Hervé Quénol

I am a climatologist and a geographer working on socio-environmental systems. My research focuses on the interactions between climate and anthropogenic activities and on analysis and modelling of climate at fine scales in the climate change context. I model and integrate spatial climate variability at local scales into climate change scenarios using geostatistical downscaling methods. My research has demonstrated that this original approach allows reduction in the bias of climate models and achievement of a sufficiently fine spatial resolution to implement climate change adaptation strategies at the local scale. By testing scenarios for both local stakeholders and policy makers, my work aims to design smart practices for the agricultural sector, particularly for grape growing and the wine industry, in order to help farmers increase resilience in response to climate change. I have developed and applied this multiscalar modelling approach in agroclimatology and urban climatology in several successful national and international research projects. Since my PhD, I have developed a strong understanding of the processes in the lower atmosphere that are responsible for small scale climate variability, especially in evaluating impacts of and developing adaptation responses to climate change. My research in climatology has led me to develop specific methods of field measurement and spatial modelling that are suitable for fine scale studies of climate, highlighting the great spatial variability in climate risk (e.g. frost in agriculture, air pollution in urban areas, and urban heat islands) generated by different surface conditions (e.g. topography and land use) and human activities. During the past 20 years I have developed a strong leadership role in the following applications/topics: o Analysis and modelling of climate at local scale in the context of climate change o Climate and viticulture – impacts and adaptation o Urban climatology and biodiversity My main recent projects have focused on the impact of climate change at the vineyard scale, and I have taken a leadership role in demonstrating the great spatial variability of climate at fine scale within vineyard regions. I have applied new innovative approaches in most of the world's wine-growing countries. From 2014 to 2020, I coordinated the European Environment-LIFE project entitled "ADaptation of VIticulture to CLIMate change: High resolution observations of adaptation scenarios for viticulture" (2014-2020). This 3-million-euro project aimed at developing vineyard-scale climate change adaptation strategies for European viticulture. To carry out this project, I managed a team of around sixty people from ten scientific and professional organisations across Europe. I have also established an International Research Project between France (CNRS, INRAE, University of Burgundy, University of Rennes 2) and New Zealand (University of Canterbury, Lincoln University, Plant and Food Research) entitled "High-resolution scenarios for adapting agro-systems to climate change: application to viticulture (IRP-VinAdapt)" (2019-2024). This research, developed initially in relation to climate and viticulture, is now being applied to other agrosystems (e.g. avocado, lychee, etc.), particularly in the Pacific Islands with the recently approved Pacific Fund project "Scenarios for climate change adaptation of New Caledonian agrosystems" (2021-2023). I have also applied this fine-scale climate analysis approach to urban climatology. In particular, I studied the impact of vegetation in urban planning to reduce the intensity of the Urban Heat Island and to study the link between local climate and biodiversity. This work has been carried out in France and South America (e.g. Brazil and Argentina). In France, the results of fine-scale urban heat island modelling in the Rennes urban area (a medium sized city) were used to produce the city's future development plan. The approach we have developed is currently being implemented in other French cities to help decision-makers meet environmental targets for 2050. My scientific work helps to meet the needs of policy makers and stakeholders facing global changes and environmental challenges. In 2014, I was appointed by the French Ministry of Agriculture as a scientific expert at the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), since which time I have participated in the development of several OIV resolutions. These OIV resolutions are official statements adopted by consensus by the General Assembly of the Organisation's member states. I have also used my scientific experience for the benefit of university education by supervising approximately 31 Masters and 14 PhD students from various French Universities as well as several universities internationally (e.g. Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay). I have also worked with scientists on several collaborative projects in Europe, South America, South Africa and New Zealand.