Impacts of climate change are now being felt across the European Alps and future scenarios predict even greater changes, which  will include a reduction in snow cover at lower altitudes, receding glaciers and melting permafrost, and changes in temperature and precipitation extremes. These changes have potential implications for critical aspects of Alpine economies, including winter tourism; exposure of human settlements and infrastructure to natural hazards; agriculture and ecosystems; and water resources. Adaptation to these observed and projected impacts is therefore becoming increasingly important – both to limit near and medium term damages and also to avoid decisions that might exacerbate vulnerability to climate changes over the longer term.

The Wengen 2006 workshop took place from October 4-6, 2006, and brought together experts from the climate science, policy, and economics communities together with decision-makers from countries within the Alpine Arc to examine the vulnerability of particular sectors and systems to climate change impacts, and more importantly to assess progress on the formulation and implementation of adaptation responses at local, regional, and national levels. A particular focus was placed on: the role of government and private actors; comparative experiences between the Alpine countries; synergies and conflicts between adaptation responses and other priorities.

Final agenda with links to presentations:

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

Martin Beniston, University of Geneva, Switzerland;
Shardul Agrawala, OECD, Paris, France; 
Chris Hewitt, EU ENSEMBLES Project and Hadley Center, UK Met Office, UK

KEYNOTES
CHAIR: MARC GILLET, ONERC, FRANCE

Climatic Change in the Alps: perspectives and impacts
Martin Beniston
University of Geneva, Switzerland

Adaptation to Climatic Change: economic and policy perspectives
Shardul Agrawala
OECD, Paris, France

THEMATIC SESSION 1A: WINTER TOURISM /NATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
CHAIR: MARC GILLET, ONERC, FRANCE

Climate change and risk appraisal in the Austrian ski industry
Christoph Wolfsegger
University of Lund, Sweden

The Choices of Swiss ski lift companies towards artificial snow cover use: a statistical analysisClimate change and the Swiss winter tourism sector: interpreting current adaptation figures
Camille Gonseth
EPF-Lausanne, Switzerland

Regional economic impacts of climate change on winter tourism in Austria
Nadja Vetters, Franz Prettenthaler
Joanneum Research Center, Graz Institute of Technology and Regional Policy (InTeReg), Austria 

OECD report on adaptation strategies in Alpine ski tourism: a cross country analysis
Bruno Abegg
University of Zurich, Switzerland

  THEMATIC SESSION 1B:
WINTER TOURISM /LOCAL AND PRIVATE SECTOR PERSPECTIVES
CHAIR: ELLEN WIEGANDT, GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF INT’L STUDIES 

Vulnerability and adaptation of winter tourism in Tyrol and Bavaria under conditions of climatic change
Robert Steiger
University of Innsbruck, Austria 

Adaptation in the French Alps : a perspective from the private sector
Éric Guilpart
Compagnie des Alpes, France   

Diversification of tourism as a response to climate change: an example from the department of Isère, France
Gerard Arnaud
Conseil Général de l’Isère, France 

THEMATIC SESSION 1C: WINTER TOURISM / LOOKING FORWARD
CHAIR: GREG GREENWOOD, DECANAT

Active glacier protection in Austria: an adaptation strategy for glacier skiing resorts
Marc Olefs
Center for Natural Hazard Management and University of Innsbruck, Austria 

Adaptation to climate change in winter tourisms across the Alps 
Christian Baumgartner
CIPRA, International Friends of Nature

Climate change in winter sport – a new approach to transdisciplinary research and implementation
Ulrike Pröbstl and Wiebke Unbehaun
University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria

THEMATIC SESSION 2: AGRICULTURE AND ECOSYSTEMS
CHAIR: CHRIS HEWITT, ENSEMBLES PROJECT/HADLEY CENTER

Global change impacts on selected ecosystem goods and services from the European Alps:a simulation study with stakeholder involvement
Harald Bugmann
ETH-Zurich, Switzerland

Changing vegetation patterns at the alpine-nival ecotone – recent results from a GLORIA master site in the central Alps: part I, part II
Michael Gottfried
University of Vienna, Austria

Risks and opportunities for the agriculture of the Alpine region in a changing climate
Pierluigi Calanca
Agrocscope Research Station, Reckenholz-Zurich, Switzerland

THEMATIC SESSION 3A: NATURAL HAZARDS/ SCIENTIFIC BASIS
CHAIR: M. BENISTON, UNIVERSITY OF GENEVA

Anticipating climate-driven geosystem changes in high mountain areas: a case-study in the Upper Engadine, Eastern Swiss Alps: part I, part II
Wilfried Haeberli
University of Zurich, Switzerland

On the incidence of debris flows in the Swiss Alps from the early Little Ice Age to a future greenhouse climate
Markus Stoffel
University of Fribourg, Switzerland

Dealing with climate change impacts on glacier and permafrost hazards as an example for adaptation strategies in mountains
Christian Huggel
University of Zurich, Switzerland

THEMATIC SESSION 3B: NATURAL HAZARDS/ NATIONAL AND LOCAL RESPONSES
CHAIR: MARKUS STOFFEL, UNIVERSITY OF FRIBOURG

Knowledge, uncertainties, and adaptation: Changing cryosphere and changing behaviors in the Val d’Hérens, Switzerland
Ralph Lugon and Ellen Wiegandt
Institut Universitaire Kurt Boesch, Sion, and University of Geneva, Switzerland

Climate Change, Impacts and Adaptation Strategies in the Alpine Space
Jean-Marc Vengeon, Pôle Grenoblois Risques Naturels

Climate change and natural hazards in the Alpine Arc: a cross country analysis
Simon Jetté-Nantel, OECD, Paris, France

Adaptation to climate change in Switzerland’s natural hazards management policies
Hugo Raetzo
Swiss Federal Office of the Environment, Bern, Switzerland

THEMATIC SESSION 3C: NATURAL HAZARDS/ INSURANCE
CHAIR: J.M. VENGEON, Pôle Grenoblois Risques Naturels

Catastrophe insurance in Spain and France: Small differences with important implications
Thomas von Ungern-Sternberg
HEC-Lausanne, Switzerland

Climate change and property insurance in the Alps: perspective from the Swiss public insurers
Martin Kamber
Intercantonal Reinsurance Union, Switzerland

Adapting national risk transfer systems: how much regulation for the insurance markets?
Franz Prettenthaler, Nadja Vetters
Joanneum Research Center, Graz Institute of Technology and Regional Policy (InTeReg), Austria

THEMATIC SESSION 4: WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
CHAIR: M. BENISTON, UNIVERSITY OF GENEVA

Implication of Climate Change for water resources in the Alps: Part I, Part II, Part III
Paolo Burlando
ETH-Zürich, Switzerland

Climate Change impacts on EDF activities and water resources
Clarisse Fil
Electricité de France, France

Water resource management in the Pyrenees under environmental change
Juan Ignacio Lopez Moreno
University of Fribourg, Switzerland and University of Zaragoza, Spain

Impact of climate change on Lake Neusiedl (Austria) and potential adaptation strategies
Herbert Formayer
University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria

Adaptation in the water supply sector of Eastern Styria (Austria)
Iris Oberauner
Joanneum Research Center, Graz, Austria

SPECIAL KEYNOTE

What is wrong with very long-run economic modeling of climate change?
Stefan P. Schleicher
University of Graz, Austria

WRAP-UP SESSION
CHAIR: S. AGRAWALA, OECD

 Marc Gillet, ONERC, France
 Greg Greeenwood, Mountain Research Initiative, Décanat, Switzerland

Closing Remarks
Shardul Agrawala, OECD, Paris, France
Martin Beniston, University of Geneva, Switzerland