Informing an Effective Response to Climate Change (2010) / Chapter Skim
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7 International Information Needs
7 International Information Needs
Pages 235-250
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From page 235... ...
. Countries that import most of their food will become increasingly dependent on the agriculture and food production from those major net exporters and thus will become more vulnerable to shifts in production and price due to extreme weather events associated with climate change (World Bank, 2010)
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From page 236... ...
United States food and fiber processing indus bitmap tries also require information on conditions in key countries exporting to the United States, with some companies maintaining in house climate expertise in order to gain comparative advantage in climate-sensitive global markets. Climate change will make it harder to produce enough food for the world's growing population, and the global rate of agricultural productivity growth will need to almost double while minimizing the associated environmental damage (IPCC, 2007; Rosegrant et al., 2009)
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From page 237... ...
For example, changes in the timing and availability of water will affect agricultural production, sanitation, drinking-water quality and cost, water supply reliability, ecosys FIGURE 7.2 The San Pedro River watershed is an example of shared water resources across our borders. SOURCE: Dale Turner and The Nature Conservancy; TNC (2010)
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From page 238... ...
, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the Convention on Shared International Watercourses, and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The United States and other nations need to jointly evaluate how to sustain international ecological services from lands and waters in the face of climate change.
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From page 239... ...
. Advanced seasonal climate forecast models can now predict peak times for malaria transmission and give regional authorities in Africa information to operate an early warning system and longer lead times to respond more effectively.
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Flooding of low-lying areas as sea level rises will displace additional tens of millions of people across the globe. As well, hurricanes and cyclones that form are expected to be more intense as climate changes, with higher wind speeds and increased rainfall (IPCC, 2007b)
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From page 241... ...
Climate change itself can have impacts on the types of missions security forces must perform as well as the ways in which the military carries out those missions. For example, the effectiveness of some military operations could be influenced by the durability of equipment in extreme weather, the location and vulnerability of military bases to issues such as sea level rise and hurricanes, and a lack of reliable infrastructure to support transportation and energy needs (CNA, 2007)
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From page 242... ...
If the United States struggles to relocate its own citizens as sea level rises (e.g., some of the land south of New Orleans will lose up to a meter this century from subsidence alone; sea level rise of up to a meter will be on top of that) , migration to our borders of millions of people from Latin America and the Caribbean could tax humanitarian assistance (Woolsey, 2008)
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From page 243... ...
Such an enterprise would build on existing observation systems but must go far beyond them. It must provide information to help farmers decide on appropriate crops and water management during droughts, on appropriate infrastructure to cope with the new 100-year extreme precipitation and storm surge events, monitor changing carbon stocks and flows in forests and soils, and evaluate efficacy of disaster response strategies under changing climate conditions.
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From page 244... ...
.ENSO events,which occur every 3 to 8 years, involve a periodic change in the tropical Pacific atmosphere and ocean. These events are associated with extreme weather and climate anomalies, such as droughts in Australia, India, and Africa; floods in South America; and severe winter storms in the United States.
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One such example is the Pacific Climate Information System (PaCIS) , which provides a regional framework to integrate ongoing and future climate observations, operational forecasting services, and climate projections.
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From page 246... ...
. Providing the institutional mechanisms to ensure the coordination, strengthening, and supplementation of existing global Earth observation systems, GEOSS supports policy makers, resource managers, scientific researchers, and a broad spectrum of decision makers in nine areas: disaster risk mitigation, adaptation to climate change, integrated water resource management, management of marine resources, biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture and forestry, public health, distribution of energy resources, and weather monitoring.
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From page 247... ...
Climate change forecasts, including meteorological and air quality predictions, are needed to characterize the specific vulnerabilities of populations in relation to the environmental or societal stressors that are already in place. Similarly, research and testing should take advantage of local knowledge and perspectives to identify patterns of severe health impacts and to develop effective adaptation methods.
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From page 248... ...
concluded such a clearinghouse should be "built on a series of consistent metrics and deliver information, training, and capacity-building services for climate change adaptation and mitigation that are broadly available to government, NGOs, and private sector interests." Verifying efforts to reduce emissions, reduce vulnerability, and enhance adaptive capacity will require frequently updated international socioeconomic data, such as population density, changing land use and land cover, and infrastructure development (Bowen and Ranger, 2009)
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From page 249... ...
Supporting the development of institutions such as universities, schools, training institutes, research and development institutions, and laboratories, and such technological services as agricultural extension and business incubation, can support the private and public capacity to utilize mitigation and adaptation technologies.2 Research institutes can then partner with government agencies and private contractors to identify and design appropriate coastal adaptation technologies and to implement, operate, and maintain them. They can help devise adaptation strategies for farmers by combining local knowledge with scientific testing of alternative agroforestry systems or support forestry management by combining indigenous peoples' knowledge of forest conservation with genetically superior planting material.
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From page 250... ...
investment in international information systems. Information on impacts, greenhouse gas emissions, and response strategies internationally is essential for effective United States decisions because of the effect that international conditions have on United States climate, competitiveness, carbon prices, security, standards, and protocols for business.
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