urgent challenge and adaptation considerations for thailand and mekong region (a view from a climate...
TRANSCRIPT
Urgent Challenge and Adaptation Considerations for Thailand and
Mekong Region(A View from a Climate Generalist)
Anond SnidvongsSoutheast Asia Regional Center for
Global Change SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training (START)
Chulalongkorn University
(www.start.or.th, www.start.org)
How can we ensure that precise information about climate science, climate risk, and vulnerability are communicated to appropriate recipients in the right time, right format, and right context
An Urgent Challenge for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation
Some Practical Considerations for Appropriate Adaptations
• Various misconceptions about climate, climate change and risks
• Roles of the information providers• Information relay and recipients • Some formal and informal capacity building initiatives
in Thailand
Some Misconceptions
On climate science principles• Differentiation and relation between climate and
weather • Focus only on climate means and less on extremes,
ranges and frequencies• Globally (including GHG) forcing versus
locally/regionally driven climate change/variability
On ways to address the climate problem• Climate change to be addressed as its own domain• Climate change is an ‘environmental’ problem• Global warming can be ‘solved’ by mitigation
Changes in Weather Statistics
(a) Change in climate mean (b) Change in climate frequency (c) Change in climate extreme range
(a + c) Increased climate mean and range but same frequency
(a + b + c) Increased climate mean, range and frequency
Climate change may be of any of these combinations
Some Locally/Regionally Driven Changes
Urban heat island effectsAerosol effects on air quality, rainfall, etc.
Land use/cover changes and impacts on regional weather and water balance
Bangkok MODIS
Adelaide AVHRR and TRMM
Some of these local/regional forcings may be related to GHG driven global warming
Example: Coastal Sea Level in the Upper Gulf of Thailand
Spring tide 1.0 m
NE monsoon effect 0.5 m
Buoyancy effect 0.5 m
Storm surge 1.0 m
HISTORICAL EXTREME COINCIDENCES
Land subsidence 0.3 mMean sea level rise 0.3 m
Annual Events
Episodic Extremes
2.3 m dike
2030 EXTREME RISK FOR COINCIDENCES
Episodic Extremes
Misinformation from Sources
• Lack of local data, local agenda, or local context • Internet is not always a good source of reliable
information, lack of quality control• Discipline oriented perspectives• Time and space scale problems• Hidden/preoccupied agenda• Lack of communication skill
Information Recipients
• Wrong/incomplete communication, misquotations• False security on engineering/technical solutions• ‘Mean’ Climate change signals are smaller than natural
variabilities/extremes• Unwilling to change/adapt (behavior, lifestyle,
consumption, etc.)• Consider climate change/global warming as an isolated
‘environment’ agenda rather than an integrated ‘development’ agenda
Formal Education
• M.A., Ph.D. in Environment, Development and Sustainability (A cooperative postgraduate program of Chulalongkorn University)– Core Courses
• Understanding Environment, Development and Sustainability • Sustainable Resource Management • Society, Politics and Social Changes • Advanced Issue in Environment, Development and Sustainability
– Selected Electives• Earth’s Climate System • Energy, Environment and Climate Change • Climate Science, Impacts, Adaptation and Mitigation • Managing Biodiversity in a Changing Climate • Adaptation Policy Framework - Climate Change Impacts • Vulnerability Science for Sustainable Development Planning• Climate and Human Settlement • Urban Climate • Communication in Bargaining and Negotiation • Advanced Presentation Skills • Studies in Persuasion and Attitude Change
Informal Education
• Books• Internet • Public/special seminars• Media workshops• Dialogues• Student camps
Thank You
Climate change Future climate threat Risk Vulnerability Adaptation
http://research.start.or.th/climate/