Understanding Multiple Environmental Stresses Report of a Workshop (2007) / Chapter Skim
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4 Lessons Learned from the Case Studies
4 Lessons Learned from the Case Studies
Pages 36-48
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From page 36... ...
Yet without a more sophisticated understanding of the impacts of a suite of environmental stresses, we cannot make the kind of progress necessary to improve our predictive capability and response strategies. The overarching lesson of the workshop discussions is that a thorough understanding of the integrated effects of -- and future vulnerability to -- multiple stresses to natural and socioeconomic systems requires improved use of existing tools and strategies and, in addition, the development of improved tools and strategies -- such as observational, modeling, and information systems infrastructure -- to support environmental monitoring, vulnerability assessment, and response analysis and that the entire process needs significant involvement of stakeholders.
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From page 37... ...
, designed to provide high-frequency, continuous time-series measurements in broad-scale spatial arrays needed to define the links among physical, biological, chemical, and geological variables in the oceans and provide spatially coherent data to study processes and enable modeling efforts; • the Ameri-Flux Network,4 designed to provide continuous observations of ecosystem-level exchanges of CO2, H2O, energy, and momentum spanning diurnal, synoptic, seasonal, and interannual timescales; • the proposed Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observing System5 (IOOS) ; • the International Global Ocean Observing System6 (GOOS)
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From page 38... ...
a strong connection to significant regional issues and stakeholders. Workshop participants returned repeatedly to the Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA)
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From page 39... ...
Targeted process studies improve our ability to quantify thresholds, understand nonlinear interactions of multiple environmental factors, and decipher long timescale responses to climate change. The benefit of these intensive studies is maximized when they can be coupled with a highly developed, integrated set of sensors, with readily accessible spatial and temporal data within a regional information system, and with a predictive model framework that readily enables the entrainment and testing of new information from process studies.
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From page 40... ...
Observations • Maintain existing environmental networks and expand observing infrastructure (e.g., NEON) while maintaining a balance between high-cost, large platforms/ instruments and low-cost, small platforms/instruments.
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From page 41... ...
Development of a mesoscale numerical prediction capability that meshes with regional sensor webs and information systems would facilitate development of tractable coupled models, initiate experimental forecasts of new variables, and enable assessment of the outcomes associated with multiple stresses. RESEARCH NEEDS RELATED TO NONLINEARITIES AND THRESHOLDS Workshop participants frequently highlighted lessons learned about nonlinearities in the climate system and the difficulties associated with quantifying
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From page 42... ...
Threshold-focused research needs to study both direct and indirect effects, linking thresholds and impact occurrence to indicators/indices, study of the full probability space of observations and model outputs, and consideration of new opportunities that are likely to result from globalization. RESEARCH NEEDS RELATED TO INCREASING RESILIENCE Workshop participants encouraged the following approaches to increasing resilience to multiple environmental stresses: • use of models; • improvement of models for response planning; • identification of additional water storage; • consideration of new conservation strategies; • maintenance of biodiversity; • improved communication of environmental capacities and limitations to local officials; • improved understanding of adaptive or buffering capacity, which is determined by the types of capital available (natural, social, human, cultural, and produced)
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From page 43... ...
socioeconomic conditions and civil and regional wars in scenarios for sustainable development; and • linking results of models to resilience, improvement of public awareness of related issues, and elimination of nonsustaining financial incentives. Moreover, a number of steps were suggested for the creation of vigorous and continuous links between researchers and decision makers, including • incorporation of the variety of time and space scales and the diversity of variables that are important to decision makers; • emphasis on the education of the user in the meaning and significance of climate and land use information in order to promote greater use and more robust applications; • ensuring mutual information exchange and feedback; • focus on communication and accessibility of information; • continuous evaluation and assessment of the use and effectiveness of the services; • employment of active mechanisms to enable the transition from research discovery to useful products; and • employment of a variety of methods of education and outreach.
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From page 44... ...
. The program now consists of eight regional teams distributed across the United States, each with a focus on the role of climate variability and the projected impacts of climate change in defined sectors of human socioeconomic activity and on specified ecosystems.
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From page 45... ...
. Anticipated foci and socioeconomic benefits include • sustainable agriculture and reduced desertification; • disaster reduction and improved ecosystem management and protection; • biodiversity conservation; • improved weather information, forecasting, and warning; • adaptation to climate variability and change; • improved water resource management; • understanding of environmental factors affecting human health and wellbeing; and • improved management of energy resources (NRC, 2005b)
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From page 46... ...
Other aspects of NIDIS focus on the development of a comprehensive drought early warning and delivery system, an enhanced research environment that emphasizes impact mitigation and improved predictive capabilities, and a framework for interacting with and educating stakeholders and the public on causes of drought, preparedness strategies, and how drought impacts human and natural systems. NIDIS is considered to be an invaluable resource in helping water managers and policy makers at all levels deal with the increasing impacts of drought and water resources management in a climate change environment.
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From page 47... ...
The RISA teams, for example, have used periodic systematic surveys, annual workshops custom-tailored to the specific interests of different combinations of stakeholders (e.g., water resource managers, forest fire managers, fisheries managers, farmers, coastal managers) , and the co-production of specific decision-support tools as ways to build in true stakeholder involvement.
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From page 48... ...
4 UNdERStANdINg ANd RESPONdINg tO MUltIPlE ENVIRONMENtAl StRESSES cannot be expected to know what they need to know about the dynamics of the climate system. So the research agenda must be balanced; it cannot be the product of curiosity alone but rather it must be defined to meet certain ends that can be transferred to the decision maker.
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