Interregional TC Project on Assessing the Impact of Climate Change and its Effects on Soil and Water Resources in Polar and Mountain Regions

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1 Interregional TC Project on Assessing the Impact of Climate Change and its Effects on Soil and Water Resources in Polar and Mountain Regions INT/5/153 G. Dercon 1 and J. Gerardo-Abaya 2 1 Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture 2 IAEA Department of Technical Cooperation ( )

2 Latest evidence for Climate Change C Deviation from 20th century mean for summer temperature (May-Sept) 3,0 2,0 1,0 Alps ca. 2 0,0-1,0-2,0-3, Source: CRU, HISTALP Global ca. 0.9

3 Impact on local communities Mudflow Winter tourism Agriculture Windbreak

4 INT/5/153 Assessing the Impact of Climate Change and its Effects on Soil and Water Resources in Polar and Mountain Regions To improve the understanding of the impact of climate change on fragile polar and mountainous ecosystems at the local and global scale for their better management and conservation.

5 INT/5/153 participants Argentina Austria Belgium Bolivia Brazil Canada Chile China Finland Germany Japan Kyrgyzstan Norway Peru Russian Federation Spain Sweden Switzerland Tajikistan Tanzania United Kingdom United States of America Uruguay FAO/IAEA IAEA UNU UNEP EC ICIMOD 23 countries

6 Expected outputs of INT/5/153 (1) Methodologies for assessment of climate change impact on cryosphere and land-water-ecosystem quality and conservation or adaptation measures for agriculture areas. Interregional network of laboratories and institutions competent in the assessment of climate change impacts on cryosphere and landwater-ecosystem quality, which use isotopic and nuclear techniques. Young scientists trained on the use of isotope and nuclear techniques to assess the impact of climate change on the cryosphere and land-water-ecosystem quality in polar and mountainous ecosystems.

7 Expected outputs of INT/5/153 (2) Specific strategies to minimize the adverse effects of, and adapt to, climate change in polar and mountain regions across the world. Improved understanding of the effects of climate change disseminated through appropriate publications, policy briefs, and through a dedicated internet platform. A platform or database with global access for continuing work and monitoring of impact of climate change on fragile polar and mountainous ecosystems at local and global scale, as well as for communicating findings to policy makers and communities.

8 Benchmark Sites Representative of the major problems and trends of climate impact on cryosphere and land-water-ecosystem quality in polar and mountain regions across the world. Temperate, subtropical and tropical ecosystems (Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe) Truly representative, and logistically available: existing monitoring stations and accessible In all cases, analysis is carried out to indicate the potential of scaling out of the results at a national, regional and international level. 8

9 Benchmark Sites 9

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11 Gaps of information on impact of climate change in polar and mountainous regions? 1. Impact on landscape dynamics (soil erosion and slope stability) 2. Impact on livelihoods (food and feed production) 3. Impact on terrestrial agro-systems and ecosystems (soil organic carbon dynamics, greenhouse gas emission and feedback systems) 4. Impact on water, runoff, river and discharge dynamics 5. Impact on the cryosphere (snow cover, glacier dynamics and permafrost) land-waterecosystem quality interactions

12 Monitoring of Climate Change Effects comparative experiments on all benchmark sites Example Austrian Involvement Lead of Driver 1: A. Richter Driver 2: P. Strauss Protocol Workshop, November 2014, IAEA, Vienna Protocol Testing Antarctica & Patagonia A. Richter

13 Protocols Protocol A: What is the impact of climate change on soil and soil organic carbon in polar and mountainous regions? (Driver 1) Protocol B: What is the impact of climate change on (i) water availability and (ii) soil-sediment redistribution processes in polar & mountainous regions? (Driver 2) Protocol C: How is the cryosphere affected by long-term and current climate change? (Driver 3)

14 Next Generation Ecosystem Experiments! + Highly innovative scientific approach; seismic shift in this kind research expected. + Austrian contribution is setting the scene for the INT-5153 project phase two CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION ANALYSIS taken to a new level!

15 Training Interregional Training Course on the Use of Fallout Radionuclides and Compound-Specific Stable Isotope Techniques for Precision Soil Conservation Seibersdorf, October, 2014 (4 weeks) 22 Fellows 16 Member States In collaboration with 3 regional TC projects and INT5153

16 Expeditions 2015 Validating protocols in two benchmark sites Torres del Paine, Chile King George Island, Southern Shetland Islands (Antarctica) 21 January 16 February 2015, with a transdisciplinary team of 10 scientists of 6 Member States including two IAEA scientists Cost-sharing Chile, Russian Federation and Brazil

17 Activities Svalbard training course (20 31 July) Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Science and GRID-Arendal UNEP (high priority) Sampling strategies for drivers 1, 2 and 3 in proglacial areas Combined with sampling of benchmark site For max 13 fellows (optimal 13 fellows) Rio de Janeiro Technical Workshop on Remote Sensing (9-13 November 2015) for assessing glacier dynamics in 5 selected benchmark sites (high priority) For 6 junior scientists with strong background in remote sensing during 2 weeks USA technical meeting of 1 week in the beginning of July 6-10 for 9 participants on training for weather station management for high mountainous systems

18 Activities Tajikistan training course on driver 2 (Sediment redistribution at watershed level in high mountainous regions) close to Dushanbe 2 weeks for 13 scientists June (high priority) Austria Technical Workshop on driver 1 (SOC dynamics, experimental approaches and data interpretation) 2 weeks for 10 scientists November Medium Term review project meeting 1 week for 1 representative per benchmark site October-November

19 Activities Final Scientific Coordination Meeting (data interpretation and conclusion) in Rauris Austria September 1 week, with inauguration of exhibition in National Park Hohe Tauern exhibition centre, and visit to benchmark site Meeting for recommendations for policies 1 week meeting in December (policy committee meeting)

20 Conclusions + Inter-institutional and transdisciplinary platform formed on climate change adaptation in mountainous regions. + Key and long-term benchmark sites at global level + A venue of practical on-the-job training + Long-term approach important: Institutionalization needed.