Climate Change in the Basque Country

Information that Basque students shared with partner
school Holy Trinity, Cookstown.
The Irish students have been learning about the Basque
Country to represent us at an Eco-Schools summit to
be held at Stormont on 14thFebruary 2013.
Good luck!
Zorte On!

INTRODUCTION
Aniturri BHI is located in the
Basque province of Araba. The
Basque Country comprises the
Basque Autonomous Community
and Navarre in Spain and the
western part of the French
départament of Pyrénées
Atlantiques. One nation within
two states and three
administrations.

Author: eitb infography
PREDICTIONS
Basque Country data
Jon Saenz Aguirre
He says that there is not a lot of information
abourt the level of impacts in the Basque
Autonomous Community, but at least, it is clear
that the scenaries which have high
concentration of CO2 will increase their
temperature (like the A2 zone), comparing
with the scenaries of less CO2 concentration
(like A1 zone). (Slide 5)
We know as well that the area near the coast
won’t be so affected as the inner area.
Furthermore, we know that there will be a
temperature increase of one or two degrees in
winter, compared with the current average..
However, rainfalls will not change much.

The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change) makes medium
and long term impact predictions
The Basque Centre for Climate Change is called bc3. It contributes with data and
research on scientific, technical and socio-economic aspects of climate change.

The areas of research where BC3 is developing
research capabilities fall broadly into the following
groups:
ADAPTATION TO AND THE IMPACTS OF
CLIMATE CHANGE
Health and human related: understanding the
impacts of climate change in terms of health and
how best to adapt to them.
Agriculture and eco-system related:
understanding the impacts of climate change on
agriculture and forests and how best to respond to
them
Water related: understanding the implications of
climate change for the availability and use of water
resources and what changes in water management
will be necessary in the future.
Infrastructure-related: analysis of how climate
change requires changes in the design of
infrastructure and in the planning of long-term
investments.
The bc3 is a Research Centre
based in the Basque Country
which aims to contribute to
long term research on
the causes and consequences
of climate change in order to
foster the creation of
knowledge in this
multidisciplinary science.
The BC3 seeks to prepare a
highly-qualified team of
researchers with the primary
objective of achieving
excellence in research, training
and dissemination.
Source:
http://www.bc3research.org

MEASURES TO MITIGATE CLIMATE
CHANGE
 Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
and measures to sequester carbon:
modelling the inter linkages between the
economic and climate sub-systems to
better understand how the economy will
be affected by climate change; measures to
control greenhouse gases that are
responsible for climate change. Design of
instruments to reduce greenhouse gases
at the regional, national and global levels.
 Policies to promote carbon-free
technology: the role of technology in
reducing greenhouse gases and what
polices will be needed to best promote the
right kinds of technologies.
 Uncertainty and climate policy: how
best to design policies to address climate
change in the face of huge uncertainties
and the long time periods over which
climate change will impact the economy,
ecology and society.
INTERNATIONAL DIMENSIONS OF CLIMATE
POLICY
 International and regional agreements on
climate action: understanding how
international agreements related to climate
control are arrived at and what constitutes a
stable and effective agreement. Climate policy
and development policy: finding synergies
and conflicts between the goals of climate
mitigation and development.
DEVELOPING AND SUPPORTING RESEARCH
THAT INFORMS CLIMATE POLICY IN THE
BASQUE COUNTRY
 The aim is to act as the benchmark centre for
research on all aspects of climate policy in the
Basque Country, drawing on the substantial
research that is ongoing in the universities
and other research centres of the region.
 Issues to be addressed will include more
precise assessment of impacts, design of
optimal adaptation strategies, policies for
mitigation, better measurement of emissions
from land use and policies to improve
IPCC/GHG inventories for agriculture and
land use methodologies in the Basque
Country through comparison with other
countries (e.g. UK).

BC3 Network and International Projects
 The BC3 operates under the philosophy
that effective research in this area can
only be conducted in collaboration with
other research groups. It is imperative
therefore to be part of a network and
to collaborate actively with those
members of the climate research
network who are undertaking
complementary research.
 The main objective of this networking is
to promote the cooperation on climate
change and motivate shared
projects. The cooperation in the BC3
Network will mainly be based on:
 The exchange of researchers.
 The exchange of Ph. D. students.
 The conducting of shared research
projects.
 The transference of the best practices.
 The cooperation and participation in
conferences and seminars.
AGREEMENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF THE BASQUE
COUNTRY:
 The creation of the Basic and Excellence Research
Centres (BERC) exemplifies a move to combine the
increasingly high standards of scientific research in
the Basque Country with the attraction of high level
talents. BC3 will provide the University of the Basque
Country with high level researchers and also will
develop ways to promote their careers. There will be a
two-way research interaction to reinforce the Basque
university system. BC3 will also conduct joint
research projects with the University of the Basque
Country to increase research capabilities in the
Basque Country.
AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER RESEARCH CENTRES:
 The BC3 will lead the integration of various agents
currently active in the field of climate change in the
Basque Country. The BC3 will be an active, dynamic
part of the Basque Science, Technology and
Innovation Network, promoting and collaborating in
research projects with the different members of the
network.
 BC3 will also promote agreements with other
international research centres. The current network
will be reinforced to guarantee the continuation of
collaboration. To date the following agreement has
been reached:

ANGEL BORJA
Fundamentally, the first influence
climate change will produce is the
increase of the temperature. In the
last 30 years the temperature of the
sea’s water has increased.
The second influence is the increase
of the level of the sea. During the
last 60 years the level of the sea has
increased 10-15 centimeters. In the
Bay of Biscay.
As a result, a change of the
inhabitants and species may
happen.

Climate change could produce
a manifestation of several
impacts on natural, social and
economic systems.
The consequences on the
population depend on where
the people live. The highest
effects would appear in poor
countries, where the
agriculture would be
seriously affected and it
would generate a decline of
food production.
Likewise, global warming
would have consequences on
the population of places that
would be affected by external
weather effects. So there may
be cases in which the
population has more
possibilities of suffering bad
weather and therefore, it may
produce social problems like
the migration from Africa to
Europe.

Expected impacts of
climate change in
the Basque Country
SOURCE: ENCORE
Climate change, according to the first results of
available models, results, in the Basque Country,
in a raining estimated reduction of between 15
and 20% per year, with increases in winter and
decreases in summer. Extreme maximum
temperatures for the end of the century can raise
between 1.5 C and 3.5 C; and extreme minimum
ones between 1 C and 3 C. This thermal increase
causes a higher evapotranspiration and a higher
risk for forest fires.
Increase in sea level and waves force is
significant, since it shall cause a backward
movement of coastline in beach areas of between
11 and 13 m about the middle of XXI century and
the risk of flood in estuaries.
Priority performances have been identified
according to expected impacts in natural and
economic systems, human health and
performance capacity. Although impacts are not
well known and started researches must be
expanded, also for the development of scenes
adapted to the Basque Country dimensions,
economic cost-effectiveness to undertake early
performances becomes evident.

Physical consequences
 Two of the main climate variables which shall be
affected because of climate change are temperature
and rainfall. Regarding the last one, both global and
specific models suggest a decrease of rainfall in the
southern region. These models also foresee a yearly
reduction in rainfall, particularly during summer
months, which in the case of the Basque Country is
estimated between 15 and 20%.
 The change in distribution of rainfall through the
year does not show a clear behaviour pattern, which
indicates a quite low reliability of projections, which
suggest a increase of it for winter months
(December to February) estimated between a 5 and
20% and a decrease for summer months (June to
August) estimated between a 30 and 50%. The main
pluviometric change might be more conditioned by
the seasonal distribution of rains (with a higher
space and temporal heterogeneity) than by the very
percent diminution in absolute values.
 Regarding temperatures, projections for XXI
century show an increase of average temperature
up to 5–7°C in summer and 3–4°C in winter, which
in coast are reduced in 2°C. Predictably, the number
of days with extreme maximum temperatures shall
increase, and the ones with extreme minimum
temperatures shall decrease. In the specific case of
the Basque Country, for the last third of XXI century
a 1.5°C increase of extreme maximum temperatures
in coastline and 3.5°C in the rest of territory is
expected. With regard to extreme minimum
temperatures (as monthly averages) a increase
between 1 and 1.5°C is estimated in the coastline,
between 2 and 2.5°C in the rest of the Atlantic basin
and middle area and between 2.5 and 3°C in the
southern region of the Basque Country. Seasonally,
the extreme maximum values present differences
between the different climate regions of the Basque
Country. These values are shown in the following
chart.
SOURCE: ENCORE
WINTER SUMMER
1.5-2º C 4.5-5.5º C
2-2.5º C 5.5-7º C
Bardeak in Navarrre
photo: eitb infography

Donostia (San Sebastian)
 One of the most significant problems
derived from climate change to face in the
Basque Country is the increase of the sea
level and the energy of the swell (higher
waves and longer storms) together with a
change of its direction (2° to the west). The
most exhaustive report in state referring to
affection to the coast estimates an increase
of sea level of 0.4 cm/year, which would
mean an increase of about 40 cm at the end
of XXI century. This increase in sea level
shall cause the 11–13 m backward
movement of coastline in beach areas about
the middle of XXI century, changes in
coastal morphology and loss of stability and
rebasing of works and coastal
infrastructures (worthwhile with an
increase of their area between 6 and 20%).
In the estuaries, as well as a potential space
or temporary regime more irregular, the
main danger is the flood risk of coast
human settlements (urban, agricultural and
industrial) and particularly in estuaries of
big cities like Bilbao and Donostia.
Pasaia, Gipuzkoa
The increase of sea level
SOURCE: ENCORE

Impacts on natural,
social and economic
systems
 The Basque Country has a protecting measure in
the 22.7% of its territory. However, as a result of
climate change, changes in animal and vegetable
communities are expected, including an advance or
delay in migration or reproduction periods,
hormonal changes, changes in the distribution of
continental and sea species (in the case of some sea
species changes in latitude and depth have been
stated), modification of productivity, modifications
in invading and parasitic species, increase of
vulnerability or population changes (increase or
decrease of number of individuals depending on
the considered specie). Vulnerability is the
maximum for endemic and especially interesting
species (amphibian and reptiles). Moreover, the
possible loss of organic carbon of ground would
reduce its fertility for tree species and brushes.
Giant trees in Munain, Araba: 608 trees of over a metre
in diameter and between 500 and 800 years old. These trees have been
studied both from a dasymetric and associated biodiversity point of view
An Oak tour around Agurain

In the north of the Basque Country, pollard beeches are so common that people
believe that pollard beeches and wild beeches constitute two different species.
Nevertheless, they are actually two ways of handling a single species.
Other trees like ash trees, chestnut trees and several species of oak trees have also
been pollarded, but as there aren't many oaks in the Basque Country, they don’t
have so much relevance on the landscape.
In the province of Araba, there exists a special abundance of pollard oaks, especially
in the towns of Munain and Okariz in the municipal district of San Millan.
The giant oaks of Munain and Okariz are located on the mountainsides of the
Entzia Range. It is made up of some 608 trees of over a meter in diameter (some are
4-5 meter), an average of 428 perimeter and between 500 and 800 years old. There
could have been more trees, but for a time, people didn't know that those trees were
very important and they cut them for firewood. These trees have been studied both
from a dasymetric and associated biodiversity point of view, and the results have
been surprising.
Researchers put in the oaks containers full of water and salt to know what type of
insects there were in the area. The containers attracted more animals than
expected, like cows, which caused inconveniences. Finally, they discovered a total of
103 beetle species, among which, two of these (Lucanus Cervus and Rosalia Alpina)
are a priority in European policies.
Nowadays, although the nearest oaks have been fenced in, the most beautiful and
spectacular trees are outside the enclose. These outstanding trees are in the forest
and they are better than those that are together. In spite of the fact that they
haven't fenced all of them together, some residents of Munain are a bit disgusted.
A worth mentioning fact could be that the British Royal gardener visited the oaks
in Munain. He hugged an oak and he cried.
Munain

Impacts on natural,
social and economic
systems
 Water resources have a limited storing capacity (about
60 Hm³) and are very conditioned by rainfall, so a more
heterogeneous distribution of rainfall shall cause a
higher variability, resulting in temporary situations of
water shortage, which, however, might be solved by
means of a suitable management system.
 In primary sector, the 390,000 Ha exploitation of tree
forest surface (54% of the Basque Country total surface)
shall have its productive period changed (deciduous leaf
species shall be benefited against perennial ones), an
aspect which can cause some species not to be
profitable and be replaced with imports. Also, a greater
difficulty to overcome the summer drought stages has
been predicted. This change in productivity can be also
applied to ranching sector (likely to be affected in a
higher extend by parasitic illnesses) and to the 242,000
hectares devoted to agriculture (it shall particularly
benefit corn and beetroot cultivations and damage
cereal cultivations), which can has the duration of
harvest reduced and sowing and harvest times modified.
Araia, Araba
Gaubea, Araba
Cereal
Oceanic or transitional climate
SOURCE: ENCORE

Impacts on natural,
social and economic
systems
 In the tourist sector, a change in the demand and an
intensification of the interseasonal tourism is expected. It is
conditioned by affections likely to be suffered from by the
different settlements and coastal infrastructures (35 beaches in
the Basque Country) which might result in changes in geographic
and tourist space.
 Referring to human health, an increase of morbid mortality and of
acute respiratory episodes, especially allergies, is expected. These
episodes shall intensify as a result of extension of pollination
period and the number of hot and dry days which promote
environmental charge (southern region being the most affected),
which shall mainly affect the sensitive population, like children
and old people (in 2020 the 25% of population shall be older than
65). Changes in infectious illnesses passed on by mosquitoes and
ticks, and an alteration of comfort and wellbeing conditions are
expected. Finally, as a result of the increase of temperature,
tropospheric ozone concentration shall also increase, especially
during summer, with the subsequent worsening of air quality.
This situation shall intensify in anticyclone situations in which
high temperatures, scarce cloud coating and not much air
predominate (situations which, predictably, due to climate
change, shall happen more frequently).
 Finally, in transport (15 harbours in constant expansion and
reconversion of activities as well as two large sea ports), energy
(468 km electrical network, 3,700 km gas distribution, 103 water
power stations), town planning/building and services sectors
(252 km of coast and 700 km of rivers with different distributions
of urban settlements), the main impact is the increase of danger
associated to weather phenomena and the increase of risk
associated to structural integrity of different infrastructures,
increasing the vulnerability of financial sector and insurers. The
changes in the energy demand and in the supply sources
(promotion of renewable ones) or the changes in the habitability
conditions of the buildings are other expected impacts.
Bermeo, Bizkaia
Wind farm in
Langraitz, Araba
SOURCE: ENCORE

• Spanish version of
the video
Author: AZTITV
• Basque version of
the video
Author: AZTITV
Climate change and the increasing level of the sea are global
problems that we are all facing. The aim of this science project is to
study the causes and the consequences of this rise. According to
studies of tide gauges, since 1950, the average of the sea level has
risen 1,8mm per year.
According to the report of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) written on 2007, the impact on the costal area could
worsen in the following years 18 or 19cm. The uncertainty of
estimates comes from different places and scenes that make
increase the greenhouse effect. Some estimates can be false about
the cost of the Basque country because the level of the see is usually
variable.

WHY DOES SEE LEVEL RISE?
2 FACTORS
TERMIC EXPANSION MELTING
The video:
Anil Markandya (scientific Director of the BC3) says that depending on the area, problems can be bigger like
floods, damage to agriculture, in ecosystems… These two factors are consequences of the global warming.
According to Ainhoa Caballero (AZTI-Tecnalia’s oceanographer), the thermal expansion will produce more
damages than the melting.
Anil Markandya says that in many cases they have to protect the coastal areas, but they have to look at the entire
coast line to know what actions they are going to take in each area.
Urdaibai is the only biosphere reserve in the north of the Spain and the first protected natural area in the Basque
Country. Its objective is to be a resting area for the birds which migrate between Africa and Europe. There are 318
types of vertebrates.
Javier Franco, an “AZTI-tecnalia” ecologist, says that Urdaibai experimented changes those years because people
used this area for agriculture and ranching. But the following years those lands were abandoned and they recovered
in a natural way.
Angel Borja says that the increase of the sea level won’t affect this area because it has the ability to adapt. But the
temperature will affect the area. Species that lived in the Basque Country are now in the south and species that lived
in the south are in the coast of the Basque Country.
Studies demonstrate since 1943 the sea level in the north has increased 2,1mm per year whereas the global level
has increased 1,8mm per year. In 50 years the sea will have increased 10cm.
Since 1954 they have studied the coast and they have seen that in the coast of Gipuzkoa the beach size has been
reduced.
The sea level has increased from 1,8mm to 3mm per year. This increase will be bigger in this century.

A report undertaken by the AZTI-Tecnalia technological centre in cooperation with
researchers from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Tecnalia
Research & Innovation and IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), is synthesised existing
information on climate change observed in and forecast for the Basque Country
and the southeast of the Bay of Biscay, in order to better predict the impact of
future changes along the coast and in the marine environment. The report, falling
within the remit of the Basque Government-financed K-Egokitzen project, points
to a gradual increase in the air and water temperatures and in the sea level, as well
as to an intensification of strong episodes of precipitation and heat waves. The
study was published recently by the Climate Research journal, a publication of
international reference in climate matters. READ more Source: AZTI

Eguraldia24
Effects on the sea
An interview to Guillem Chust
Source: AZTITV
Climate change will produce
an increase of the sea water
level of between 30-50 cm,
due to the increase of the
temperature of the sea water
and the air, and also
alterations in precipitation.
Guillem Chust (Azti Tecnalia)
• The sea level will rise more
than 1 km² in Gipuzkoa. In
this province, 30% of the
urban areas are going to be
the most damaged zones.
• One of the most susceptible
elements are the beaches.
They are going to widen
between the 25- 40%.
• The increase of the sea level
will be caused by heating of
the sea water, and if this
takes place, the sea can
expand.
The second factor belonging
to the climate change is the
melting of the glaciers and
the continental ice. To
resolve this problem, we may
strengthen the dikes.
Furthermore, we shouldn’t
build more near the beaches
and the marshlands.
The consequence of this matter is that the
biodiversity and vegetation will disappear. The
immigration of the fowls is going to be harden
because of the changes of natural means, the
topography and the things that are done by
humans (artificial matters).

Alterations in marine flora of Basque coast due to climate change evident
VideoResearch undertaken by the University of the
Basque Country (UPV/EHU) team shows an
increase in 1º C in the sea temperature over
the past 30 years. The temperature of the
water in the Eastern Cantabrian Sea (Bay of
Biscay) has risen by 0.24 ºC each decade
since the eighties, an increase that rises to
0.33º C in summer. That is to say, over the
past 30 years the temperature of the water
has risen by almost 1º C above the summer
average, which, together with other factors
arising from climate change, is causing
significant changes in marine vegetation.
This is the conclusion of the research study,
'Seaweed assemblage changes in Eastern
Cantabrian Sea and their potential
relationship to climate change', undertaken
on Marine Benthos by the UPV/EHU. The
research was published in Estuarine, Coastal
and Shelf Science, a multidisciplinary
international journal for the study of
physical, chemical and distribution processes
of species in the marine areas of the coast,
estuary and continental platform.
SOURCE: Basque Research READ
more
In Basque language
The principal theme of the UPV marine research team are
aspects about the influence of the pollution on marine
vegetation. In this decade they have been studying how climate
influences the change on vegetation.
Bizkaia is the place that they chose to do their submarine
experiments. They want to explain why there are less red
seaweeds. They put an immerse surface to check the changes of
the dark red colour of the plants.
This decade they have seen that the plants have taken a
yellowish colour and the seaweed has lost covering. This plant
makes marine meadows in some places they have checked an
important set-back. The key is the cantatrice coast because the
life of most seaweed can have important consequences there.
They investigate it to find the causes of the possible factors. That
causes could be the increase of the water level. They have
compared 1980 summer with the one in 2010.

KOSTASYSTEM
The sustainable management of the coastal
erosion problem needs information over a wide
range of spatial scales (centimeters to
kilometers) and time periods (seconds to years)
to characterize the coastal dynamics. Recently,
the analyses of coastal environments using video
images have proven to be an efficient
methodology (autonomous and low cost),
offering clear advantages over traditional
methods (topography and bathymetry).
The “KOSTASystem” project, a littoral monitoring
system, comes as a result of a collaboration
between AZTI-Tecnalia and LaSAGeC (Anglet,
Université de Pau et Pays de l’Adour, France). The
two institutes, one in the Basque Country and the
other in Aquitaine, agreed on the necessity of
dealing with the problem of littoral management
in a coordinated way, because of the
interdependency of the two frontier coastal
systems. Out of the technological developments
comes the KOSTASystem,.
SOURCE: KOSTASYSTEM
There are four station running:
In Mundaka
In Bakio
In Zarautz
In Zumaia
0 KOSTASYSTEM video
High-precision cartography of sea
beds of Bilbao and Donostia
Photo: AZTI-Tecnalia

KOSTASYSTEM
Pedro Liria, one of the members of AZTI-tecnalia, says that Kostasystem consists of
taking pictures of a known shore part with some cameras installed in different parts
of the coast to show the changes of the beach and sand banks. He also says that it can
be used to create maps of the beaches and maps with the location of every single
person on the beach.
Koldo Larazabal, the coordinator of the Red Cross, says that they use this system to
see the changes of the bulk flows of water near the shore to provide better services.
Pedro Liria says that the system can be used to show live information about the
world-famous Mundaka left wave. They can see its height and length and can tell the
information to the surfers. He also says that they have a new station in Tenerife
because they want to recover an area of the shore which was damaged and they want
to use this system to provide information about the waves to the surfers and the
workers who have to rebuild that part of the coast.
An image of the first camera in Zarautz.
Photo: AZTI-Tecnalia

MUNDAKA
Consequences of estuarine sand dredging and dumping on the Urdaibai Reserve
of the Biosphere (Bay of Biscay): the case of the “ Mundaka left wave”

THE CASE OF MUNDAKA LEFT WAVE
Authors: M. MONGE-GANUZAS, A. CEARRETA, E. IRIARTE
ABSTRACT
In the spring of 2003, 240,000 m3 of sand were dredged from the main channel
of the lower Oka estuary (Urdaibai Reserve of the Biosphere) and dumped on the
southern area of Laida beach located at the estuary mouth. After few months,
strong erosion of the deposited sediments occured as a consequence of the
northwards migration of the final meander of the main estuarine channel before
it reached the estuary inlet. At the same time, the estuarine inlet abandoned its
original position near the rocky western margin and migrated eastwards cutting
and eroding the sandy ebb delta (Mundaka sand bar). This caused a change in
the way the incident wave broke as it reached the shallow water of the ebb tidal
delta and beach and made surfing impossible under the same optimal conditions
previously enjoyed due to the production of a wave that gradually broke from
right to left as it reached shallow water, the so called “ Mundaka left wave” . As a
consequence, the Billabong Pro surf championship was cancelled in 2005. This
paper describes the results obtained during a study of the outer estuary carried
out during the period May 2005-April 2006 to characterize the processes
operating on the most dynamic area of the estuary throughout the year and to
evaluate the influence that the anthropogenic activities in the estuary had on the
wave characteristics. No corrective measures were taken in the outer estuary
during the study period and the environment recovered its normal
morphological features naturally. This natural restoration it is hoped will be
more stable, long lasting and reliable to ensure the continuing future of the
“ Mundaka left wave” .

MUNDAKA WAVE
The return of a wave called Mundaka,
the best European left hand wave?
The movie produced by the locals Aritz
Aranburu and the Acero brothers makes
justice to the surf potential of Mundaka.
Among the surfing community, Mundaka,
which is between San Sebastian and
Bilbao, is worldwide famous for its left
hand powerful waves.
Mundaka used to be a regular stage on the
World Surfing Championship Tour and it is
an icon and reference surfing spot in the
Basque Country and Spain. It is a left-hand
wave that breaks due to a sandbar formed
along the river mouth.
The video was released in black and white
to remind us of the past when the wave
almost disappeared. It is said that the
cause was the drainage of a channel at a
shipyard four kilometers from Mundaka.
The sandbank located on the mouth of the
river was seriously damaged. As a result, it
killed the wave. Fortunately, this sandbank
started to form again, and so did the
waves you can see in this video.
We met Aritz Aranburu on our trip
to Germany (Comenius 2010)

Effects on economics
Tempranillo, viura (Macabeo) and garnacha (grenache) grapes
 Some winemakers are actually rejoicing in the
higher temperatures of recent years. “Some of the
most expensive wines in Spain come from the
Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa regions,” Pancho
Campo, founder and president of the Wine
Academy of Spain, says. “They are getting almost
perfect ripeness every year now for Tempranillo.
This makes the winemakers say, ‘Who cares about
climate change? We are getting perfect vintages.’
The same thing has happened in Bordeaux. It is
very difficult to tell someone, ‘This is only going to
be the case for another few years.’”
 The irony is, the wine business is better situated
than most to adapt to global warming. Many of
the people in the industry followed in their
parents’ footsteps and hope to pass the business
on to their kids and grandkids someday. This
should lead them to think further ahead than the
average corporation, with its obsessive focus on
this quarter’s financial results.
Source: What Climate Change Means for Wine
Industry
0 INTRODUCTION about
Basque wines Source: about.com
0 Tempranillo wine
Source: Basque Research
0 Rioja and global
warming Source: Insiderioja

tempranillo
The Alaves Rioja is located in the southern tip of the
Basque Country. The Basque Country influenced and
even promoted wine production throughout the ages,
because religious orders located there promoted the
art of wine-making. The primary varieties used in red
wines of the area are Tempranillo and Graciano,
According to University of Navarra researchers,
climate change may alter the composition of the
Tempranillo grape. Ms Salazar says that the increase
in CO2 in the atmosphere could have positive effects
on the vine and combat the negative ones: increases
in temperature and drought. The increase in CO2 and
higher temperatures and water stress shortens the
maturing times for the fruit.
The rise in temperature possibly affects the quality of
the grapes and that can influence the pH of the wine.
Another effect of water stress is oxidative damage.
Peaches
The climate change doesn’t affect only to the grape
production, it affects to other fruits like peaches. The
University of Navarra is studying how to adapt plants
to the climate change.

What is STOP CO2 Euskadi?
DEFINITION
OBJECTIVES
WHO IS INVOLVED
KNOW AND ACT News
0 Ecodesign Centre outstanding project
0 30 ecodesign projects
0 Eco-efficiency programmes investments of
12 million euros in its first year
0 French and German governments outline
efficiency of Basque companies
0 Over 400 Basque companies are becoming
more competitive through eco-efficient
actions
0 The Gamesa eco-designed wind turbine,
finalist of the Muy Interesante Innovation
Award

SOLUTIONS
In 2006, The Basque Country set up the Climate
Change Office and a plan in line with the
Environmental Framework programme 2007-
2010 following the Kyoto Protocol.
In 2009, the Basque Country expressed their
intention to lead a new development model - a
transversal and integrating pillar of the political
action of the Basque Government, gathered in the
EcoEuskadi 2020 instrument.
EcoEuskadi 2020 is a transversal tool designed
to articulate public actions towards the project of
a country that is economically competitive,
innovative and eco-efficient, social united and
jointly responsible, committed to the quality of
the assets and resources of its natural heritage.
In 2011, the Basque Government approved
the first Sustainable Development Strategy, called
EcoEuskadi 2020. This milestone has positioned
the Basque Country among Europe’s most cutting-
edge regions in the field of sustainability.
EcoEuskadi 2020 is economy, it is ecology and it is
the echo of the voice of society as a whole. It will
henceforth be the relevant instrument to prepare
all public policies. It is a common project
constructed by and for Basque citizens.
This plan aims to increase the employment level
of people between 20 and 64 to 75%, achieve
3% investment in research, development and
innovation; reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
20%; reduce the school dropout rate to under 10%
(13% now) and the number of people living under
the poverty threshold to under 15%.
Source: Infography: eitb 02 Basque Country
EcoEuskadi 2020
Society has to contribute to a more sustainable global future and cannot stay
out of the fight against climate change. There is not another way. For these
reason, the Basque Country has made a policy based in two strategic points.
First, to fight against climate change and get ready to face its consequences.
Secondly, to promote the culture of innovation that allows us to make progress
towards a sustainable Basque economy. The Basque plan to fight against the
climate change has some performances to reduce and adapt to it. There are 120
concrete immeasurable actions which will be carried out. The Basque Country is
already answering the United Nations call to put words into actions because the
Basque Country has already started taking action against the climate change.
Esther Larrañaga, Former Consellor of Environment and Regional Planning of
the Basque Country
Former

Source: Infography: eitb 02 Basque Country

ecoeuskadi2020
Strategies towards
Sustainable Development.
School contribution.
Our school took part in
the process in 2011

IHOBE
About Ihobe
13 Predictions for 2013
Areas of action: Climate
Change
The Basque Government
in action
Video: frenar el cambio clímatico
es cosa de todos y todas.
 Source: INHOBE25urte Madariaga Dorretxea

IHOBE
Ihobe is a public corporation whose aim is to support
the Basque Government Department for
Environment and Spatial Policy in developing
its environmental policy and in spreading the culture
of environmental sustainability in the Autonomous
Community of the Basque Country.
Also, Ihobe is the owner of Laboratorio Oleaz (Oleaz
Laboratory), located in Zamudio, which carries out
the analytic and administrative control of the oil used
in the BAC, and in the Madariaga Tower, the Euskadi
Biodiversity Centre in Busturia.
Ihobe is a public society that works in the field of
environmental protection and management. From its
original role as a promoter of environmental
infrastructures it has grown into a fundamental
player in the Basque Government Department of
Environment and Spatial Policy Planning:
The organization responsible for implementing
environmental policy, in co-ordination with the
various directorates answerable to the Vice-ministry
of the Environment. Ihobe is a well-established
organization, and as such it is trying new ideas and
projects capable of catching the interest of people in
and outside the society.
Challenge for 2020:
Ihobe set the challenge to become a valuable team
that can provide innovative ideas for the new
transformation model of the Basque Autonomous
Community, EcoEuskadi 2020.
Mission:
Supporting the Ministry of Environment, Land Use
Planning, Agriculture and Fishing of the Basque
Government in enabling the environmental policy
and in spreading the green sustainability culture
within the Basque Autonomous Community.

IHOBE
For that purpose:
They encourage the production and
spreading of environmental knowledge.
They co-operate with companies, public
authorities and citizens.
They contribute and participate actively
in improving the environment.
Sharing their knowledge and their
resources
Striving for excellence and social
responsibility
View:
Ihobe should be able in 2012 to appear as:
An efficient partner and acknowledged
consultant of the Ministry, that uses its
experience to give solutions and services in
order to fulfil the environmental aims of the
Basque Autonomous Community.
A proponent of the environmental
knowledge, encouraging its production and
its spreading.
Values:
Credibility and involvement
Effective management and teamwork
Spreading faith in change
From our environment and to our environmet

ARTICLES
When we talk about climate change,
we must refer to a specific location,
and I think that each community has
to become involved, because climate
change impacts are specific for each
place. Therefore, if we are talking
about the Basque Country, it is
absolutely essential that we calculate
the specific impacts of climate change
there, which can only be addressed
by that community," said Rajendra
Pachauri, Chairman of the IPCC and
winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
2007, in an interview for ETB (public
Basque television).
Read more
Public Service Review reports on
the Basque Country's commitment
to fighting climate change, and the
planning and management
processes in place
Online article

bc3
ENCORE
Public Service Review
eitb eitb
CREDITS
Lifetrasmocho An Oak tour
AZTI
Basque Research
Stop CO2 Euskadi
Urdaibai
Grainy Mundaka Aritz Aranburu
EcoEuskadi 2020
IHOBE

Climate Change in the Basque Country

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