Detailed FEMIP study on “Climate Change and Energy in the Mediterranean”

The Mediterranean, and more especially the Southern and Eastern rim, is and will be more affected by climate change than most other regions of the world in the course of the 21st century, according to a detailed, 550-page, study on “Climate Change and Energy in the Mediterranean”.

The general conclusion of the study, available in English and French, notes that “impacts of the rise in temperatures, the decrease in rainfall, the multiplication of the number and intensity of extreme events and the possible rise in sea level overlap and amplify the already existing pressures of anthropogenic origin on the natural environment.”

The main sponsor of the study is the European Investment Bank. It is financed under the FEMIP Trust Fund, established in 2004 to support the development of the private sector via the financing of studies and technical assistance measures and the provision of private equity.

“Climate change will have impacts particularly on: agriculture and fishery (reduction of yields), tourism attractiveness (heat waves, water scarcity), coastal areas and infrastructures (significant exposure to the action of waves, coastal storms and other extreme weather events, rise in sea level), human health (heat waves), the energy sector (water needs for power plants, hydropower and increased consumption),” it notes.

It says “the more vulnerable Mediterranean areas will be those of North Africa adjacent to desert areas, the major deltas (those of the Nile, the Po and the Rhone, for instance), the coastal areas (Northern rim and Southern rim of the Mediterranean basin), as well as the high-demographic growth and socially vulnerable areas (Southern and Eastern rim, densely populated cities and suburbs).”

Energy lies at the heart of the climate change issue, the report notes, adding: “On the one hand, it is the main GHG emitting sector, and CO2 emissions in the future are likely to increase much more rapidly than the global average. On the other hand, hydropower production—relatively significant in certain countries (13% of power production in the SEMCs)—is affected by the climate as well as by the plant cooling constraints. Lastly, the energy demand (in particular, electricity) which is growing at a very high pace in the region, is likely to be further accelerated by the additional demand necessary to lessen the impacts of climate change (water desalination, air-conditioning of buildings, . . . etc).”

A briefer version of the study is also available and can be found by clicking here.

Study

Contact information	n/a
News type	Inbrief
File link	http://www.eib.org/attachments/med/climate_change_energy_mediterranean_en.pdf
Source of information	EuroMed Info Centre
Keyword(s)	climate change
Subject(s)	ENERGY , RISKS AND CLIMATOLOGY
Relation	http://www.euromedinfo.eu/site.169.news.en.4197.html
Geographical coverage	Euromed
News date	22/09/2008
Working language(s)	ENGLISH , FRENCH

PDF