Management of Climate Change Effects in the Metropolitan Region Hannover-Braunschweig-Göttingen
Inevitable climate change demands for development of sustainable regional management strategies. These should allow to prevent medium and long term negative effects to society, economy and the environment.
The Metropoltitan Region Hannover-Brauschweig-Göttingen-Wolfsburg
The Metropolitan Region of Hannover-Braunschweig-Göttingen-Wolfsburg covers about one third of the area of Lower Saxony. Since 2005 it has formed an economical, scientific and cultural network between nineteen administrative districts. About four million people live there.
Aim und structure of the project
The main study of the research project started in may 2008 and will take three years. The main focuses of the study are:
- to indentify and discuss possible effects of the climate changes including interactions among different issues such as water management, farming, nature protection
- to discuss integrative management tools and planning instruments needed to handle the climate change effects.
The research network includes seven subprojects:
1. Climate Change
Leibniz Universität Hannover, IMUK (Leibniz Univerity of Hannover, Institute for Meteorology and Climatology): Implementation of the global and national modelling of climate scenarios into the regional and local scale.
2. Energy crops
Landesamt für Bergbau, Energie und Geologie, LBEG (State Office for Mining, Energy and Geology): Modelling and analysis of properties of the agricultural area.
- Georg-August Universität Göttingen, IZNE (Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Interdisciplinary Center of Sustainable Development):
Selection and recommendation of energy crops for various agricultural areas.
- GEO-NET Umweltconsulting GmbH:
Area potential for energy crops and bioenergy plants.
- Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst
(Academy for Applied Science and Design):
Selection and estimation of process engineering for bioenergy production.
3. Irrigation
- Landwirtschaftskamer Niedersachsen (Chamber of Agriculture of Lower Saxony): Estimation of substitutions for ground water resources to irrigate an agricultural area.
4. Nature protection
Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institut für Umweltplanung (Leibniz University of Hannover, Institute for Environmental Planning): Sensitivity analysis of different species and biotopes according to the climate changes. Planning of managment concepts for nature protection. 
5. Water management
Development of concepts for sustainable management of water resources. Modelling of ground water regeneration rate.
- Landesamt für Bergbau, Energie und Geologie.(State Office for Mining, Energy and Geology)
6. Information and communication platform
- GEO-NET Umweltconsulting GmbH: Design of internet platform which will integrate different research results and function as an decision support system.
7. Further education
Procurement of the research results to expert stakeholders, the media and schools.
Leibniz Universität Hannover, ZEW(Leibniz University of Hannover, Center for Further Education);
- target GmbH
Results and Prospects
The CLM climate data were implemented by the FITNAH model into the regional scale. The small scale climate data has been provided to the subprojects to be considered individually within different issues. The expected warmer summers and the shift of precipitation from the summer into winter months can have a big influence on many research sectors. It can cause for example a displacement in ground water regeneration level, negative changes in harvests, problems with the appropriation of water for agriculture or extinction of species.
Presently areas are identified that react sensitively regarding many of the issues at once. However, negative as well as positive changes will be presented. Measures will be determinated that minimalise the negative changes.
The research results of the particular subprojects will be networked within the information and communication platform. The aim of the platform is to inform and help managers, planers and politicians to make decisions in view of the climate change.
Contact
Prof. Günter Groß
Leibniz University of Hannover
Institute for Meteorology and Climatology (IMUK)
Herrenhäuser Str. 2
30419 Hannover
Germany
Tel. +49 - 511 - 7622677
E-mail:
gross [at] muk.uni-hannover.de
Project website