Welcome to the Helmholtz Climate Initiative REKLIM!


The Helmholtz Climate Initiative REKLIM (Regional Climate Change and Humans) is a network of nine research centres within the
Helmholtz Association that combines several, competence-driven research topics in a comprehensive approach. REKLIM produces essential regional information on climate change, which it subsequently transfers for the benefit of society. In this regard, REKLIM combines regional observation, process studies and coupled climate simulations, with a focus on regional climate change and the connections to human beings. Moreover, it works across the borders of disciplines (including the social sciences), methodologies and individual research centres. By doing so, REKLIM helps to provide a sound basis for making informed climate-related decisions. Global climate simulations, together with improved modelling systems for studies on classification and impacts, are used to investigate the effects of climate variability and climate change at the regional scale. REKLIM is a close-knit network of scholars in various stages of their careers, regardless of which Helmholtz Centre or which field they call home. It encompasses the entire chain of effect, from knowledge production regarding regional climate change to taking concrete action, the goal being to enable civil society to better address climate protection and climate change adaptation. Knowledge transfer to society is an important aspect of REKLIM’s activities. In addition, the Regional Climate Offices of the Helmholtz Association and the Climate Service Center Germany provide decision-makers support with assessing risks and opportunities, and with developing mitigation and adaptation strategies.

12th REKLIM Regional Conference “Regional Climate Change”

Challenges of Sea-level Rise on Germany’s Coasts

That was the motto of the 12th REKLIM Regional Conference
“Regional Climate Change”, held on 28 September 2023 at the
House of Science in Bremen. The conference was jointly
organised with the EU project TiPACCs (Tipping Points in
Antarctic Climate Components); the Senator for Environment,
Climate and Science, Federal State of Bremen; the North German
Coastal and Climate Office at HEREON; and the Climate Office
for Polar Regions and Sea Level Rise at the AWI.

More information (PDF) ...

20 Years AWIPEV - The French-German Arctic Research Base

14 June 2023, French Embassy, Berlin

Sixty years ago, the signing of the Élysée treaty sealed the friendship between France and Germany. Since then, the treaty has become a symbol of their strong partnership, and the two countries and their citizens are expected to work together in a relationship based on trust.
This event, hosted by the French Embassy, celebrates the 20-year anniversary of the joint French-German research base AWIPEV in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. The station at 78.9°N is operated by Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) and the French Polar Institute Paul-Émile Victor (IPEV).
Brief lectures will highlight findings in the areas of atmospheric, glacial, permafrost and marine research made at AWIPEV over the past two decades. To celebrate this successful collaboration, the directors of the AWI and IPEV will sign a memorandum of understanding. The station staff will join via video connection from the Arctic to share their experiences and answer questions “live”.
A get-together and photo exhibition will round out the anniversary event and give participants the chance to speak with the people who actively practise French-German cooperation on a daily basis.
More information ...

IX. Gateway to the Arctic Workshop

The 9th Workshop Gateway to the Arctic Workshop, which was hosted at the partner university Paris Versailles / Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ) this year, was held from 13 to 17 February 2023. Under the motto “The Arctic in a changing world – a transdisciplinary approach”, doctoral candidates and master’s students gathered to exchange notes on various aspects of the changes at work in the Arctic, and in particular, to acquaint themselves with perspectives and backgrounds from not only the natural sciences, but also the humanities.
More information ...

Climate Talks 2022: “From Thule to MOSAiC” 75 years of French and German Arctic Research

As a recent study has shown, the impact of climate change is almost four times stronger in the Arctic than elsewhere, a phenomenon that has been identified as “Arctic amplification”.
This event, organized within the French Embassy’s cycle of “ClimaTalks”, honours Jean Malaurie, France’s most distinguished Arctic researcher on the occasion of his 100th birthday. Discussions will focus on the development of Arctic research since Professor Malaurie’s legendary expedition to Thule in North-West Greenland during the winter 1950-51 and his extraordinary account thereof entitled The Last Kings of Thule (1955, German ed. 1957 with a preface by J. Georgi), the most widely distributed book about Greenland in the world. Paying homage to Jean Malaurie’s 75 years of circumpolar studies, the session will discuss latest research results produced notably by the MOSAiC expedition led by Prof Markus Rex from AWI and the impact of current changes, environmental, economic and geopolitical, on Arctic societies and notably indigenous communities. A get-together will foster the discussion between participants.
More information here … 
Follow-up to the conference in German language (PDF) ...

Is Germany drying out?

22 August 2022
Heat, droughts, devastating forest fires and the rivers are at their lowest levels for a long time. Across Europe, the summer of 2022 follows on from the record summer of 2018. Reports of extreme events are increasing worldwide, and no region of the world is exempt from these consequences. In their contribution, Monica Ionita and colleagues from the AWI put the summer 2022 hot spell into perspective. "The developments of the last few years and the high succession of extreme heat and dry years has brought nature to its limits, which we will feel for a long time to come. Unless we act now in a proper and consequent matter to reduce our emissions and make better choices for ourselves and our environment, what we have experienced in the past few years will become our new normal and our children will live in a very different and unfriendly climate than we are used to", Monica Ionita describes the current situation.  Read more here ...

Gateway to the Arctic – VIII and evening event „Arctic Change“

Under the title "Perceiving Arctic Change - Climate, Society and Sustainability", the 8th workshop "Gateway to the Arctic" will take place in Potsdam from October 4 to 7, 2021. The workshop is closely related to the inauguration of the graduate school of the same name, which is organized as a joint thematic initiative of the University of Paris-Saclay and REKLIM/AWI in cooperation with the AWI graduate school POLMAR. During this year's Gateway Workshop, the official launch of PACCSS will take place in a prestigious evening event in Berlin with international guests. Read more here...

July heavy rains and floods in western Germany: Evolution of a tragedy!

22 July 2021
The last few days and weeks have shown how severely and unprepared extreme weather events can affect our society and how difficult it is to get the information from the early warning forecast systems to the proper authorities in order to protect the population. Even if the individual event can be classified as a weather event, the multitude of extreme events worldwide is an effect of the climate system changing due to climate change. Climate protection and adaptation to climate change will be crucial in the future in order to better adapt to these changes as a society and to mitigate the impact as much as possible. Reade more here ...

REKLIM anniversary magazine

Climate change at our doorstep
THE REKLIM ANNIVERSARY MAGAZINE reports, in stories and images, on the research network’s findings and broad range of focus areas. In addition, it demonstrates how the research community can and is working in dialogue with society in order to address the most pressing questions of our time.

DriftStories from the Central Arctic – one year, one floe – sea-ice research to the extreme!

You can order the DriftStories free of charge by sending an email to info@REKLIM.de and providing your contact details and address, or you can download the digital PDF version.

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