Joint press release with the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Extreme weather events and lasting periods of heat or heavy rainfall will become more frequent in some regions of the world. International action in climate change adaptation and risk management is still insufficient. We are ill prepared for future extreme events and their impacts. That is the conclusion drawn by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its current "Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation". The Special Report underscores that measures for climate change adaptation and risk management must be improved and better combined.
"Progressive climate change will most likely lead to a marked increase in extreme weather events all over the world. But if we continue to emit unhindered, nature will strike back. The impacts of unchecked global warming are floods, droughts, heat waves and the resulting conflicts for water and pastures. If we want to avoid future risks we must step up our efforts in climate change adaptation and suitable risk management. Besides continuing our untiring efforts for progress in the international climate negotiations and for legally binding rules, we must also find technological responses to address climate change. They are the precondition for future growth – in particular for developing and newly industrialising countries," noted Federal Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen.
"The Special Report clearly states that future risks from extreme events will also depend on how vulnerable societies and ecosystems are. Therefore we support research aimed at precautionary measures. Climate research is a prerequisite for climate protection and society's ability to adapt to inevitable changes and will continue to play an important role in the upcoming 'Science Year 2012 – Project Earth: Our Future'," Federal Research Minister Annette Schavan elaborated.
"Progressing climate change will most likely lead to a marked increase in extreme weather events all over the world. In the future, occurrence and intensity of extreme events will at times be much more severe as a result of climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change underscores this assumption and notes an increased occurrence of extreme events such as heat waves in some regions of the world. The 2003 heat wave in Central and Western Europe was an example of what is likely to take place more frequently in the future. Economic damage as a result of extreme weather and climate events has also increased over the past decades. Loss of lives and economic damage are greater in developing and medium income countries than in high income countries.
The IPCC Special Report clearly states that risks from the occurrence of extreme events can be prevented above all at regional and local level. The conditions to achieve this must be set up at international level. The Federal Research Ministry is supporting comprehensive programmes in climate, climate impact and climate adaptation research. The German Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (DAS) which was adopted by the Federal Government in 2008 under the leadership of the Federal Environment Ministry also encompasses aspects of civil protection and emergency response and the impacts of extreme events. The International Climate Initiative of the Federal Environment Ministry supports global initiatives in climate change adaptation and risk management through development cooperation.