Alan F. Hamlet Edward L. Miles Amy K. Snover JISAO Center for Science in the Earth System Climate Impacts Group and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Washington October, 2003 Designing a Regional Integrated Climate Research Program for the Pacific Northwest: Evolving Research Strategies in the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group
Designing a Regional Integrated Climate Research Program for the Pacific Northwest: Evolving Research Strategies in the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group. JISAO Center for Science in the Earth System Climate Impacts Group and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Alan F. HamletEdward L. MilesAmy K. Snover
JISAO Center for Science in the Earth System Climate Impacts Group
and Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringUniversity of Washington
October, 2003
Designing a Regional Integrated Climate Research Program for the Pacific
Northwest: Evolving Research Strategies in the University of Washington Climate
Impacts Group
PI: Edward L. Miles (human dimensions)
Principals:
Robert Francis (aquatic ecosystems)Dennis P. Lettenmaier (hydrology and water resources)Nathan Mantua (climate dynamics)Philip W. Mote (education and outreach)Richard Palmer (water resources management)David L. Peterson (forests)Amy K. Snover (integration and synthesis)
People in the Climate Impacts Group
The Climate Impacts Group: The Big Picture
Climate Variability• past variations and their impacts• ability of institutions to respond to
extremesClimate Change• regional consequences of global
warming• adaptation/vulnerability
Water Resources
Salmon +
Forests
Coasts
Human Dimensions
[Agriculture]
[Human Health]
SEC
TO
RS
SC
OPE o
f W
OR
K
Climate Impact ScienceThe study of how climate, natural resources, and
human socio-economic systems affect each other
naturalresources
socio-economicsystems
climate
CLIMATE
IMPACTS
SCIENCE
• Understand regional climate variability • Analyze impacts of climate variations on natural and
human systems• Investigate institutional responses to climatic
stresses• Assess societal sensitivity, adaptability and
vulnerability to climate variability • Use evidence from retrospective studies as basis
for projecting sensitivity, adaptability and vulnerability to climate change
Research Approach
Climate
Hydrology and Water Resources
Forests
Aquatic Ecosystems
Coastal Systems
To Begin: A Simple Vertical Integration Framework with a One-Dimensional Horizontal Linkage to Climate.
Human Dimensions Research
Human Dimensions Research was an integrated component in each sector.
VIC Simulations of April 1 Average Snow Water Equivalentfor Composite Scenarios (average of four GCM scenarios)
Project Impacts Forwards in Time
The Northwest Salmon Crisis: The Northwest Salmon Crisis: commercial landings in the Columbia River 1863-1993commercial landings in the Columbia River 1863-1993
Mill
ions
of
poun
ds la
nded
10
20
30
Examine the Response of Complex Systems
Evaluate Institutional Components and Characteristics
Work with stakeholdersBenefits to CIG:• Use of climate forecasts
by natural resources managers
• Perceived value of climate information
• Decision calendars• Institutional constraints
on adaptability • Areas of vulnerability
Benefits to stakeholders:• Tools for planning - resource forecasts
- regional & resource-specific interpretations of global climate change
• Reliable and responsive source of information about climate outlooks and climate predictability
Strategies• Continual networking to identify partnerships • Workshops & surveys provide means for initial contact• Capitalize on climate events• Long-term commitment
Create Functional Linkages Between Academic Research and Management
Agencies
Climate research Formal planning exercises
Hydrologic studies Monitoring
Integrated assessment Infrastructure
Adaptation strategies Management
Academic Research
Resource Management
Planning for Climate Change: Water Resources in the Columbia
basin Water policy workshops have highlighted the need to inject climate change information into existing river basin planning activities and to provide free access to streamflow scenarios.
Current ClimatePCM3 2040ECHAM4 2040HadCM2 2040HadCM3 2040
FUTURE WATER DEMAND IN PORTLAND (OR):
Regional growth: +40 mgdClimate change: +20 mgd
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS on WEST-SIDE MUNICIPAL SYSTEMS:
Decreased spring streamflow Increased demandsRegional planning & infrastructure investments
Synthesize the Vertical Research Findings
A Few Examples:
•PNW Regional Assessment Report (Mote et al. 1999) (Part of the National Assessment of Climate Variability and Change)
•Integrated Assessment of Columbia River Water Resources (Miles et al. 2000)
•Transboundary Issues in the Columbia River Basin (Hamlet, 2003)
•Fisheries Management Applications (Mantua and Francis, 2003)
•Ongoing Workshops on Water Management, Water Policy, Fisheries Management, Forests Resources, Coastal Systems in the Context of Climate Variability and Climate Change
A Vision for the Future: Increasing Horizontal & Vertical
Integration
Objective: To develop a capability to answer questions from policymakers concerning impacts and policies at the different time/space scales at which climate, natural ecosystems, and human social systems interact.
Climate
Hydrology and Water Resources
Forests
Aquatic Ecosystems
Coastal Systems
One-Dimensional Horizontal Integration
Global ClimateDrivers
Hydrologic Cycle
Forests
Estuaries
Coastal Ocean
Rivers
Water ResourcesManagement
Open Ocean
Salmon
Multi-Dimensional Horizontal Integration
Fisheries Management
Global ClimateDrivers
Hydrologic Cycle
Forests
Estuaries
Coastal Ocean
Rivers
Water ResourcesManagement
Open Ocean
Salmon
Focus on Subsets of the Multi-Dimensional Problem
Fisheries Management
Conclusions:A simple organizational structure based on a one-dimensional “horizontal” linkage between climate research and a group of “vertically integrated” research teams in several traditional academic disciplines has proven to be a useful one for the Climate Impacts Group.
This research strategy has laid the foundation for future work with increasing horizontal integration between sectors.
Research on the capacity of existing institutions identified important research needs and fundamentally altered the CIG’s strategy for education and outreach.
CIG Partnerships with regional stakeholders has been a very productive avenue in the context of creating linkages between academia and management agencies, and in the process of developing and refining pilot climate forecast applications.