The CLIVAR-SPAIN Report on the Climate Change in Spain

The CLIVAR-Spain Report on the Climate in Spain (2024) presents a comprehensive scientific assessment of past, present, and future climate behaviour over the Iberian Peninsula, integrating paleoclimate reconstructions, observational records, and modelling studies. It confirms that Spain is among the regions most sensitive to global warming, with significant temperature increases, more frequent and intense heatwaves, and accelerated cryospheric decline, including glacier and snowpack loss.

The report documents marked changes in precipitation regimes, including longer and more severe droughts driven by increased atmospheric evaporative demand and a rise in extreme convective rainfall events, particularly in the Mediterranean region.
Surrounding ocean basins show warming rates exceeding the global average, shifts in stratification, more frequent marine heatwaves, and persistent ocean acidification, all with implications for marine ecosystems and coastal stability.
Paleoclimate evidence demonstrates that current rates of change surpass natural variability observed over the last millennia, highlighting the unprecedented nature of today’s warming.
The report further shows how climate variability has historically shaped terrestrial and marine ecosystems, water resources, and human societies across Spain. Overall, the assessment underscores the urgency of strengthening climate observation, advancing high-resolution modelling, and promoting coordinated scientific collaboration to support robust adaptation and resilience policies at national and regional scales.