Danske Regioner Klima09UK Page 35
clIMate aDaptatIon
Cliwat
ising r groundwater
by: sune falther / photo: lasse hyldager
an overlooked threat
the debate on adapting to climate change has mainly focused on the rise in sea level, but rising levels of ground water also present a challenge. the central Denmark region is leadpartner in a cross-national project which aims to gather more knowledge on the effects of climate change on groundwater.
via a joint monitoring group. The core aim of the Danish part of CLIWAT is to investigate the effect of climate change on groundwater. "During summer drought conditions, it may be necessary to draw groundwater from a larger catchment area in order to ensure that there is enough," says Rolf Johnsen. "That means we must make sure that the water is clean, and that it will continue to be so. In addition, we must ensure that the increased rainfall in winter can be adequately drained away; otherwise, many towns in low-lying areas, such as along the east coast of Jutland, will experience major flooding problems."
M
uch of the debate on climate change has focused on the need to reduce our CO2 emissions, so that we can mitigate the worst damage to our climate. It is understandable that this has been the main area of concern, as the effects are so obvious. The serious flooding caused by storm surges in the sea, or the damage caused to waterways and drains by the increasingly heavy rains, are effects of climate change that everyone can see and understand. Changes in our groundwater, on the other hand, and thereby changes in fundamental factors affecting our supplies of drinking water and the way in which we construct our roads and buildings, have tended to be overlooked. However, the Central Denmark Region is working to change that. Together with a number of partners in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, the Central Denmark Region has set itself the task of finding out what will happen to
our groundwater in future, and how we can adapt to climate change in this area. The international co-operation is occurring under the auspices of the CLIWAT-project (i.e. CLImate and WATer), which is supported by the European Union. "The challenges are serious, and they affect us all, so it makes sense to confront them at an international level," says Rolf Johnsen, a geologist with Central Denmark Region, one of the founders of the CLIWAT-project. "There are several aspects of extreme weather conditions which are best tackled through regional cooperation." enough Clean dRinking wateR? So far, the countries taking part in CLIWAT, have invested EUR 5.4 million half of which has been provided by the the Interreg IVB programme under the European Regional Development Fund in seven pilot areas, which until the end of 2011 will each investigate separate issues. Along the way, their experiences will be shared
Facts:
our groundwater is a hidden resource in the ground beneath us. In contrast to extreme weather events like storm surges in the sea or powerful flooding, changes in groundwater tend to be more gradual. nonetheless, these changes can be of crucial significance to the way we organise our society in future.
35
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 1 : in the Regions Green Growth Clean technologyDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 1 - content: in the Regions Green Growth Clean technology
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 2 : ForeWorD teMa Bent hansen Chairman, Danish RDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 2 - content: ForeWorD teMa Bent hansen Chairman, Danish R
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 3 : contents 12 4 22 with a clear conscienDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 3 - content: contents 12 4 22 with a clear conscien
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 4 : copenhagen cleantech cluster Clean technologiesDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 4 - content: copenhagen cleantech cluster Clean technologies
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 5 : copenhagen cleantech cluster Clean technology Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 5 - content: copenhagen cleantech cluster Clean technology
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 6 : copenhagen cleantech cluster T he rhythm is Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 6 - content: copenhagen cleantech cluster T he rhythm is
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 7 : copenhagen cleantech cluster "If we manage to kDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 7 - content: copenhagen cleantech cluster "If we manage to k
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 8 : heatIng storage harvesting energy by: sune falDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 8 - content: heatIng storage harvesting energy by: sune fal
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 9 : heatIng storage Hjortebjerg Greenhouse the hjoDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 9 - content: heatIng storage Hjortebjerg Greenhouse the hjo
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 10 : heatIng storage "We learned to use computer proDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 10 - content: heatIng storage "We learned to use computer pro
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 11 : heatIng storage which permit the rays of the suDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 11 - content: heatIng storage which permit the rays of the su
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 12 : solar heatIng large-scale solaR heatinG by:Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 12 - content: solar heatIng large-scale solaR heatinG by:
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 13 : solar heatIng Dronninglund District heating plaDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 13 - content: solar heatIng Dronninglund District heating pla
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 14 : solar heatIng All in all, these factors have tuDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 14 - content: solar heatIng All in all, these factors have tu
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 15 : solar heatIng "We could actually supply the entDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 15 - content: solar heatIng "We could actually supply the ent
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 16 : BIoDIesel with a clear conscience by: sune falDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 16 - content: BIoDIesel with a clear conscience by: sune fal
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 17 : BIoDIesel teMa 17 Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 17 - content: BIoDIesel teMa 17
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 18 : BIoDIesel zanimal-derived proteins to the animaDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 18 - content: BIoDIesel zanimal-derived proteins to the anima
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 19 : BIoDIesel slaughterhouses have always been leftDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 19 - content: BIoDIesel slaughterhouses have always been left
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 20 : BIoMass tech agro with no bad after-taste bDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 20 - content: BIoMass tech agro with no bad after-taste b
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 21 : BIoMass W hen we use energy in the future, iDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 21 - content: BIoMass W hen we use energy in the future, i
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 22 : MIcro-heatIng plants Run youR own a number oDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 22 - content: MIcro-heatIng plants Run youR own a number o
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 23 : MIcro-heatIng plants I n the Danish towns ofDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 23 - content: MIcro-heatIng plants I n the Danish towns of
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 24 : energY renoVatIon "plan c has the potential to Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 24 - content: energY renoVatIon "plan c has the potential to
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 25 : energY renoVatIon " e need to take a good lookDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 25 - content: energY renoVatIon " e need to take a good look
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 26 : algae anD BIoFuel Green visions fly on sustainaDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 26 - content: algae anD BIoFuel Green visions fly on sustaina
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 27 : algae anD BIoFuel The sea's own fuel algae devDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 27 - content: algae anD BIoFuel The sea's own fuel algae dev
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 28 : algae anD BIoFuel This biomass can then be usedDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 28 - content: algae anD BIoFuel This biomass can then be used
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 29 : clIMate strategY Region Zealand The climate Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 29 - content: clIMate strategY Region Zealand The climate
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 30 : hYDrogen we create workplaces and a better enDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 30 - content: hYDrogen we create workplaces and a better en
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 31 : hYDrogen "sometimes it sounds like gibberish, wDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 31 - content: hYDrogen "sometimes it sounds like gibberish, w
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 32 : BIo-ethanol waste is the capital of the green Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 32 - content: BIo-ethanol waste is the capital of the green
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 33 : BIo-ethanol tractor slowly shovels its way throDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 33 - content: BIo-ethanol tractor slowly shovels its way thro
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 34 : BIo-ethanol sure that everything will work exacDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 34 - content: BIo-ethanol sure that everything will work exac
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 35 : clIMate aDaptatIon Cliwat ising r groundwateDanske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 35 - content: clIMate aDaptatIon Cliwat ising r groundwate
Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 36 : danish Regions Dampfærgevej 22 DK-2100 Copenhagen Danske Regioner - Klima09UK - Page: 36 - content: danish Regions Dampfærgevej 22 DK-2100 Copenhagen