The Impact of Climate Change on European Lakes
In this book, scientists from eleven countries summarize the results of an EU project (CLIME) that explored the effects of observed and projected changes in the climate on the dynamics of lakes in Northern, Western and Central Europe. Historical measureme
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Glen George Editor
The Impact of Climate Change on European Lakes
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Editor Glen George Freshwater Biological Association University College London Aberystwyth University [email protected]
Chapters 3, 9, and 24 are © US Government 2010.
ISBN 978-90-481-2944-7 e-ISBN 978-90-481-2945-4 DOI 10.1007/978-90-481-2945-4 Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2009929314 © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010 No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Cover illustration: Satellite image courtesy of ‘Meteosat’. Esthwaite Water in the UK (Photo: Freshwater Biological Association). The ice-station on Pääjärvi in Finland (Photo: Matti Leppäranta). Mondsee in Austria (Photo: Martin Dokulil). Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
‘Man is born not to solve the problems of the universe, but to find out where the problem applies, and then to restrain himself within the limits of the comprehensible.’ Goethe I Werin Ewrop To the Citizens of Europe.
Foreword
Water is a precondition for human, animal and plant life as well as an indispensable resource for the economy. However, the sustainability of this vital resource is currently under threat due to problems such as pollution, the over-exploitation of natural resources, damage to aquatic ecosystems and climate change. Despite the progress made in tackling these problems at a regional and international level, Europe’s waters are still in need of increased efforts to get them clean or to keep them clean. Indeed, it is not an exaggeration to say that water protection is one of the major challenges facing the European Union in the new millennium. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) was adopted precisely for this purpose and establishes a common approach for addressing these problems. To meet the objectives set by the WFD, Member States are required to undertake the measures necessary to ensure that all their surface waters reach the defined ‘good ecological and chemical status’ by 2015. As this policy has evolved, it has become clear that climate change will have a profound effect on the development of the WFD, an issue covered in the recent European Commission White Paper on ‘Adaptation to Climate Change’. For many European regions, water is at the centre of expected impacts of climate change, effects which will be further complicated by changes in water availability and demand. Research has always played a key role in the implementation of European policy. Water-related research has played and will continue to play an important role in the
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