The European Climate Research Alliance (ECRA) is an association of 23 European research institutions from 10 countries. Its overall objective is to strengthen, expand and optimize EU climate research capabilities to advance the understanding of climate variability, predictability and change. ECRA embodies four dedicated collaborative programs to shape emerging research topics in a bottom-up approach, to provide a knowledge base for future mitigation and adaptation measures.

The Climate Change and WATER conference welcomes ECRA as a partner of the event. ECRA’s Collaborative Programs “High Impact Events” and “Changes in the Hydrological Cycle” will co-organize a side event, comprised of keynote presentations and a panel discussion on “Societal challenges related to climate change impacts on the hydrological cycle - risk analysis, vulnerability and adaptation.” This ECRA side event aims to bring together different target audiences including researchers, policymakers and data users providing input to the current discussion about designing ‘climate services.’ It will address the following questions: i) How can we inform users about the quality and uncertainties of projections? ii) How can we incorporate the human dimension more explicitly? iii) How can/should the model results be effectively applied and interpreted for an improved management of water resources, adaptation/mitigation or sustainable water security?