3rd European GREEN Conference – EGC 2025

10-13 June 2025 | Vodice, CROATIA

Plenary Speaker

Hydrological cycle under climate change pressure
Ivan GÜTTLER

Abstract
The hydrological cycle is intensifying under climate change due to increased atmospheric water vapor, leading to more frequent and intense precipitation events. In Europe, northern regions are getting wetter, while southern areas, including Croatia, are facing drier summers and higher drought and open fire risks. Warmer winters are causing a shift from snowfall to rainfall, reducing snowpack and altering seasonal water storage. In Croatia, this results in earlier snowmelt and changes in river regimes. The number of snowy days is expected to decrease, affecting water supply and hydropower in the coming decades. Intense short-duration rainfall events are becoming more common, raising the threat of flash floods. Hailstorms may also become more frequent and severe due to more energetic convective storms. Water vapor, as a greenhouse gas, further amplifies atmospheric warming and hydrological extremes. These changes demand adaptive water management strategies in Croatia to ensure resilience in the face of a changing climate and rising pressures on food and energy production.  

Short biography

Dr. Ivan Güttler earned his degree in Physics, specializing in Geophysics with Meteorology, from the Faculty of Science at the University of Zagreb in 2008. He went on to complete his PhD in the same field at the same institution in 2014. He began his professional career in 2009 as a research assistant at the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ). From 2014 to 2021, he worked as a researcher and climatologist in the Meteorological Research and Development Sector at DHMZ. In 2022, he was appointed Deputy Director General, and in 2024, he assumed the position of Director General of the DHMZ. Throughout his career, he has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the European Meteorological Society Award in 2010, the National Award for Young Scientists in the Field of Natural Sciences in 2013, and the “Young Hope of Croatian Meteorology” award from the Croatian Meteorological Society in 2014. During his studies, he also received the Dean’s Award in 2007. In addition to his professional duties, he is active in the academic community as a lecturer in the doctoral program at the Department of Geophysics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb. Since 2022, he has served as Croatia’s national focal point for the IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He has been part of the Croatian delegations to several UN Climate Change Conferences (COP23, COP25, COP26, and COP27) and participated in climate negotiations during Croatia’s presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2020.

Email: kabinet@dhz.hr

.

.