Climate change workshop
Climate change is a high priority topic for European society and industry. Much effort is being expended to develop methods of reducing the production of Greenhouse gases and thereby mitigate the future impacts. However regardless of the levels of success that can be achieved, there is a growing need for Europe's road infrastructure to be adapted to accommodate the effects of climate change.
 The requirement for adaptation is driven by two factors. The most optimistic scenarios for combating greenhouse gas reduction imply that some further changes will occur. In addition, there is a growing recognition that based on historical information, there is a greater range and variability of climatic conditions than has traditionally been taken into account and is compounded by the greater density of urbanisation in Europe.
In conjunction with Rijkwsaterstaat DWW (the Dutch Highway Authority's technical institute) and POLIS (the association of cities and local authorities), FEHRL organised a workshop on Climate change effects and measures in Brussels on June 12th 2007. The main aims of the workshop were to;
- share available knowledge between the key stakeholders
- to investigate the consequences of climate change for infrastructure
- to prepare a collaborative programme of research on climate change
- help create an environment for greater coordination of research
- consider some of the overlaps between mitigation and adaptation strategies
- raise the awareness of climate change as a challenge for road authorities
The workshop concluded with a number of actions that FEHRL and its partners will pursue.
|
