KFM: Climate Effect Management - Regional management of climate effects in the Hanover/Braunschweig/Göttingen metropolitan region

Background and Goals

Climate change calls for the development of solution strategies to avert medium and long-term disadvantages and consequential damage to the environment, society and economy. Climate protection is already a key issue in the Hanover/Braunschweig/Göttingen metropolitan region. Numerous stakeholders from business,research and academia, as well as policy and planning, are working on solutions, to date largely independently of one another. This research project was initiated to network these action levels.

The content of the individual research and development projects is:

  1. Climate change: Modelling of anticipated regional and local climate changes;
  2. Energy crops: Potential for climate adapted cultivation of energy crops, including integrated exploitation concepts;
  3. Field irrigation: Potential for substituting groundwater for field irrigation;
  4. Conservation: Analysis of the sensitivity of ecosystems and animal and plant species to climate changes;
  5. Water management: Sustainable management of the groundwater volume and distribution of water resources;
  6. Information and communication platform: Internet-based information and evaluation instrument for knowledge-based support of planning and decision-making processes;
  7. Continuing training and education: Communication of complex findings on climate effects to specific technical stakeholders, as well as the media, schools and the general population.

The primary objective is to counter the effects of climate change with effective management at regional level. To achieve this, a preliminary study will be performed with the aim of broadly identifying and discussing the impact of climate effects on various areas in the metropolitan region, defining current research needs and developing an requirement profile for planning instruments to facilitate a response to climate effects. This will be done by running two moderated workshops. The result of the workshops will be a qualified project proposal for a multi-year main study. The first workshop will see stakeholders from policy, planning, business and industry defining specific issues facing the metropolitan region that are of critical importance ecologically, socially and economically. These issues will then be analysed in depth in the main study.

The objective of the main study is:

  •  To simulate the impact of climate change on the areas relevant to the metropolitan region,
  •  To formulate adaptation and optimisation strategies, and
  •  To develop planning instruments in close coordination with the specialist authorities.

The methods and processes defined should be transferrable to other regions in Germany and across Europe.

Content time

to

Research area/region

Country
  • Germany
Region of implementation (all German federal states)
  • Lower Saxony
Natural spatial classification
  • North-West German lowland
  • Central low mountain ranges and Harz

Steps in the process of adaptation to climate change

Step 1: Understand and describe climate change

Approach and results 

Modelling of regional and local climate changes using the REMO, WETTREG and CLM regional climate models;
additional local climate interpolation (FITNAH);
local land use scenarios

Parameter (climate signals)
  • Altered rainfall patterns
  • Higher average temperatures

Step 2a: Identify and assess risks - climate effects and impact

Approach and results 

Consequences for cultivation of energy crops, irrigation in agriculture, management of groundwater volume, sensitivity of ecosystems and conservation will be studied.

Step 3: Develop and compare measures

Measures and/or strategies 

The potential for climate adapted cultivation of energy crops will be analysed, including integrated exploitation concepts, and the potential for substituting groundwater for field irrigation will be studied. In water management, the project will investigate how sustainable management of groundwater volume and distribution of water resources can be achieved.

In addition, an Internet-based information and communication platform will be developed, which will be an information and evaluation instrument providing knowledge-based support for planning and decision-making processes. Continuous training and education events will communicate the findings on climate effects to specialist stakeholders, as well as the media, schools and the general population.

Participants

Funding / Financing 

BMBF funding programme "klimazwei - Research for Climate Protection and Protection from Climate Impacts"

Project management 

Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institut für Meteorologie und Klimatologie (IMUK)

Cooperation/Partners 

Hannover/Braunschweig/Göttingen metropolitan region, Hanover region (climate protection in metropolitan region project group), GEO-NET Umweltkonsulting GmbH (Hanover), Hanover regional climate protection agency, KomPass (Federal Environment Agency's centre of competence for "climate effects and adaptation")

Contact

IMUK - Institut für Meteorologie und Klimatologie
Herrenhäuser Str. 2
D-30419 Hannover

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Fields of action:
 agriculture  biological diversity  water regime and water management