability of European regions to climate change (I) South-north gradient due to high impact in South and South-Eastern Europe, but also adaptive capacity of Scandinavia and Western Europe countries. Particularly countries which may expect a high increase in impact seem to be less able to adapt than others for which the problem is less visible. This scenario for the future runs counter to territorial cohesion. Climate change may deepen the existing socio-economic imbalances between the core of Europe and its periphery. Particularly the East of Europe is affected by demographic changes, which may lead to an additional increase in sensitivity but also decrease in adaptive capacity.

3. Vulnerability of European regions to climate change (II): political implications Tailor-made adaptation strategies seem to be important primarily for tourist resorts in the Mediterranean region, but also in the Alps. Agglomerations – mainly in the South are vulnerable for several reasons, which calls for adapted settlement structures and urban way of living. Adaptation measures can target different objectives: building of coping and adaptive capacity, reduction of risk and sensitivity or capitalisation on climate change. The main focus in adaptation policy in Europe has been on identification of impacts and management of extreme events.

4. Considerable uncertainty, but also heterogeneous patterns of change call for territorially differentiated response strategies to extreme events. Adaptation is a cross-cutting issue due to the variety of impacts on different sectors and the interdependences between impacts and response strategies. Particularly relevant for sea level rise/storm surges, but also river flooding. Adaptation options (I)

5. Broad involvement of all societal groups is needed in order to guarantee the legitimacy of actions. Political decisions based on uncertain knowledge need a broad mandate from all social groups. In particular, quantitative goals have to be justified because they are of a normative character. Adapting the existing settlement patterns can be seen as the main challenge for spatial planning operating in the context of existing private property rights. Incentives and more inclusive discourse-based approaches are needed, which can be characterised as climate governance. Adaptation options (II) http://www.bbsr.bund.de/cln_016/nn_21684/BBSR/EN /Publications/BMVBS/Online/2010/DL__ON212010,te mplateId=raw,property=publicationFile.pdf/DL_ON212 010.pdf