IPCC TGICA Expert Meeting. Integrating Analysis of Regional Climate Change and Response Options. Meeting Report PDF Download

Author: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Task Group on Data Scenario Support for Impact and Climate Analysis (TGICA).
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Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
Substantial progress has been made in scientific understanding of observed changes in the Earth's climate, the contributions of human and other forces to the observed changes, the qualitative character and quantified range of possible future changes, the consequences of climate change, options for mitigating and adapting to climate change, and the benefits, costs, and other consequences of these actions. The accumulated knowledge is being used to inform a wide variety of decisions in multiple contexts. However, user needs for information that is relevant and directly applicable to risk management decisions at local to regional scales are not being met. Discussions at the IPCC Expert Meeting highlighted a number of reasons for this failure and explored possible remedies. A fundamental shift to a more user-oriented focus is needed, with the goal of providing actionable information for adaptation and mitigation decisions. Success will require greater attention to communication between climate researchers, impact, adaptation, vulnerability, and mitigation researchers, users, and affected populations. Participatory models for research and assessment are effective at producing actionable information and warrant wider adoption. Knowledge gaps that are important for risk management decisions and are priorities for focused research are found at the interfaces of different temporal and spatial scales of analysis and cross-system interactions. Users need information at finer temporal and spatial scales than is commonly provided. Couplings between human systems and biophysical systems are critical determinants of vulnerability, but research is hampered by inadequate social and economic data that are comparable across jurisdictions and that can be spatially correlated with climatic and environmental data. Advances are needed in the understanding and communicating uncertainties, and in decision support tools for managing with uncertainty.Progress in the production and up-take of actionable information will require investments to raise the capacities of research and user communities, and for greater collaborations among researchers and users. The meeting report contains 43 papers. (LN).