Climate Change Impacts and Development in Mountain Regions: A Flexible Approach to an Uncertain Future

Transcription

1 Climate Change Impacts and Development in Mountain Regions: A Flexible Approach to an Uncertain Future Building resilience to climate change in mountain areas 8 January 2014 United Nations Dr. Michael H. Glantz CCB, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado, USA mickeyglantz@hotmail.com Dr. Iván J. Ramírez (Presenter) Interdisciplinary Science, Eugene Lang College, The New School ramirezi@newschool.edu NB: Views expressed herein are those of the presenters

2 Coping with Changing Aspects of Climate Variability Seasonal Interannual Fluctuations Decadal Change Extreme events Seasonality is critical; Mountain communities live according to the flow of the seasons.

3 There is no place on the planet to escape from global warming We recognize a real problem a global temperature increase produced by man s injection of heat and CO2 This exercise would be fruitless if we did not believe that society would be rational when faced with a set of decisions that could govern the future habitability of our planet. M.I.T. Study Man s Impact on Climate (SMIC) 1971 Inadvertent Climate Modification Report of the Study of Man s Impact on Climate (SMIC) Edited by SMIC M.I.T. Press Mountain ecosystems and peoples are vulnerable to a changing climate

4 Societies are now an integral part of the climate system Mountain populations are part of the system too Climate Change Impacts on the United States, USGCRP, 2000

5 Mountains are a global concern They are: The water towers of the planet The third pole The roof of the world Eurasian snow covers influence global and regional climates Upstream countries are the guardians of water upstream Mountain water resources matter for sustainable development

6 Commoner s 4 Laws of Ecology 1. Everything is connected to everything else. Tibet 2. Everything has to go somewhere or there is no such place as away. 3. Everything is always changing. 4. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

7 Mountains provide goods to highland, midland and lowland populations Water (for consumption, irrigation, energy); Food (crops, domesticated and wild animals, fish); Wood (for energy and construction); Non-timber forest products (fibers, foodstuffs, medicinal plants); Minerals; Recreational activities and tourism. Becker, A. and H. Bugmann (eds), 2001; IPCC 2001

8 Mountains provide services upstream, midstream and downstream Provides water purification; Helps regulate climate; Allows habitability of mountain areas through slope stabilization and protection from natural disasters; Supports biodiversity; Benefit tourism. IPCC (2007)

9 Mountain cascade of goods & services Streamflow from glaciers to coasts or inland drainage basins

10 Regional Mountain Issues: Environmental and Social Challenges Mountain communities have their hazards and disasters to cope with. Mountain communities face multiple environmental and social challenges to sustainable development

11 Thinking inside the mountain box: Environmental Mountain problems Sensitivity to variable and changing climate; Glacier retreat and melting; Fragile highlands ecosystems; Changes in seasonality; Accelerated soil erosion; Landslides; Rapid habitat loss & genetic biodiversity.

12 Thinking inside the mountain box: Societal Mountain problems Widespread poverty; Food insecurity; Growing demands for water and other natural resources ; Indigenous knowledge loss; Expanding industry and tourism; Land degradation; Gender issues; Increase of incidence of natural disasters; Adapting to a changing climate; Conflicts; Greater rates of out-migration. Food security needs Mountain local knowledge loss

13 Thinking outside the Mountain box Highlands-midlands-lowlands; Upstream-downstream; Integrated watershed development. Interdependency of social and economic interests. Thus, Mountains should be included in international development processes and discussions.

14 Mountains Matter for Sustainable Development! While vulnerable to climate change-related impacts, mountains also provide many goods and services that sustain communities in the box and out the box ; Furthermore, mountain-specific knowledge and practices are critical, as solutions to climate change impacts and sustainable development challenges; Moreover, in the name of social and economic equity, mountain communities merit assistance in coping with climate change and reaching their development needs; Thus, the planet s water towers merit specific focus in the Sustainable Development Goals.

15 Birthland Homeland Thank you.