Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for Austria's Water Sector

Joint study of the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG)
and the TU Wien

Duration:
2009-2011

Contact Person:
Helmut Kroiss hkroiss@iwag.tuwien.ac.at
Norbert Kreuzinger norbkreu@iwag.tuwien.ac.at

In a team of the departments Meteorology (ZAMG), Hydrology (TU) as well as Water Quality Management (TU) the following topics were dealt with:

    Climate change in Austria - hydrological relevance
    Floods
    Water supply surface water
    Low water - quantity
    Water temperatures in rivers
    Bedload potential of alpine waters and permafrost
    Water supply groundwater - quantity
    Lakes (quantity, temperature, quality)
    Hydropower
    Quality of water bodies
    Use and demand aspects

Short Description

With this project, existing data and research results were collected, assessed and evaluated in a targeted manner. The report briefly and concisely presents the basics derived from climate models and builds in particular on the report of the Austrian Water and Waste Management Association "Impacts of Climate Change on Austrian Water Management", but deals with the concrete strategies to be derived for water management (needs/options for action).

The institute was responsible for the topics quality of water bodies as well as aspects of use and demand and has significantly contributed to the area of lakes.

The thematic processing of the contents can be taken from the summary below. The results are also summarized in a thematic issue 1-2/February 2011 of ÖWAW (Österreichische Wasserwirtschaft - Journal des ÖWAV).