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Objective: The research project investigates the possible impact of global climate change on reproductive health in one Arctic and two European populations. The key questions to be addressed are, firstly, how may climate change influence human exposure to widespread environmental contaminants and, secondly, how may contaminants impact occurrence of reproductive disorders as sensitive indicators of health? To provide affirmative answers to these questions the proposal will as a first step identify and describe mechanisms by which a changing climate may affect the exposure of Arctic and other human populations to contaminants through change in chemical use and emissions, delivery to the arctic ecosystem as well as processing within the arctic physical environment and human food chain. This work relies on modelling of existing data. Secondly, the project will expand the existing knowledge database on human exposure to polybrominated biphenylethers, perfluorinated surfactants and phthalates by analyses of 1000 biobanked serum samples collected in a EU FP5 project. Thirdly, the project will increase the limited knowledge on links between human exposure to contaminants and reproductive health. This work relies on a large existing parent-child-cohort, where a follow-up survey provide new data that are fed into risk assessment. Furthermore we will perform reviews of experimental and epidemiological literature to identify critical reproductive effects and exposure-response data for selected compounds as input to the risk assessment. Finally the project will integrate data on climate induced changes in contaminant mobility and distribution and links between contaminant exposure and reproductive health into a risk evaluation providing insight into possible future risk scenarios related to global climate change. The project draws upon a network of experts in climate modelling and in experimental, epidemiological and risk assessment methodologies and builds upon three established cohorts in Greenland, Poland and Ukraine.
Objective: One of the most dramatic and immediate impacts of climate variation is that on disease, especially the vector-borne diseases that disproportionally affect the poorest people in Africa. Although we can clearly see that, for example, an El Nino event triggers Rift Valley Fever epidemics, we remain poor at understanding why particular areas are vulnerable and how this will change in coming decades, since climate change is likely to cause entirely new global disease distributions. This applies to most vector borne disease. At the same time, we do not know currently the limit of predictability of the specific climate drivers for vector-borne disease using state-of-the-art seasonal forecast models, and how best to use these to produce skilful infection-rate predictions on seasonal timescales. The QWeCI project thus aims to understand at a more fundamental level the climate drivers of the vector-borne diseases of malaria, Rift Valley Fever, and certain tick-borne diseases, which all have major human and livestock health and economic implications in Africa, in order to assist with their short-term management and make projections of their future likely impacts. QWeCI will develop and test the methods and technology required for an integrated decision support framework for health impacts of climate and weather. Uniquely, QWeCl will bring together the best in world integrated weather/climate forecasting systems with heath impacts modelling and climate change research groups in order to build an end-to-end seamless integration of climate and weather information for the quantification and prediction of climate and weather on health impacts in Africa.
Water and water-related services are major components of the human wellbeing, and as such are major factors of socio-economic development in Europe; yet freshwater systems are under threat by a variety of stressors (organic and inorganic pollution, geomorphological alterations, land cover change, water abstraction, invasive species and pathogens. Some stressors, such as water scarcity, can be a stressor on its own because of its structural character, and drive the effects of other stressors. The relevance of water scarcity as a stressor is more important in semi-arid regions, such as the Mediterranean basin, which are characterized by highly variable river flows and the occurrence of low flows. This has resulted in increases in frequency and magnitude of extreme flow events. Furthermore, in other European regions such as eastern Germany, western Poland and England, water demand exceeds water availability and water scarcity has become an important management issue. Water scarcity is most commonly associated with inappropriate water management, with resulting river flow reductions. It has become one of the most important drivers of change in freshwater ecosystems. Conjoint occurrence of a myriad of stressors (chemical, geomorphological, biological) under water scarcity will produce novel and unfamiliar synergies and most likely very pronounced effects. Within this context, GLOBAQUA has assembled a multidisciplinary team of leading scientists in the fields of hydrology, chemistry, ecology, ecotoxicology, economy, sociology, engineering and modeling in order to study the interaction of multiple stressors within the frame of strong pressure on water resources. The aim is to achieve a better understanding how current management practices and policies could be improved by identifying the main drawbacks and alternatives.
Massive economic and population growth and urbanisation are expected to lead to a tripling of anthropogenic emissions in southern West Africa (SWA) between 2000 and 2030, the impacts of which on human health, ecosystems, food security and the regional climate are largely unknown. An assessment of these impacts is complicated by (a) a superposition with effects of global climate change, (b) the strong dependence of SWA on the sensitive West African monsoon, (c) incomplete scientific understanding of interactions between emissions, clouds, radiation, precipitation and regional circulations and (d) by a lack of observations to advance our understanding and improve predictions. The DACCIWA project will conduct extensive fieldwork in SWA to collect high-quality observations, spanning the entire process chain from surface-based natural and anthropogenic emissions to impacts on health, ecosystems and climate. Combining the resulting benchmark dataset with a wide range of modelling activities will allow (a) to assess all relevant physical and chemical processes, (b) to improve the monitoring of climate and compositional parameters from space and (c) to develop the next generation of weather and climate models capable of representing coupled cloud-aerosol interactions, which will ultimately lead to reduced uncertainties in climate predictions. SWA with its rich mix of emissions and diverse clouds is ideal for such a study and many findings and technical developments will be applicable to other monsoon regions. Using a targeted dissemination strategy, DACCIWA will deliver a comprehensive scientific assessment and actively guide sustainable future planning and policy-making for West Africa and beyond. The interdisciplinary and experienced DACCIWA team will build on the scientific and logistical foundations established by AMMA (EU FP6) and collaborate closely with operational centres, international programs (e.g. WCRP, IGBP), policy-makers and users to maximise impact.
WP T3 Effect-directed analysis (EDA) - WP T4 Effect-based tools (EBT) - P T5 Ecological Assessment Tools (EA) - Leitung Task T5.1: Using in situ biomarkers and bioassays in a weight of evidence approach (WOE) for the detection of pollutant mixture effects on individual and population levels - WP C1 Danube River Basin case study - Leitung: Effect based screening. Reliable methods for a harmonized European environmental risk assessment have still to be improved. For this purpose, required regulatory measures by the competent authorities are more difficult, or often impossible. A consistent risk assessment is in need for solutions in the fields of prioritisation of present pollutants, abatement of future emerging toxicants, ecotoxicological data for these substances and tools for further management approaches. The 7th EU RTD Framework Programme project SOLUTIONS (Solutions for present and emerging pollutants in land and water resource management) started recently to address these particular topics with a consortium of 39 partners and under the coordination of the Helmholtz Centre of Environmental Research in Leipzig (Germany). Within the Water Framework Directive (WFD) a huge amount of data on the chemical and ecological status of surface water and ground water were collected and are more and more available. This includes property and emission data of substances liable to registration according to the European Chemical Directive REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals), agricultural plant protection products and pharmaceuticals as well as naturally occurring substances. Furthermore, a large number of effects on water organisms driven by pollutants are proofed due to monitoring activities. The main challenge is the linkage of the occurrence of chemicals with the ecological status of surface waters represented by effects on organism and population level. On the one hand the identification of major stressors in aquatic systems is needed. On the other hand knowledge about the molecular mode of action of these chemicals at the sites of action, level of cells and organs, and resulting impacts for organisms and populations is of elementary importance. For this purpose, world leading groups in trace analysis of emerging contaminants, transformation product identification and prediction, effect-based tools (EBTs; endocrine disruption, mutagenicity, adaptive stress response, in vitro and in vivo models, high-throughput microbial gene profiling, toxicogenomics), effect-directed analysis (EDA), exposure modelling, trait-based approaches and ecological modelling, risk assessment of mixtures, abatement options and science-policy interaction will contribute to this project. These efforts will result in tools which facilitate the necessary management approaches for the protection of European waters in according to the terms of the WFD. (abridged text)
The EU population is increasingly exposed to new physical and chemical agents in the environment, some of which may be detrimental to public health. Of these, electromagnetic fields (EMF) are one of the most ubiquitous, with new EMF technologies and novel applications being actively developed and commercialised. To address pertinent questions on EMF and health, GERoNiMO proposes an integrated approach building upon existing European resources (epidemiological studies, exposure assessment techniques, mechanistic and animal models, expert networks), using, where appropriate, novel methods, to better understand potential mechanisms underlying possible health effects of EMF, to characterise population levels of exposure, and to further the state of knowledge on EMF and health. GERoNiMO will focus on radiofrequency fields (RF) - as understanding of possible health effects is insufficient and a large proportion of the general population is exposed, with commercial applications continuing to grow - and intermediate frequencies (IF) - as applications are increasing and information on potential health effects is sparse. GERoNiMO will address all aspects of the call by meeting the following four main objectives: i) evaluate possible health effects (cognitive and behavioural development, cancer risk, and reproductive effects) of exposure to RF and IF in children and adults; ii) better understand mechanisms of biological effects (behavioural and reproductive effects, cancer, ageing, and Alzheimer's disease) related to RF and IF; iii) collect better data on population exposure and improve health risk assessment for RF and IF; and iv) underpin policy development in Europe on RF and IF (including non-technological means of reducing exposure and best practices in risk communication to support EU policy makers). GERoNiMO represents a unique and timely opportunity for the development of a truly integrated approach to research into EMF and health in Europe.
IMPRESSIONS will provide empirically-grounded, transformative science that quantifies and explains the consequences of high-end climate scenarios for both decision-makers and society. IMPRESSIONS will develop and apply a novel participatory methodology that explicitly deals with uncertainties and strong non-linear changes focussing on high-end climate change, but also including intermediate warming levels. This new methodology will build on the representative concentration pathways (RCPs) and shared socio-economic pathways (SSPs) to create a coherent set of high-end climate and socio-economic scenarios covering multiple scales. These scenarios will be applied to a range of impact, adaptation and vulnerability models that build on theories of complex systems and address tipping elements as key characteristics of such systems. The models will be embedded within an innovative multi-scale integrated assessment approach to improve analysis of cross-scale interactions and cross-sectoral benefits, conflicts and trade-offs. Model results will inform the development of time- and path-dependent transition pathways. These will include mechanisms to foster synergies between adaptation and mitigation and will aim to build resilience in the face of uncertainty. Methods will be applied within five linked multi-sectoral case studies at global, European and regional/local scales. Stakeholders within these case studies will be fully engaged in the research process through a series of in-depth professionally facilitated workshops which maximise their active participation in defining high-end scenarios and adaptation and mitigation pathways, and in analysing the inherent risks and opportunities of new policy strategies. This will build the capacity of stakeholders to understand the risks, opportunities, costs and benefits associated with different adaptation and mitigation pathways under high-end scenarios, and how they might be effectively embedded within decision-making processes.
RECREATE ist ein Forschungsnetzwerk mit dem Zweck, die europäische Forschungspolitik zu unterstützen, indem es ex ante Bewertungen von EU-finanzierter Forschung durchführt. Es sammelt strategische Informationen bezüglich mittel- und langfristiger Forschungs- und Innovationstrends in den Bereichen Klimawandel, Ressourceneffizienz und Rohstoffe. Neben der Untersuchung von Forschungs- und Innovationsprogrammen wird das Projekt auch Politik-, Technologie- und Marktentwicklungen analysieren. Im Fokus der Analyse stehen dabei Länder der EU und relevante Drittstaaten. RECREATE tritt mit dem Ziel an, Fragmentierungen in der EU-Forschungslandschaft zu überwinden. Das bedeutet konkret, dass RECREATE eine Forschungsagenda für das neue EU-Rahmenprogramm für Forschung und Innovation 'Horizon 2020' formuliert, die den Herausforderungen der Ressourceneffizienz und des Klimawandels sowie die einer nachhaltigen Rohstoff-Versorgung unter Beachtung der planetarischen Leitplanken gerecht wird. RECREATE untersucht dabei insbesondere Synergien und Zielkonflikte von Forschungsprogrammen. RECREATE ist entlang der folgenden Aufgaben organisiert: 1. Entwicklung, Einführung und Pflege eines Netzwerks von relevanten Akteuren aus Industrie, Wissenschaft und Politik zur Unterstützung von Forschung und Innovation 2. Entwicklung und Abbildung von Kennzahlen sowie einer Scoreboard-Struktur zur Folgenabschätzung ausgewählter Forschungs- und Innovations-Kooperationen in ökologischer und sozioökonomischer Hinsicht 3. Sammlung von strategischen mittel- und langfristigen Forschungs- und Innovationstrends sowie Analyse von Technologie- und Politik-Trends als Basis für zukunftsorientierte Forschung 4. Erstellung quantitativer und qualitativer Kurzberichte zu Forschungs- und Innovations-Trends und strategischen Optionen für relevante Akteure in Forschung und Politik der EU. RECREATE beginnt im Juli 2013 und ist eine fünfjährige Koordinierungs- und Unterstützungsmaßnahme, die durch die Europäische Kommission finanziert wird. Es besteht aus einem Verbund von 15 Projektpartnern, die jeweils Hauptakteure in den Bereichen Klimawandel, Ressourceneffizienz und Rohstoffe sind. Das Wuppertal Institut wird das Arbeitspaket zu Indikatoren für Folgenabschätzungen leiten und ist darüber hinaus in die anderen Arbeitspakete involviert.
Although there is a large body of knowledge available on soil threats in Europe, this knowledge is fragmented and incomplete, in particular regarding the complexity and functioning of soil systems and their interaction with human activities. The main aim of RECARE is to develop effective prevention, remediation and restoration measures using an innovative trans-disciplinary approach, actively integrating and advancing knowledge of stakeholders and scientists in 17 Case Studies, covering a range of soil threats in different bio-physical and socio-economic environments across Europe. Within these Case Study sites, i) the current state of degradation and conservation will be assessed using a new methodology, based on the WOCAT mapping procedure, ii) impacts of degradation and conservation on soil functions and ecosystem services will be quantified in a harmonized, spatially explicit way, accounting for costs and benefits, and possible trade-offs, iii) prevention, remediation and restoration measures selected and implemented by stakeholders in a participatory process will be evaluated regarding efficacy, and iv) the applicability and impact of these measures at the European level will be assessed using a new integrated bio-physical and socio-economic model, accounting for land use dynamics as a result of for instance economic development and policies. Existing national and EU policies will be reviewed and compared to identify potential incoherence, contradictions and synergies. Policy messages will be formulated based on the Case Study results and their integration at European level. A comprehensive dissemination and communication strategy, including the development of a web-based Dissemination and Communication Hub, will accompany the other activities to ensure that project results are disseminated to a variety of stakeholders at the right time and in the appropriate formats to stimulate renewed care for European soils.
The objective of INAPRO is to mobilise industry, member states and stakeholders to promote a new and innovative technical and technological approach right up to an Aquaponic system which allows a nearly emission free sustainable production and contributes remarkably to global food security for the 21st century. Considering that traditional Aquaponic systems, combining aquaculture and hydroponics, have a great potential in saving water and energy and recovering nutrients from wastewater by value chains, the project aims at a real breakthrough for these systems towards commercialization. This will be achieved by a) the model based optimisation of the system concept in respect to water consumption and quality, environmental impact, waste avoidance, CO2 release and nutrient recycling, energy efficiency, management efforts and finally costs and b) the integration of new technologies containing cutting edge approaches such as: 1) innovative one-way water supply for horticulture and water retrieval by condensation, 2) alternative water and energy sources, 3) optimized filter systems, 4) intelligent sensor and management network for an optimized system construction and operation. The viability of INAPRO systems will be proved in concept-based demonstration projects both in rural and in urban areas that offer a potential economic advantage while simultaneously reducing water and carbon footprint. The dissemination activities (to policy, public and end-users) will open new market opportunities and improve market access inside and outside Europe for producers and technology suppliers. These ambitions meet perfectly with the EU strategies under Europe 2020 to face the challenges of dramatic water resource developments in Europe and worldwide. The project supports particularly the Innovation Union with the EIP Water as one key initiative and further the Common Agricultural Policy and will consequently be closely connected to an EIP Action Group in agricultural water management.
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