Hi!, this is the 2nd newsletter of the LIFE ADAPT2CLIMA project!
The ADAPT2CLIMA eNewsletter will inform you about the progress, the results and the events of the LIFE ADAPT2CLIMA project [more info here].
The aim is to keep all relevant actors in the field of climate change adaptation and agriculture up to date.
Please click here to read the 1st issue of the newsletter.
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FIRST YEAR ACTIVITIES
During the first year of the LIFE ADAPT2CLIMA project the following actions were completed:
- Recording of the characteristics of the agricultural sectors of the three project pilot areas, i.e. (i) Trapani and Dittaino Valey – Sicily, Italy (ii) Messara Valley and Campos Chanion – Crete, Greece (iii) Achelia and Kiti-Xilofagou - Cyprus
- Investigation of the observed climate change impacts on the agricultural sectors of Sicily, Crete and Cyprus
- Review and assessment of the European policy framework on the adaptation of agriculture to climate change and of the relevant policy applied at national and regional level of the three project areas
- Evaluation of the available adaptation options for agriculture
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THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IN THE THREE PROJECT PILOT AREAS
The selected pilot areas occupy a significant part of the total utilized agricultural area (UAA) in Sicily (34%), Crete (21%) and Cyprus (48%), as it is also shown next.
 The crops under study - tomatoes, potatoes, vines, olives, wheat & barley - were selected because they are representative of the agricultural sectors of the project areas and they contribute over 65% on average to the total agricultural production of the three areas, in terms of value. The area coverage of the selected crops in the pilot areas as a percentage of the total UAA in the project areas is shown in the following figure.
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OBSERVED CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
In all areas the projected temperature increase and prolonged drought events seem to be the most important factors affecting crop production. Climate change impacts have taken their toll on these crops:
- In Crete olive oil productivity has presented significant fluctuations from 1975 to 2005 as a result of drought events;
- In Sicily, recorded heat wave events from 1995 to 2013 (and subsequent prolonged droughts), have led to reduced yields of wheat;
- In Cyprus potato varieties production has been limited by frost events (1975 -2005) as well as pest and diseases favored by temperature increase.
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SWOT
The most representative Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) that characterize the agricultural sectors in the three project areas are depicted in the figure that follows.
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ADAPTATION OPTIONS
The available adaptation options for agriculture were identified and evaluated through both literature review and expert solicitation. In particular for the latter, a questionnaire was developed aiming at evaluating adaptation options in terms of their effectiveness, their contribution to climate change adaptation, their economic viability and other criteria.
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Regarding the permanent residence of the evaluators, 37% of them was in Italy, 33% in Cyprus and 26% in Greece while there was also a 4% whose permanent residence was in other countries. The evaluators belong to a wide range of project stakeholder groups, the synthesis of which is reflected in the following figure.
Among the adaptation measures evaluated, the following ones gathered the highest overall scores (above 65/100).
- Use of efficient irrigation systems and schedules
- Development/improvement of early warning systems
- Improvement of farm advisory and external services for building resilience to climate change
- Strengthen on-farm water harvesting
- Strengthen local institutional support for promotion of adaptation measures
- Promote precision agriculture and adapt agricultural robotics and Information Communication Technologies (ICT-Robotics)
- Development of a data base with long-term monitoring data of population dynamics of main pest and disease of study crops at project areas
- Breeding drought/heat resistant/tolerant crop varieties
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The ADAPT2CLIMA information sheet on the EU CLIMATE-ADAPT platform
Furthermore, on the 18 th of October 2016, Dr. Christos Giannakopoulos (Project Coordinator) participated in a workshop organized in the framework of networking activities of the LIFE AgroClimaWater project in Thessaloniki – Greece.
There, representatives from other EU funded projects and institutions that share common goals regarding the impacts of climate change and the efficient management of water in agriculture, participated. Dr. Giannakopoulos presented the main objectives and actions of ADAPT2CLIMA project as well as climate change projections for the island of Crete, a common implementation area for the two projects. Furthermore, discussion also focused on issues related to the exchange of climate model data and the means of effective cooperation between the two projects not only during but also after the projects’ end.
Dr. Christos Giannakopoulos presenting ADAPT2CLIMA methodology during the workshop of LIFE AgroClimaWater project in Thessaloniki-Greece.
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Participation in European and international conferences
The Coordinating beneficiary (NOA) participated in four European and International conferences presenting ADAPT2CLIMA project, its objectives and expected results, the project methodology as well as some preliminary results as far as climate, hydrological and crop modeling are concerned.
Dr. Christos Giannakopoulos at the General Assembly 2016 of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), 17-22 April 2016, Vienna, Austria.
Ms. Anna Karali from NOA team at the International Conference on Regional Climate-CORDEX 2016 (ICRC-CORDEX 2016), 17-20 May 2016, Stockholm, Sweden.
Dr. Christos Giannakopoulos at the 16th European Meteorological Society (EMS) Annual Meeting & 11th European Conference on Applied Climatology (ECAC), 12-16 September 2016, Trieste, Italy.
Dr. Christos Giannakopoulos at the MedCLIVAR 2016 conference, 26 – 30 September 2016, Athens, Greece.
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PROJECT MEETINGS
Three Steering Committee meetings in total, one in each project area, have been organized by the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) in Nicosia-Cyprus, the Region of Crete in Herakleio-Crete, Greece and the Region of Sicily in Assoro-Enna, Sicily.
During the meetings the local Steering Committees had the opportunity to meet members of the project team and learn more about the ADAPT2CLIMA project, its objectives, methodology and its expected results. Furthermore, the discussion between local stakeholders and the project members focused on the problems that agriculture faces in their islands and on their expectations and requirements from the project. Finally, Steering Committee members provided feedback on the project’s climate and vulnerability indices and thresholds.
1st Steering Committee meeting on 08/08/2016 in Herakleio-Crete, Greece
1st Steering Committee meeting on 14/10/2016 in Assoro-Enna, Sicily
1st Steering Committee meeting on 30/05/2016 in Nicosia, Cyprus
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 LIFE Ref. No: LIFE14 CCA/GR/000928
Area of implementation: Cyprus (CY), Crete (GR), Sicily (IT)
Duration: 43 months (1/10/2015 - 30/4/2019)
Project Budget: 1,497,060 €
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