National Adaptation Geo-information System in climate adaptation planning

Climate change impacts determine the long term development possibilities in Hungary. Due to the different vulnerability and adaptive capacity of various regions, the impacts and problems should also be handled in a differentiated way. The key areas of climate safe planning are: water safety, food security, human health security, safety of infrastructure, energy security, natural environment. Successful adaptation to climate change is inconceivable without having a sound knowledge of the impacts of climate change. The National Adaptation Geo-information System (NAGiS) may be used by national, regional, and local decision makers and stakeholders. It provides information on the climate status of the country, on the impacts of strategic risks connected to climate change and other long-term natural resource management issues, and on the correspondent adaptation possibilities, based on indicators, analyses, and impact studies. Data layers of NAGiS were elaborated by the Geological and Geophysical Institute of Hungary and partner projects funded by the Adaptation to Climate Change programme of the EEA Grants. The main parts of the NAGiS are a map-visualization system with 650 data layers; a database containing the calculation results based on modeling (GeoDat with 910 data layers); and a meta-database to help finding relevant data. NAGiS can be a useful tool for climate safe planning, analyzing, decision-support activities in governmental strategic planning; or for municipalities in spatial planning, settlement planning, organizing public services. It can be used in climate policy, energy policy planning, transport, and energy infrastructure design and numerous other fields. The further development of NAGiS is financed by the Environmental and Energy Efficiency Operative Programme. Between 2016 and 2018, the project will elaborate a decision support toolbox for underpinning policy and municipal adaptation measures, based on the development of the databases, methodologies, and evaluation modules of NAGiS.