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Повышение уровня наличия, использования и доступа к климатической информации
Изменчивость и изменение климата являются серьезным испытанием для устойчивого развития Африки. Текущий кризис, вызванный голодом в странах Африканского Рога, является лишним напоминанием того, как колебания климата могут оказать разрушительное воздействие на жизнь людей и источники их существования. Эфиопия – одна из стран, подвергшихся воздействию засухи, – в течение десятилетий страдает от колебаний климата.
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Понимание потребностей пользователей в климатическом обслуживании в области сельского хозяйства
Климат может быть полезным ресурсом и в то же время может представлять опасность. Благодаря использованию климатической информации и климатического обслуживания лицами, принимающими решения, сельское хозяйство более успешно справится с задачей обеспечения продовольствием населения Земли, которое растет и все больше сосредоточивается в городах.
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Управление водными ресурсами с помощью климатической информации
Потребность в долгосрочной исторической информации о климате актуальна как никогда. Достижения в области сезонного прогнозирования климата создали значительный потенциал для вклада в совершенствование технологий управления водными ресурсами. Укрепление сотрудничества между двумя секторами может принести только пользу.
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Изменение климата является «серьезной проблемой для существования человека». Ee Превосходительство Шейх Хасина
Ее Превосходительство Шейх Хасина, премьер-министр правительства Народной Республики Бангладеш, 16 мая 2011 г. выступила перед делегатами XVI Всемирного метеорологического конгресса в Женеве. Она говорила о проблеме, которая, по ее словам, «очень близка моему сердцу» – проблеме изменения климата.
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Improving availability, access and use of climate information
Climate variability and change are serious challenges to sustainable development in Africa. The current famine crisis in the Horn of Africa is yet another reminder of how fluctuations in the climate can destroy lives and livelihoods. Ethiopia, one of the countries impacted by the current drought, has been suffering from climate fluctuations for decades.
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Understanding user needs for climate services in agriculture
Climate is both a resource and a hazard. By harnessing climate information and services for decision-makers, the agriculture sector will be better placed to provide food for a more crowded and increasingly urban world.
The Emissions Gap Report
UNEP, 2012The 2012 report provides the following information: An update of global greenhouse gas emission estimates, based on a number of different authoritative scientific sources; An overview of national emission levels, both current (2010) and projected (2020) consistent with current pledges and other commitments;
An estimate of the level of global emissions consistent with the two degree target in 2020, 2030 and 2050; An update of the assessment of the "emissions gap" for 2020; A review of selected examples of the rapid progress being made in different parts of the world to implement policies ...
Efectos del cambio climatico en la costa de América Latina y el Caribe: vulnerabilidad y exposición
CEPAL, 2012Este documento es el primero de una serie de textos que se han elaborado en el marco del Estudio regional de los efectos del cambio climático en la costa de América Latina y el Caribe. La zona de estudio comprende una longitud total de costa de aproximadamente 72.182 km distribuidos en cuatro zonas geográficas: Norteamérica, Centroamérica, Sudamérica y las Islas del Caribe. En el dominio de estudio se han analizado los cambios detectados en las dinámicas costeras, la influencia de la variabilidad climática, información diversa sobre la vulnerabilidad presente en las costas de la región, abarca ...
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Climate science and services - Providing climate information for adaptation, sustainable development and risk management: In Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 4, Issue 1
The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), sponsored by WMO, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and the International Council for Science (ICSU), is focussing its efforts on providing science support to the design and implementation of the Global Framework for Climate Services and addressing the ICSU Grand Challenges for Future Earth initiative. The multitude of international field experiments, analysis and re-analysis of observations, Earth system models, climate prediction and projection projects, and scientific synthesis and assessments need to be coordinated and i ...
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Climate resilient sustainable agriculture: a real alternative to false solutions
This document illustrates the relationship between climate change and agriculture; reviews and demonstrates how current climate change policy responses fall short of addressing the realities of poor rural farmers who are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change; and paints an alternative way forward by defining Climate Resilient Sustainable Agriculture (CRSA) and suggesting recommendations to national governments. CRSA prioritises the right to food, environmental conservation, and long-term community resilience in order to reduce food insecurity at the local level, and contribute t ...
Climate change: how can we adapt? - Key messages for COP 18
GWP, 2012This paper presents key messages for policy makers on water and climate change, urging innovative institutional solutions to be found for closer collaboration with disaster risk reduction efforts. It advocates for the establishment of "partnerships for adaptation" that empower communities to identify local coping strategies and enable all stakeholders to participate in water resources management. It also introduces recommendations for climate change negotiators to take water into account in negotiations, including key messages for COP 18 to be held in December 2012.
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CAWCR technical report, 51. Improvements in POAMA2 for the prediction of major climate drivers and south eastern Australian rainfall
Lim Eun-Pa; Hendon Harry H.; Langford Sally; et al. - Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, 2012Ocean-atmosphere interactions are key processes that drive seasonal climate variability. In the global sense, the atmosphere drives the upper ocean via heat flux, fresh water flux and wind stress (Anderson 2008). But in the tropics where the ocean surface temperature (hereafter, sea surface temperature, SST) is warm enough to trigger deep atmospheric convection, the ocean exerts strong controls on the atmosphere especially at longer time scales because of its slow variations and strong thermal inertia. Consequently, the highest predictability of atmospheric climate (e.g. temperature and rainfa ...
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CAWCR technical report, 48. Seasonal Climate Prediction in the Pacific using the POAMA coupled model forecast system
Cottrill A.; Hendon Harry H.; Lim Eun-Pa; et al. - Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, 2012The tropical Pacific Ocean basin is home to over 20 Pacific Island nations, many of which are sensitive to climate extremes from the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and rainfall variability associated the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone and the South Pacific Convergence Zone. These Pacific Island countries are highly dependent on agriculture, fishing and tourism as a major source of food production and income, which can vary greatly depending on the weather and climate experienced from year to year. Hence, the provision of skilful seasonal forecasts is important to allow these countries to ...
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Building resilience for adaptation to climate change in the agriculture sector : Proceedings of a Joint FAO/OECD Workshop
FAO, 2012
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L'adaptation de la France au changement climatique: rapport au Premier ministre et au Parlement
Le plan national d'adaptation au changement climatique est l'aboutissement d'un travail mené en France depuis l'adoption de la loi du 19 février 2001 donnant le caractère de priorité nationale à la lutte contre l'effet de serre et à la prévention des risques liés au réchauffement climatique et créant l'ONERC. Réalisé après une large concertation qui s'est déroulée tout au long de l'année 2010, ce premier plan de l'ONERC couvre une période de cinq ans (2011-2015). Le rapport expose les principes qui ont guidé l'élaboration du plan (scénarios climatiques pour la France au cours du XXIe siècle, g ...
WorldRiskReport 2012: focus - environmental degradation and disasters
UNU, 2012The WorldRiskIndex seeks answers to the following questions: How probable is an extreme natural event, and will it affect people?
How vulnerable are the people to the natural hazards? To what extent can societies cope with acute disasters? Is a society taking preventive measures to face natural hazards to be reckoned with in the future?
Twin report on fairtrade and climate change adaptation
IIED, 2012This paper explores the links between farmer organisations, Fairtrade and adaptation to climate change, and the extent to which such institutions and market arrangements can enhance the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers. It looks in detail at two Fairtrade producer organisations in Uganda and Malawi and asserts that joining a producer organisation and Fairtrade certification can strengthen the capacity of smallholders to adapt to climate change on several fronts. It also introduces some key enabling factors such as higher income, access to newer technologies, better farmer training, and ...
SCOPE-CM Phase 2 Implementation Plan: Final Version
This document represents an update to the Implementation Plan for the Sustained and Coordinated Processing of Environmental Satellite Data for Climate Monitoring (SCOPECM) Version 1.3 of 20 March 2009 [RD-01]. Phase 2 of SCOPE-CM incorporates accomplishments and lessons learned from Phase 1, updated requirements and guidelines from the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), and the evolving needs for climate information by a variety of users. A key component of Phase 2 is the establishment of sustained production of fundamental climate data records (FCDRs) as well as Essential Climate V ...
TC/TD, 0004. The second assessment report on the influence of climate change on tropical cyclones in the typhoon committee region
This report assesses the current state of the science on the relationship between climate change and tropical cyclone (TC) activity in the Western North Pacific (WNP) basin. It focuses in particular on identifying any possible influences of anthropogenic climate change on tropical cyclone track and impact area in this region.
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Global and European climate response to transient forcings since 1870, as simulated in an atmospheric general circulation model
Bichet Adeline - ETH, 2012Predicting and adapting to climate change is one of the major challenges for the twenty-first century. To better understand the future changes in precipitation associated with climate change on the global and regional scale, this thesis investigates, for the past 140 years, the time-varying impact of the major climate forcings on precipitation. To do so, the global climate is simulated between 1870 and 2005 in a transient mode with the atmospheric general circulation model “ECHAM5- HAM”. The model is forced with observationally based time-varying sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and the major ...
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Modelling ocean Acidification in the California Current System : a dissertation submitted to ETH Zurich
Eastern boundary upwelling systems (EBUS) are naturally more acidic than most of the rest of the surface ocean. Observations of EBUS already show pH values and saturation states with regard to the carbonate mineral aragonite that are as low as those expected for most open ocean waters several decades from now. Thus, as atmospheric CO2 increases further, EBUS are prone to widespread and persistent undersaturation with regard to aragonite, making them especially sensitive to ocean acidification. Here, we describe ocean carbonate chemistry and its short-term-to-seasonal variability in one major E ...
GCOS, 164. Report of the Twentieth Session of the WMO-IOC-UNEP-ICSU Steering Committee for GCOS
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); International Council for Science (ICSU); et al. - WMO, 2012
GCOS, 163. Report of the Eighth GCOS Cooperation Mechanism Board Meeting
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); International Council for Science (ICSU); et al. - WMO, 2012
GAW Report, 205. WMO/IGAC Impacts of Megacities on Air Pollution and Climate
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; International Global Atmospheric Chemistry project (IGAC) - WMO, 2012The World Meteorological Organization and the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) project have released a study of how megacities affect the climate and pollute the atmosphere. The report concludes that rapid urbanization will pose serious health risks to city dwellers unless stronger efforts are made to reduce pollution.
Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK 2012
In 2009 the latest long-range climate projections for the UK were published in order to inform the UK’s first Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA), required by the Climate Change Act (2008), covering 11 sectors across society. This HPA report complements the Health Sector report of the CCRA by providing scientific evidence of the wider risks to public health from climate change in the UK.
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CAWCR technical report, 50. On the sensitivity of Australian temperature trends and variability to analysis methods and observation networks
Fawcett R.J.B.; Trewin B.; Braganza K.; et al. - Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, 2012This report presents an exploration of Australian temperature trends and variability using the new Australian Climate Observations Reference Network (ACORN) Surface Air Temperature (SAT) dataset. We compare changes in nationally and annually averaged daily-maximum, dailyminimum and daily-mean temperature variability to a range of alternative Australian temperature analyses over the last 100 years (1911-2010).
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CAWCR technical report, 49. Techniques involved in developing the Australian Climate Observations Reference Network - Surface Air Temperature (ACORN-SAT) dataset
The Australian Climate Observations Reference Network – Surface Air Temperature (ACORNSAT) data set is a long-term data set of Australian daily air temperature, covering the period from 1910 to the present. The purpose of this data set is to provide the best possible data set to underlie analyses of variability and change of temperature in Australia, including both analyses of annual and seasonal mean temperatures, and of extremes of temperature and other information derived from daily temperatures. A full discussion of the motivation underlying the ACORN-SAT data set is contained in a compani ...
GCOS, 161. Report of the Fourth GCOS Reference Upper-Air Network Implementation and Coordination Meeting (GRUAN ICM-4)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); International Council for Science (ICSU); et al. - WMO, 2012The fourth GRUAN Implementation and Coordination Meeting (ICM-4) was held 5 – 9 March 2012 in Tokyo, Japan. The meeting was generously hosted by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) at their headquarters with support from the U.S. GCOS Programme Office at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Climatic Data Centre (NCDC), the NOAA Climate Programme Office (CPO) and the GCOS Secretariat at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The meeting also included a site visit to the JMA GRUAN site at Tateno.
GCOS, 160. Assessment of the Status and Needs for Climate Observations in South America 2003-2011
Centro Internacional para la Investigación del Fenómeno de El Niño (CIIFEN); World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) - WMO, 2012The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Secretariat and its partner, the Centro Internacional para la Investigación del Fenómeno de El Niño (CIIFEN) have launched a process to organize an “Implementation Strategy” workshop for the countries of South America. To accomplish this, a workhop has been organized to discuss actions to advance the implementation of the 2004 GCOS Regional Action Plan for South America with representatives of the intitutions involved, users, strategic partners, and potential donors. This assesment contains updated information about the state of the GCOS Program imple ...
GCOS, 159. Report from the Strategy Meeting for the Implementation of the Global Climate Observing System in South America : Improving climate observations to improve climate services and adaptation strategies
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) ; MeteoSwiss ; et al. - WMO, 2012
GCOS, 158. Summary Report and Recommendations from the Seventeenth Session of the GCOS/WCRP Atmospheric Observation Panel for Climate (AOPC)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC); et al. - WMO, 2012
GCOS, 157. Summary Report of the Fourteenth Session of the GTOS/GCOS/WCRP Terrestrial Observation Panel for Climate (TOPC)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); International Council for Science (ICSU); et al. - WMO, 2012
GCOS, 156. CBS Lead Centers for GCOS Coordination Meeting, Third session: final report
The CBS Lead Centers for GCOS (CBS-LC-GCOS) Coordination Meeting was held at the Regional Office of the German Weather Service in Hamburg, Germany, from 11 to 13 October 2011. Unfortunately because of last minute visa problems the representatives from Mozambique and from Iran could not participate.
The Coordination Meeting considered reports from individual Lead Centers’ activities, GCOS Monitoring Centers and of the GCOS Archive Center, it reviewed their activities, results of monitoring performance reports and updated of their Terms of Reference to include all RBCN stations in their ...
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Strengthening capacities for climate change adaptation in mountain ecosystems: the Latin American response
This document presents a range of experiences, publications and organisations involved in the strategies used to build capacities for climate change adaptation in the Latin American region, by: (i) improving natural resource conservation; (ii) providing access to new technologies; (iii) capturing traditional knowledge and practices; and (iv) maintaining water resources and agrobiodiversity. It concludes with lessons that could prove useful to other mountain regions of the world.
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A statistically predictive model for future monsoon failure in India
Schewe J. - IOPscience, 2012Indian summer monsoon (ISM) rainfall is the major prerequisite of agricultural productivity in the region and its variability severely affects the livelihoods of a large share of the world’s population. While average ISM rainfall has been relatively stable during the past century, rising trends have been observed in the annual number of extreme rain events. This study shows severe failure of ISM rainfall is possible but unlikely under present climatic conditions, according to a comprehensive climate model. However, monsoon failure is projected to become much more frequent over the next 200 yea ...
Stakeholder Engagement in Preparing Investment Plans for the Climate Investment Funds: Case Studies from Asia
Asian Development Bank (ADB) - ADB, 2012In 2008 the multilateral development banks (MDBs) and a group of donor countries developed the concept of climate investment funds (CIF) providing support to developing countries to initiate transformational change toward low-carbon and climate-resilient development.
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Special Evaluation Study on ADB's Response to Natural Disasters and Disaster Risks
Asian Development Bank (ADB) - ADB, 2012Four of five cities classified as extreme risks among the world’s fastest growing urban areas are in Asia. The region accounts for half of the estimated economic cost of disasters over the past 20 years. By one estimate, floods and landslides cost the People’s Republic of China some $18 billion in 2010 alone, and Thailand an estimated $45 billion in 2011. Policymakers need to recognize that investments in disaster risk management are an essential means to sustain growth.
Sea-Level Rise for the Coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington: Past, Present, and Future
National Academies Press, 2012Tide gages show that global sea level has risen about 7 inches during the 20th century, and recent satellite data shows that the rate of sea-level rise is accelerating. As Earth warms, sea levels are rising mainly because ocean water expands as it warms; and water from melting glaciers and ice sheets is flowing into the ocean. Sea-level rise poses enormous risks to the valuable infrastructure, development, and wetlands that line much of the 1,600 mile shoreline of California, Oregon, and Washington. As those states seek to incorporate projections of sea-level rise into coastal planning, they a ...
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A Risky Climate for Southern African Hydro
Beilfuss Richard - International Rivers, 2012This in-depth study of the hydrological risks to hydropower dams on the Zambezi River gives an early warning about what Southern Africa could be facing as it contemplates plans for more large hydropower dams in a time of climate change.
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Resilient people, resilient planet: a future worth choosing
United Nations, 2012The 22-member Panel, established by the Secretary-General in August 2010 to formulate a new blueprint for sustainable development and low-carbon prosperity, was co-chaired by Finnish President Tarja Halonen and South African President Jacob Zuma. The Panel's final report, "Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing", contains 56 recommendations to put sustainable development into practice and to mainstream it into economic policy as quickly as possible.
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Resilience, risk and vulnerability at Sida: final report
This report reviews the interventions of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) that have strong implications for increasing resilience and reducing vulnerability to natural disasters, and it aims at improving the understanding of how Sida has worked with these issues so far and how the work can be further strengthened. The report combines findings from a mapping phase with more in-depth analysis of resilience initiatives related to climate change adaptation, agriculture and water hazards.
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Report to Congress on Black Carbon
EPA, 2012This report synthesizes and assesses available scientific information on the current and future impacts of black carbon, and evaluates the effectiveness of available black carbon mitigation approaches and technologies for protecting climate, public health, and the environment. US Environmental Protection Agency, 2012.
Recovery from disaster: resilience, adaptability and perceptions of climate change
NCCARF, 2012Focused on four disaster-impacted communities in Australia - Beechworth, Bendigo, Ingham and Innisfail, this report makes recommendations for emergency management and local government policies. It presents a study that used Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological systems theory to analyse individual and, by proxy, community resilience to disasters. The theory provided a comprehensive framework to evaluate the interacting factors that support resilience across different disaster sites and communities. While Bronfenbrenner’s theory has been used extensively, the authors believe that this is the first tim ...
Ready or not: an evaluation of state climate and water preparedness planning
This publication provides full analysis and state-by-state assessment that specifically focuses on how US state governments are planning and preparing for water related impacts of climate change. Based on the preparedness actions of state government entities, all 50 states have been categorized into one of four categories, developed to differentiate the best prepared and most engaged states on climate change preparedness issues from those that are largely unprepared and lagging behind.
Although many states have yet to formally address climate change preparedness within state go ...
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Where the rain falls: climate change, food and livelihood security, and migration
Warner Koko; CARE France ; Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN); et al. - UNU, 2012This report explores the interrelationships among rainfall variability, food and livelihood security, and human mobility in a diverse set of research sites in eight countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. While climate change affects nearly all aspects of food security – from production and availability, to the stability of food supplies, access to food, and food utilization – the Rainfalls research focuses on linkages between shifting rainfall patterns and food production and the stability of food supplies.
Preparing Hydro-climate Inputs for Climate Change in Water Resource Planning
This lesson describes the process of selecting the best available climate projection information and using it to develop “climate-adjusted weather” inputs to be used for modeling climate change impacts. These modeled impacts can be used for planning of future water resources. Specific steps of this process include: 1) Recognizing the general science and terms associated with Atmosphere-ocean General Circulation Models (AOGCMs); 2) Making AOGCMs more regionally applicable through bias correction and downscaling; 3) Determining climate change scenarios based on climate projections and selecting ...
Arctic Meteorology and Oceanography
Diminishing sea ice has opened the Arctic to navigation and operations like never before. Forecasters are increasingly predicting weather in support of those operations. This module is intended to provide forecasters with a brief introduction to the Arctic, including its geography, climatology, and the forecast problems they are likely to encounter. The module follows a U.S. Coast Guard Cutter on a voyage from Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Islands, to Barrow, on the north coast of Alaska. Various topics are addressed along the way in a series of short, stand-alone lessons.
Monitoring the Climate System with Satellites
The international science community has identified a set of Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) that should be monitored for measuring the climate system, how it is changing, and its likely impact on future climate. Environmental satellites play an important role in this effort. They are uniquely positioned to provide broad, spatially consistent, and continuous global sampling of many of the ECVs. This module explores the benefits of monitoring the climate system with satellites. We begin by reviewing how satellites observe key atmospheric elements and features that are found in a variety of cl ...
Introduction to Climate Models
This module explains how climate models work. Because the modeling of both weather and climate share many similarities, the content throughout this module draws frequent comparisons and highlights the differences. We explain not only how, but why climate models differ from weather models. To do so, we explore the difference between weather and climate, then show how models are built to simulate climate and generate the statistics that describe it. We conclude with a discussion of models are tuned and tested. Understanding how climate responds to changes in atmospheric composition and other fac ...
Satellite Monitoring of Atmospheric Composition
Satellite monitoring of atmospheric composition provides important information for a number of applications, including stratospheric ozone monitoring, long-range pollutant transport, biomass burning, air quality monitoring and forecasting, and climate change. This module provides an overview of the use of satellites in these application areas, the measurement techniques used, and the development of related operational services. In addition, the module covers a short history of European and U.S. satellite missions, as well as a look at future missions planned for monitoring atmospheric composit ...
Climate Change and Regional Impacts
This short module is an overview of the different effects climate change produces in different regions of the United States. In addition to discussing impacts already being experienced, the module presents information on how climate scientists use specialized models and statistical techniques to estimate how regional climates are likely to change in the future.
Climate Change and Sea Level Rise
This module looks at how increasing temperatures due to climate change have affected sea level rise and what effects scientist expect in the future, given rising greenhouse gas emissions. The various mechanisms of sea level rise are discussed, as well as the tools and research used to study this topic. The module also discusses how countries and communities are preparing for future increases in sea levels.
Climate Change and Extreme Weather
This module discusses how a changing climate can also lead to changes in extreme weather events on the local scale. The role of natural variability is also explained. The module describes how climate change can have both positive and negative effects, depending on the situation, location, and the vulnerability of the population. While research on climate change and extreme events is still relatively new, the module discusses what changes scientists think are likely if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.
Suomi NPP: A New Generation of Environmental Monitoring Satellites
The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership or Suomi NPP satellite, launched in 2011, is the first of a new series of missions under NOAA's JPSS program. Suomi NPP has two major goals: global observing of the Earth's atmosphere, land, and ocean surface; and climate monitoring. Suomi NPP observations are used to create operational forecast products and provide input to numerical weather prediction models. They also provide continuity to the satellite climate record and other environmental datasets. This module provides an overview of the Suomi NPP satellite. The first half describes its missi ...
ASMET: 2009 Drought in East Africa
The module examines the 2009 drought in the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA), focusing on conditions in Kenya. The module begins by reviewing drought conditions in the years leading up to 2009. From there, it examines the seasonal climate forecast for the beginning of 2009 and see what it portends. Satellite products are used to study rainfall performance throughout the year and its impact on the drought situation. Finally, the module describes the climate oscillations that can impact drought in the GHA and identifies patterns that were present in 2009 and contributed to its severity. By the end o ...
Introduction to Climate Models
This module explains how climate models work. Because the modeling of both weather and climate share many similarities, the content throughout this module draws frequent comparisons and highlights the differences. We explain not only how, but why climate models differ from weather models. To do so, we explore the difference between weather and climate, then show how models are built to simulate climate and generate the statistics that describe it. We conclude with a discussion of models are tuned and tested.
Flood Management Tool Series, Technical Document, 14. Urban Flood Management in a Changing Climate
The main thrust of this tool is to examine major aspects of urban flood management through in the context of climate change. This document deals with the “management” process and less about the technical, structural, and capital-intensive strategies usually pursued in coping with urban floods. It also explores the vital interaction and necessary overlap of urban flood management with land use management, urban planning, socio-economic development, and public awareness and participation. All of these issues lie at the core of planning for and carrying out strategies for climate change adaptatio ...
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Integrated Urban Water Management - Lessons and Recommendations from Regional Experiences in Latin America, Central Asia, and Africa
The purpose of this working paper is to review a set of Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) initiatives and pilot studies funded by the World Bank’s Water Partnership Program (WPP) in Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Central Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
The report is structured into three chapters:
(1)Introduces the main concepts of IUWM;
(2)Reviews the findings of 10 case studies;
(3)Puts forward recommendations to sustain and enhance the scope of IUWM activities;
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Making cities resilient assessment: Dar es Salaam
This report, part of the Making Cities Resilient Campaign by UNISDR, provides an in-depth analysis showing how the city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is resilient to disasters. The information was generated by the city council using the HFA-LGSAT self-assessment tool, which uses a ‘ten essentials’ thematic framework focused on improving cities disaster resilience. The paper begins with the background and aims of the study, and an overall assessment of the city council. A literature review then explores the geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic profiles of the city, as well as the potential ...
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Trend and variation [video]
NRK, 2012Animated short on statistics from Norwegian infotainment program Siffer. Produced by TeddyTV for NRK. Animation by Ole Christoffer Haga
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Protecting the public and minimizing health effects from heat: towards the development of a Heat-Health Action Framework for the Prefecture of Hyogo, Japan: In African Crop Science Journal, Vol. 20, Issue Supplement s2
Ntamack S. - 2012This paper addresses some methodological biases present in the mode of understanding climate change through scientific research. These overlapping biases are referred to as glocality. The paper argues that as a device of the cognitive globalisation around environmental issues, glocality operates in science as a cognitive form of ubiquity deriving from an attempt to compress the spatiotemporal dimension of the changing weather within the time and space of the mind. In the case of climate change, it refers to three focal points summarised as problems of climate change’s phenomena problem of the ...
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Climate risks, vulnerability and governance in Kenya: a review
Climate-related risks adversely affect lives and livelihoods in Kenya and threaten the country’s short- and long-term development prospects. To analyse how Kenya’s capacity to prevent, manage and recover from disasters and adapt to the impacts of climate change could be strengthened, this review summarises: Kenya’s vulnerability to climate risks given current progress toward meeting its development goals; Kenya’s exposure to climate risks historically, and how these might change in the future given available climate change projections; the degree to which key sectors of the Kenyan economy and ...
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Agency climate change adaptation plan 2012
This adaptation plan is an annex to the agency sustainability plan which assesses climate change risks, vulnerabilities, and opportunities for USAID missions, programs, and operations, and it identifies agency-level actions to understand and address climate change vulnerabilities. This plan also highlights: (i) USAID climate change adaptation plan for 2013; (ii) USAID policy framework for climate change adaptation; (iii) agency vulnerability assessment - analysis of climate change risk and pportunities; (iv) infrastructure and support systems (v) health and safety.
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The challenges of climate change and exposure growth for disaster risk management in developing countries
Over the past 30 years, total economic losses from natural hazards have more than tripled in real terms. The economic and social impacts have been particularly great in developing countries, where past development gains are at risk and human security is increasingly threatened. This report argues that at a global level, exposure growth could remain the main driver of risk in the short-term, but beyond about 2030, climate change could begin to play a more significant role. Climate change and the rapid accumulation of people and assets in hazard-prone areas increase the need for a more forward-l ...
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Gender and adaptation practices to the effects of climate change in Bahi and Kondoa districts Dodoma region, Tanzania: In Journal of Sustainable Development; Vol. 5, No. 12; 2012
Although climate change affects men and women differently, there are few studies on specific adaptation practices disaggregated by gender. This study aims to fill this gap by analysing adaptation practices to the effects of climate change in the Bahi and Kondoa districts of the Dodoma region, Tanzania. It examines perceptions of climate change and identifies elements influencing adaptation practices. A sample of 360 respondents, 12 focus groups and 78 key informants were consulted; the analysis involved descriptive statistics for quantitative data and content analysis for qualitative data. The ...
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Farmers' adaptation initiatives to the impact of climate change on agriculture in northern Nigeria: In Journal of Agricultural Extension, Vol. 16 (1), June 2012
This study examines the innovative adaptive measures used by farmers in northern Nigeria to respond to the effects of climate change. Quantitative and qualitative approaches (rapid rural appraisal, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews) were used to gather information from 500 farmers. The findings indicate that 84 per cent and 79 per cent of the farmers were aware and knowledgeable of climate change issues, respectively, while 81 per cent of them noted that they had experienced climate change incidences. The paper highlights adaptive measures used by the farmers in northern N ...
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Improving small farmers' adaptive capacity in semi-arid regions
In Latin America, as in Africa and Asia, 15-25% of the population lives in semi-arid areas, mostly in small isolated rural communities that are often the most severely affected by climate change. Strategies employed to build adaptive capacity in Brazil’s semi-arid areas focused on improved water supply, management and use, while at the same time promoting access to technology and improved production techniques, all with a focus on knowledge sharing and multi-level collaboration. The lessons from Brazil’s response will be useful for policymakers and community organisations in other semi-arid re ...
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Earthquake preparedness guide
India Government, 2012This bilingual guide book highlights that we can't avoid future earthquakes, but preparedness and safe building construction practices can certainly reduce the extend of damage and loss. To take necessary action it is mandatory for every citizen to have elementary knowledge of earthquake, forces acting on structures, remedial measures to be taken for structural safety and knowledge of do's and don'ts before, during and after an earthquake.
This guide will serve as a reference tools to sensitize citizens about the issues of concerning preparedness measures for an earthquake.
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Adapting to climate change: assessing World Bank Group experience phase III
World Bank, 2012This report presents an extensive review of the World Bank’s experience dealing with climate variability and climate change, offering valuable lessons on adaptation efforts worldwide. It answers questions in three areas: (i) dealing with climate variability; (ii) factoring climate change risks into investment projects; and (iii) anticipating climate change. In addition to this learning-focused agenda, the evaluation also asks how the Bank Group has performed against climate adaptation goals of the Bank Group’s Strategic Framework for Development and Climate Change (FY09-11).
The evalua ...
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Linkages between population dynamics, urbanization processes and disaster risks: a regional vision of Latin America / Vínculos entre las dinámicas demográficas, los procesos de urbanización y los riesgos de desastres: una visión regional de América Latina
Fernandez Rogelio; Sanahuj Haris; United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT); et al. - UN/ISDR, 2012This document presents an analysis of the connections among population dynamics, urbanization processes and disaster risk reduction. Amongst the main findings are that public policies should increase governance and guide urban sustainable development in order to anticipate future levels of exposure, by enhancing land-use plans, climate change adaptation strategies and considering disaster risk management.
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Climate change and agriculture in the United States: effects and adaptation
The report analyses the effects of climate change on U.S. agriculture on the basis of research needs categorized within a vulnerability framework addressing specific actions that would improve understanding of the exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity to: (i) improve projections of future climate conditions, including extreme temperatures, precipitation, and related variables; (ii) evaluate and develop process-level understanding of the sensitivity of plant and animal production systems; and (iii) develop and extend the knowledge, management strategies and tools needed by U.S. agricultur ...
Climate change & Singapore: challenges, opportunities, partnerships
Singapore - gov, 2012This document outlines the current thinking about climate change and its implications for Singapore. It also highlights the initiatives and strategies they are pursuing to prepare for the challenges that climate change poses. The document covers i) the climate change imperative; ii) global mission, national vision, local action; iii) climate change and why it matters; iv) sustainable development: Singapore’s national circumstances v) mitigation: reducing emissions; vi) adapting to climate change: a more resilient singapore; vii) opportunities for green growth; viii) building our future togethe ...
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Costs of climate-change adaptation in Europe: a review
This review addresses the impacts of climate change on Europe, especially on its economic sectors and the distribution of economic activity. It considers adaptation as an essential component in addressing those impacts and estimates the overall costs of adapting Europe to climate change. It compares recent estimates based on their adaptation perspective, including a detailed review of the methodologies used and of the definition of adaptation adopted.
Flood risk management research in New Zealand
This discussion paper explores existing river flood risk management practices in New Zealand, including the national context for flood risk management and looks at regional practices. The document then provides a brief overview of research in areas that contribute to the better understanding of flood processes, briefly stepping through climate, flood flows and inundation research and considering complexities of coastal catchments, flood vulnerability studies and research around community awareness and preparedness for flood hazards. Finally, the document identifies gaps in flood research, and ...
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Adaptive governance and resilience: the role of multi-stakeholder platforms in disaster risk reduction+: In Natural Hazards Earth System Sciences, 12, 2923–2942
This study aims to provide an analysis of the spatial distribution of vulnerability of urban populations to extreme heat events in Australian capital cities at the present time, and to estimate future vulnerability in relation to projected climate changes.It provides a ‘tool’ to guide short-term, medium-term and longer-term heatwave adaptation policy.
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A critical analysis of climate change factors and its projected future values in Delta state, Nigeria: In Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vol. 2, No. 2
Emaziye P.O. - 2012This study analyses climate change factors (temperature and rainfall) and their projected future values in the Delta state, Nigeria. A variety of crops such as maize, yam and cassava produced in Delta state depend on rainfall for their optimum performance. Therefore, decreasing and/or irregular rainfall patterns threaten food security in the state. This study reveals increasing trends of temperature values and decreasing rainfall values in the state. However, projected future rainfall values indicated an increasing trend. The study suggests that the increasing trends in temperature values may ...
Climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation in Zimbabwe
IIED, 2012This working paper reviews impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change in Zimbabwe, with the intention of providing a broad overview of the key issues related to climate change, including the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction at the district, provincial and national levels. It draws on a set of background papers that were produced by the Policy and Advocacy for Climate Change in Zimbabwe project, examining climate trends, scenarios and projections for Zimbabwe and drawing upon a variety of case studies on adaptation projects.
Climate Response over Selected Urban and Desert Areas in Northern China
Many studies carried out have shown evidence of regional temperature and precipitation variability along with global climate changes. A key issue is whether these variability follow trends that are uniform or others have increasing trends while others decreasing trend. And this study was carried out using Mann-Kendall trend test method and regression analysis method with the data observed by a total of 20stations to investigate the trends of temperature and precipitation in northern China. 10stations were selected from urban areas (section 1.4.2: table 1.1) and another 10stations were selected ...
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Potential of semi-structural and non-structural adaptation strategies to reduce future flood risk: case study for the Meuse: In Natural Hazards Earth System Sciences, 12, 2012
Copernicus Publications, 2012This study assesses how semi-structural and non-structural measures can decrease the flood risk beyond the local level, now and in the future, in the Meuse river basin, in the region of Limburg, in the southeast of the Netherlands. It is aimed: (i) to assess the sensitivity of riverine flood risk to changes in land use and climate; and (ii) to examine the potential of different adaptation strategies at the regional scale to reduce future flood damage and risk. This assessment is the first study of this kind carried out in the Netherlands.
It considers the independent contributi ...
Environmental legislation for disaster risk management: module 1
Gupta Anil K.; Nair Sreeja S.; Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); et al. - India Government, 2012“Environmental Legislation for Disaster Risk Management”, training module is based on the analysis of global context of environmental laws, policies and approaches of integrating environment and disaster risk management. This module cites examples of legal and policy framework from across the world, along with special references to the Indian legal framework and disaster management.
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The state of food and agriculture: investing in agriculture for a better future
FAO, 2012Recent food crises and growing concerns about global climate change have placed agriculture on top of the international agenda. Decision-makers have recognised the strong link between the dual goals of eradicating hunger and making agriculture sustainable. Achieving these goals will require a significant increase in agricultural investment but, more importantly, it will require improving the quality of this investment. This annual flagship report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reviews the economic and social rationale for agricultural investment, examines the causes of underinv ...
Using scenarios to improve understanding of environment and security issues
EEA, 2012Analysing the security risks resulting from climate change is essential for effective policy-making. The Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Environment Agency (EEA) is running the joint project 'Security implications of climate change in the OSCE regions' with the aim of improving understanding of the links between global megatrends and environment, and the security of food, fuel and water in different regions. It also aims to enhance cooperation and networking among the main institutions addressing climate security issues. A participatory-based scenario-bu ...
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Arctic Report Card 2012
ssued annually since 2006, the Arctic Report Card (hereafter the Report Card) is a timely and peer-reviewed source for clear, reliable and concise environmental information on the current state of the Arctic relative to historical records. The Report Card is intended for a wide audience, including scientists, teachers, students, decision-makers and the general public interested in the Arctic environment and science.
Comprising 20 essays on different topics in the physical and biological sciences, the Report Card is organized into five sections: Atmosphere; Sea Ice & Ocean; Marin ...
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Fragile States 2013: Resource flows and trends in fragile states
By 2015, half of the world’s people living on less than USD 1.25 a day will be in fragile states. While poverty has decreased globally, progress on Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 1 is slower in fragile states than in other developing countries. Fragile states are also off-track to meet the rest of the MDGs by 2015.
Fragile situations became a central concern of the international development and security agenda in the 1990s. Since then, powerful forces have been influencing the causes and manifestations of fragility, including the combination of democratic aspirations, new te ...
Adaptation to climate change – are governments prepared? – a cooperative audit
This joint report presents a cooperative audit based on eight individual national audit reports from Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia and Ukraine, and a fact-finding study by the European Court of Auditors. It reveals that the eight countries are in an early stage in adapting to climate change, and, so far, adaptation activities are related to identifying risk and vulnerabilities and to some extent policy development.
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Adaptation to a changing climate in the Arab countries : a case for adaptation governance and leadership in building climate resilience
Adapting to climate change is not a new phenomenon for the Arab world. For thousands of years, the people in Arab countries have coped with the challenges of climate variability by adapting their survival strategies to changes in rainfall and temperature. Their experience has contributed significantly to the global knowledge on climate change and adaptation. But over the next century global climatic variability is predicted to increase, and Arab countries may well experience unprecedented extremes in climate. Temperatures may reach new highs, and in most places there may be a risk of less rain ...
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Mainstreaming gender in health adaptation to climate change programmes : user's guide
World Health Organization (WHO) - WHO, 2012This User’s Guide builds on the WHO training manual Gender mainstreaming for health managers: a practical approach, which was developed by the WHO Department of Gender, Women and Health (GWH), and on the discussion paper Gender, climate change and health, jointly developed by the WHO Climate Change and Health Unit and GWH. This publication constitutes the adaptation of those two resources to the needs of climate change and health programme managers
Tackling the limits to adaptation: An international framework to address 'loss and damage' from climate change impacts
ActionAid International (ActionAid); Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere - International Secretariat (CARE) ; World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) - ActionAid, 2012This document argues that current and future scale of climate change implies serious loss and damage, especially to the lives and livelihoods of those who are poor, most vulnerable and least to blame.
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OECD Environment Working Papers, 50. Climate Mitigation and Adaptation in Africa : evidence from patent data
This paper presents comparative data on innovation in selected climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies in the context of Africa. Such analysis informs policy aimed at encouraging international technology transfer and development of domestic innovation capacities. We present detailed analysis of the role of Africa in development of these technologies (invention), and then move on to examine Africa as a technology market (as reflected in patenting). In addition, we briefly touch upon the question of cross-border technology development (co-invention) in Africa. Despite Africa’s gene ...
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IRENA Handbook on Renewable Energy Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) for Policy Makers and Project Developers
Over the past five years, increasing attention has focused upon a promising new instrument to reduce carbon emissions in developing countries – one which does not attempt to impose a one-size-fits-all solution, but which takes advantage of national-led initiatives tailored to each country’s specific needs. This instrument is called ‘Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions’, or NAMAs, and is driven by the conviction that appropriate government policies and activities can mobilise public and private investment in low-carbon development. NAMAs vary considerably in scope – ranging from large-sca ...
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Policy Research Working Paper. Sea-level rise and coastal wetlands : impacts and costs
Scientific evidence indicates that global warming could well lead to a sea-level rise of 1 meter or more in the 21st century. This paper seeks to quantify how a 1-meter sea-level rise that would affect coastal wetlands in 76 developing countries and territories, taking into account how much of wetlands would be submerged and how likely the wetlands would move inland as the coastline recedes. It is estimated that approximately 64 percent of the freshwater marsh, 66 percent of Global Lakes and Wetlands Database coastal wetlands, and 61 percent of brackish/saline wetlands are at risk. A large per ...
Towards climate smart disaster risk reduction in Asia: In Southasiadisasters.net, issue no. 88 (November)
This white paper released by the National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China provides an overview of the extreme weather and climate events of 2011 in China. Section two asserts addresses climate change and reports that during the 11th Five-Year Plan period, China strengthened scientific research in and impact evaluation of climate change, improved relevant laws and policies, and enhanced the capability of key sectors to adapt to climate change, so as to reduce the negative impact of climate change on economic and social development and people's lives. The sect ...
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