The Environment Chronicle

An expertise of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) points out that climate change, lack of water resources, water pollution, or soil degradation endanger the livelihood of poor people in many regions of the world. These environmental changes are largely man-made and linked with the economic and social development of a country in a complex way. The WBGU demands a closer international cooperation of fighting poverty and environmental policy.

The map has been produced in the framework of the Corine Land Cover programme of the European Environmental Agency. Data on land cover is necessary for the environmental policy as well as for other such as regional development and agriculture policies. At the same time it provides one of the basic inputs for the production of more complex information on other themes (soil erosion, pollutant emissions into the air by the vegetation, etc.). The Map shows the major changes of the European landscapes since 1990.

With a documentation of the Elbe flood of August, 2002, the International Commission for the Protection of the Elbe (IKSE) has completed its underlying work on preventive flood management. The documentation covers all aspects from the emergence to the disastrous results of this natural phenomenon, complimenting the "Action Plan Elbe Flood Protection" from 2003 that covers all the Elbe catchment area.

The impacts of climate change on Europe's environment and society are shown in this report published by the European Environment Agency. Past trends in the climate, its current state and possible future changes are presented using 22 selected indicators. For almost all of these a clear trend exists and impacts are already being observed. The report highlights the need to develop strategies at European, national, regional and local level for adapting to climate change.