Climate change and interconnected risks to sustainable development in the Mediterranean

Recent accelerated climate change has exacerbated existing environmental problems in the Mediterranean Basin that are caused by the combination of changes in land use, increasing pollution and declining biodiversity. For five broad and interconnected impact domains (water, ecosystems, food, health a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature climate change 2018-11, Vol.8 (11), p.972-980
Main Authors: Cramer, Wolfgang, Guiot, Joël, Fader, Marianela, Garrabou, Joaquim, Gattuso, Jean-Pierre, Iglesias, Ana, Lange, Manfred A., Lionello, Piero, Llasat, Maria Carmen, Paz, Shlomit, Peñuelas, Josep, Snoussi, Maria, Toreti, Andrea, Tsimplis, Michael N., Xoplaki, Elena
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation
Biodiversity
Climate change
Domains
Ecosystems
Environmental changes
Environmental impact
Environmental risk
Environmental Sciences
Land pollution
Land use
Policies
Risk
Security
Sustainability
Sustainable development
Water pollution
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Summary:Recent accelerated climate change has exacerbated existing environmental problems in the Mediterranean Basin that are caused by the combination of changes in land use, increasing pollution and declining biodiversity. For five broad and interconnected impact domains (water, ecosystems, food, health and security), current change and future scenarios consistently point to significant and increasing risks during the coming decades. Policies for the sustainable development of Mediterranean countries need to mitigate these risks and consider adaptation options, but currently lack adequate information — particularly for the most vulnerable southern Mediterranean societies, where fewer systematic observations schemes and impact models are based. A dedicated effort to synthesize existing scientific knowledge across disciplines is underway and aims to provide a better understanding of the combined risks posed.
ISSN:1758-678X
1758-6798
DOI:10.1038/s41558-018-0299-2