Many decision makers need climate information at the
regional and local levels to address short- and long-term
challenges posed by variable and changing climate. Risks
posed by climate variability would include hurricanes,
droughts, floods, freezes, heat stresses, and wild fires.
Risks posed by climate change, include changes in the
frequency and intensity of extreme events, sea level rise,
and emissions of greenhouse gases. In addition to risks,
climate change offers new economic opportunities, such as
bio-fuel production, carbon sequestration, and new markets
for green information and technologies.
Climate risks and how we can best respond to those risks are
highly complex, as they are affected by economic,
demographic, and cultural factors in addition to changes in
physical and biological systems. Because of this complex
nature of climate risks, solutions will depend on integrated
research, teaching, and outreach, with decision-makers and
other stakeholders included as partners in these programs.
We will need new educational curricula, new research
programs, and new communications tools to provide
information that decision makers can use to manage risks and
benefit from new opportunities.
To help us prepare for these challenges, CIMR 2011 will
address three objectives:
To provide a forum to share knowledge, experiences, and
ideas for diverse professionals from scientific fields
that address issues of climate, from organizations that
are engaged in dissemination of new climate information
to decision makers, and from the decision makers
themselves.
To identify priorities and plan strategies for future
climate research, education, and outreach that will
enable universities, agencies, and organizations to
provide climate information for decision makers in
agriculture, water resources, coastal communities and
ecosystems, and terrestrial ecosystems.
To explore opportunities and needs for developing
climate information and decision support systems, as
well as how to produce and apply global climate
information at both regional and local levels.
