Global Water Futures - Translation of Transdisciplinary Observations, Science, and Predictions into Societal Action for Water and Climate Imperatives in Cold Regions
Abstract
The Earth system, much of the world's population, ecosystems and economy depend on freshwater from cold regions; yet this water is threatened as cold regions undergo rapid change, environmental degradation and unprecedented extreme events in response to magnified impacts from global warming, and rapid economic development. Developing solutions for predicting, preparing for, and managing cold regions water futures in the face of dramatically increasing risk is a global imperative. Global Water Futures (GWF; www.globalwaterfutures.ca) is a 7-year (2016-23) program that involves over 700 Canadian university, community and government scientists, as well as collaborators and stakeholders from across Canada and around the world. GWF's overarching goal is to deliver risk management solutions—informed by leading-edge water, climate, ecosystem, health and social science and supported by innovative decision-making tools—to manage water futures in Canada and other cold regions, with a focus on 1) improving disaster warning, 2) predicting water futures, and 3) informing adaptation to change and risk management. The program is comprised of 41 transdisciplinary projects and 6 core teams that address transformative biophysical, social science and policy questions, develop new data and decision support tools, build a water forecasting, observation and prediction system for Canada, and work with various stakeholder organizations and communities to target their needs for improved water understanding, management and governance. GWF is working with Indigenous communities to decolonialize science and co-develop solutions to their water problems. Internationally, GWF contributes to the WCRP GEWEX, the Future Earth - Sustainable Water Futures Programme, the UNESCO International Hydrological Programme, and the UN's decade on Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028. This presentation reviews the motivation for and objectives of GWF, the progress made to date, and future directions. Attention will focus on integration of project and core team outcomes towards delivering key program goals, as well as the development of an international strategy focussed on global cold regions. GWF will strive to be a beacon for designing water-based adaptation and managing change in an increasingly uncertain, warming world.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFM.C51B..08P
- Keywords:
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- 0702 Permafrost;
- CRYOSPHEREDE: 0736 Snow;
- CRYOSPHEREDE: 0738 Ice;
- CRYOSPHEREDE: 1847 Modeling;
- HYDROLOGY