Climate Change in Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas: Research experiences and new scientific challenges
Workshop on Climate change in Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas:
Research experiences and new scientific challenges
CIIFEN Headquarters,
Guayaquil, Ecuador, May 8th – 11th 2012
1. Rationale
Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, though geographically different, present many interesting analogies when climatic change impacts, adaptation and mitigation strategies are addressed. Both basins are, in different measure, affected by major natural pressures such as changes in precipitation, sea temperature, storm tracks, plus effects due to sea level rise and ocean acidification. These pressures have impact in the freshwater availability, degradation of marine and coastal ecosystems, frequency of extreme events and coastal flooding. Anthropic pressures such as coastal overexploitation, overfishing and unsustainable tourism are important as well. The climate change in both Caribbean and Mediterranean basins are therefore tightly connected with an ensemble of risks and threats, but also with challenges and opportunities.
This similarity was already addressed by the side-event “Hot spots. Projections and impacts of climate change in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Areas” at the COP15 (Copenhagen, December 2009), where the Euro-Mediterranean Center for Climate Change (CMCC) and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center (CCCCC) jointly discussed on the nature and mechanisms of climate variability, its impacts and their economic consequences in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Areas. On the contrary, oceanography science and monitoring in the Caribbean Sea is poorly developed if compared with the efforts done in the Mediterranean area.
This workshop intends to review the current knowledge and understanding of the natural pressures acting on Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas and their impacts. The backbone of the conference will be mainly structured in terms of exchanges of scientific experiences, comparing the climate research achievements, tools and results recently gained in the Mediterranean area and in the Caribbean one. The final outcome will be finalized into a scientific report, with the aim to create a science-based support to mitigate climate impacts in Caribbean area.
2. Objectives
a) To review the latest scientific advances on Climate change in Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas.
b) To identify similarities between Mediterranean and Caribbean Sea and to propose concrete strategies to monitor and, possibly, mitigate the impact of climatic pressures.
c) To draft a Science/Action Plan including for the Caribbean Sea.
http://cdsagenda5.ictp.trieste.it/full_display.php?ida=a11205
