A Climate for Change

Human Development Report - Croatia 2008 Water Resources^115

and runoff impact the system and the economic situ-
ation. However, since no decisive study has yet been
undertaken on the likely impacts of climate change,
potential impacts have not been included into future
energy planning scenarios. Carrying out a study look-
ing at the likely impacts of climate on energy produc-
tion seems to be another logical step in analysing the
impacts of climate change related to water.

7.7.3. Analysis of available options for

adaptation

Unless the global community drastically reduces
its emissions of greenhouse gases in the next few
years, climate change will probably have numerous
impacts in Croatia, especially near the end of the
21 st century and beyond. However, looking forward
twenty to thirty years, the possible impacts may be
as follows:

• Loss of hydroelectric generation capacity;


• Increased flood damage;


• Loss of some ecosystem services;


• Reduction in the availability of groundwater (un-
  likely); and


• Reduced drinking water quality (unlikely).

In each of these cases, climate change would lead to

economic and social losses. Adaptation will always

involve some changes in how water resources are

managed and used by the public and private sector.

In some cases, changes will be made through invest-

ments in infrastructure and existing or new technolo-

gies related to the storage, conveyance or use of water.

In most cases, options for adapting to climate change

already exist and are commonly implemented to re-

spond to climate variability and other climate shocks.

The rest of this section briefly outlines the most impor-

tant alternatives for avoiding climate change damages.

Box 7-4: The Water Framework Directive (WFD)

The approach of the WFD encompasses the follow-

ing steps and actions:

1. Comprehensive stocktaking and monitoring;


2. Defining a target level of environmental sta-
   tus,


3. Identifying the necessary measures to improve
   the environmental status of waters in a com-
   prehensive, multi-year plan, taking into ac-
   count and integrating all environmental stress-
   es, taking an ecosystem approach,


4. Planning long term, and repeating this plan-
   ning cycle in 5-6 years in order to reflect devel-
   opments.

Because the time scale for WFD implementation

extends into the 2020s, it is apparent that Member

States should take climate change into account in

their water policies. It is unlikely that the first River

Basin Management Plans (2009-2015) will address

adaptation to climate change. However, the on-

going discussions in the EU give a clear signal that

specific adaptation measures will be included in the

second River Basin Management Plan cycle (2015-

2021). Some countries have already taken the first

steps in this direction. Some activities related to

climate change are envisaged under the EU-wide

Common Implementation Strategy (CIS).

Croatia is fully committed to following the common

European approach and methodology when imple-

menting the WFD and the FD. In this respect, the

main risks from climate change in Croatia should

be taken into account in the context of meeting

the WFD’s objectives in the second planning cycle.

This would mean examining the potential risks of

climate change to key phases of the river basin

management process that supports the WFD. Con-

sideration of climate change impacts at an early

stage might help the selection of the most effective

measures to be included in the second River Basin

Management Plans (due for 2015). This work may be

well suited to form part of the on-going, EU-funded

project “Implementation of the EU Water Framework

Directive in Croatia.”