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This article aims to situate climate change by examining three scalar dissonances between "global" and "local" knowledge-making and policy action. The three dissonances – the knowledge production and policy meaning-making nexus, the politics of urgency, and the politics of building socio-climatic future pathways – engage deeply with the emergent literature that deals with climate change from the perspective of Human Geography Studies and the Social Studies of Science and Technology (STS). By posing guiding questions and through examples primarily from Latin American countries, this paper lays out a research agenda that advances geographical sensitivity, allowing us to better understand the "other" geographies of climate science production, circulation, and information use. Furthermore, it highlights the unresolved political and interdisciplinary tensions in accommodating global narratives in regions of the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports conclude that for Australasia, without adaptation, further changes in climate, atmospheric CO2, sea-level rise and ocean acidity are projected to have substantial impacts on climate sensitive systems, sectors and populations. In the context of varying geographical, social, cultural and policy contexts, this paper reviews research contributions and activities concerning coastal adaptation to climate change in Aotearoa-New Zealand. It reflects on the insights derived from this emerging pool of scholarship and considers what lessons have been learned to help us address the future challenges of adaptation to climate change on our coasts and estuaries. In particular, future progress will require strong understanding of natural coastal systems, clearer national direction and guidance in balance with regional flexibility, and collaborative processes to help communities understand, implement and evaluate adaptation pathways for a sustainable and resilient future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the discussion on the rationale and scope for water demand and supply management in India, this paper provides a brief overview of the status and effectiveness, as well as the technical, institutional and financial requirements of six demand management options (i.e. water pricing, water markets, water rights, energy regulations, water saving technologies, and user and community organizations) and one supply management option (involving the implementation of the National River Linking Project, NRLP). The paper then develops a framework that captures the analytics of water demand management in terms of both the impact pathways of and operational linkages among the options and their underlying institutions. Using this framework, the paper outlines a strategy for water demand management that can exploit well the inherent synergies among the options, and also align them well with the underlying institutional structure and its environment. Similarly, based on an analysis of the NRLP, the paper also indicates the strategy for implementing the NRLP and thereby promoting water supply management within the financial, institutional and political constraints. The paper concludes with the policy implications for water demand and supply management in India. Citation Saleth, R. M. (2011) Water scarcity and climatic change in India: the need for water demand and supply management. Hydrol. Sci. J. 56(4), 671-686. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper starts by assessing the extent to which gender considerations have been taken into account in the international processes concerning the development of climate change policy. Finding that there has been very little attention to gender issues, neither in the protocols and treaties nor in the debates around them, the paper goes on to consider whether there are in fact any meaningful gender considerations as regards (a) emissions of greenhouse gases, (b) vulnerability to climate change, and (c) participation in projects under climate funding. It concludes by suggesting some areas where attention to gender could improve the effectiveness of climate interventions and also benefit women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate is changing, yet to which degree and in what pattern remains uncertain in many areas. In forest science, mainly impacts of long-term mean changes in temperature and precipitation distributions are studied. This paper therefore presents a sensitivity analysis to determine the importance of accounting for variability changes. A 10*10 matrix of different mean annual temperatures and precipitation sums is set up, covering the temperate forest zone of Europe, and the current level of several ecosystem services (ES) is calculated. Subsequently, mean and variability of temperature and precipitation distributions are changed in different steps, and new ES levels calculated. The results show that for the study of climate change impacts on forest ES, climate parameter variability is of secondary importance. The trends are well represented with scenarios of mean climate parameter changes only; however, on moisture-limited and heat-stressed sites impacts of changes in variability gain in importance. Most of these impacts are negative, and can be observed not only in monocultures already at their physiological limit, but also in diverse stands. Different ES, however, show different sensitivities towards changes in mean and variability, underlining the need to develop adaptation measures tailored to the sites and ES of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For most of the 20th century, the Nile River has been the source of political tensions and low-intensity conflicts among three of its major riparian countries (Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt). However, since the late 1990s, the Nile basin countries-with the encouragement and support of the international community-have made some attempts to establish basin-wide cooperative institutions. This process of engagement and collaboration is presently under severe stress due to increasing demand and decreasing supply of water resources in the basin. This situation may be complicated further by the global climate change, which is anticipated to result in long-term changes in the volume and pattern of runoff in the Nile River system. Moreover, the emergence of China as a major player in the power politics of the Nile basin has facilitated a number of unilateral initiatives for large-scale water development projects. In this context, this paper critically examines the survival and sustainability of water cooperation endeavours in the Nile basin as the river faces challenges from the global climate change and shifting regional geo-politics. Citation Swain, A. (2011) Challenges for water sharing in the Nile basin: changing geo-politics and changing climate. Hydrol. Sci. J. 56(4), 687-702. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) presented a report on global warming and the impact of human activities on global warming. Later the Lancet commission identified six ways human health could be affected. Among these were not environmental factors which are also believed to be important for human health. In this paper we therefore focus on environmental factors, climate change and the predicted effects on maternal and newborn health. Arctic issues are discussed specifically considering their exposure and sensitivity to long range transported contaminants. Methods: Considering that the different parts of pregnancy are particularly sensitive time periods for the effects of environmental exposure, this review focuses on the impacts on maternal and newborn health. Environmental stressors known to affects human health and how these will change with the predicted climate change are addressed. Air pollution and food security are crucial issues for the pregnant population in a changing climate, especially indoor climate and food security in Arctic areas. Results: The total number of environmental factors is today responsible for a large number of the global deaths, especially in young children. Climate change will most likely lead to an increase in this number. Exposure to the different environmental stressors especially air pollution will in most parts of the world increase with climate change, even though some areas might face lower exposure. Populations at risk today are believed to be most heavily affected. As for the persistent organic pollutants a warming climate leads to a remobilisation and a possible increase in food chain exposure in the Arctic and thus increased risk for Arctic populations. This is especially the case for mercury. The perspective for the next generations will be closely connected to the expected temperature changes; changes in housing conditions; changes in exposure patterns; predicted increased exposure to Mercury because of increased emissions and increased biological availability. Conclusions: A number of environmental stressors are predicted to increase with climate change and increasingly affecting human health. Efforts should be put on reducing risk for the next generation, thus global politics and research effort should focus on maternal and newborn health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) presented a report on global warming and the impact of human activities on global warming. Later the Lancet commission identified six ways human health could be affected. Among these were not environmental factors which are also believed to be important for human health. In this paper we therefore focus on environmental factors, climate change and the predicted effects on maternal and newborn health. Arctic issues are discussed specifically considering their exposure and sensitivity to long range transported contaminants. Methods: Considering that the different parts of pregnancy are particularly sensitive time periods for the effects of environmental exposure, this review focuses on the impacts on maternal and newborn health. Environmental stressors known to affects human health and how these will change with the predicted climate change are addressed. Air pollution and food security are crucial issues for the pregnant population in a changing climate, especially indoor climate and food security in Arctic areas. Results: The total number of environmental factors is today responsible for a large number of the global deaths, especially in young children. Climate change will most likely lead to an increase in this number. Exposure to the different environmental stressors especially air pollution will in most parts of the world increase with climate change, even though some areas might face lower exposure. Populations at risk today are believed to be most heavily affected. As for the persistent organic pollutants a warming climate leads to a remobilisation and a possible increase in food chain exposure in the Arctic and thus increased risk for Arctic populations. This is especially the case for mercury. The perspective for the next generations will be closely connected to the expected temperature changes; changes in housing conditions; changes in exposure patterns; predicted increased exposure to Mercury because of increased emissions and increased biological availability. Conclusions: A number of environmental stressors are predicted to increase with climate change and increasingly affecting human health. Efforts should be put on reducing risk for the next generation, thus global politics and research effort should focus on maternal and newborn health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews several papers and articles on the relationship between gender and climate change, including "Gender, Water and Development," edited by Anne Coles and Tina Wallace, "The Gender and Water Development Report 2003: Gender Perspectives on Policies in the Water Sector" from GWA, and "Gender Mainstreaming: An Essential Component of Sustainable Water Management" by Kristen Lewis.

Long-term observations of partly debris-covered glaciers have allowed us to assess the impact of supra-glacial debris on volumetric changes. In this paper, the behaviour of the partially debris-covered, 3.6 km2 tongue of Pasterze Glacier (47°05′N, 12°44′E) was studied in the context of ongoing climate changes. The right part of the glacier tongue is covered by a continuous supra-glacial debris mantle with variable thicknesses (a few centimetres to about 1 m). For the period 1964–2000 three digital elevation models (1964, 1981, 2000) and related debris-cover distributions were analysed. These datasets were compared with long-term series of glaciological field data (displacement, elevation change, glacier terminus behaviour) from the 1960s to 2006. Differences between the debriscovered and the clean ice parts were emphasised. Results show that volumetric losses increased by 2.3 times between the periods 1964–1981 and 1981–2000 with significant regional variations at the glacier tongue. Such variations are controlled by the glacier emergence velocity pattern, existence and thickness of supra-glacial debris, direct solar radiation, counter-radiation from the valley sides and their changes over time. The downward-increasing debris thickness is counteracting to a compensational stage against the common decrease of ablation with elevation. A continuous debris cover not less than 15 cm in thickness reduces ablation rates by 30–35%. No relationship exists between glacier retreat rates and summer air temperatures. Substantial and varying differences of the two different terminus parts occurred. Our findings clearly underline the importance of supra-glacial debris on mass balance and glacier tongue morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moraine ridges are commonly used to identify past glacier ice margins and so infer glacier mass balance changes in response to climatic variability. However, differences in the form of past ice margins and post-depositional modification of moraine surfaces can complicate these geomorphic records. As a result, simple relationships, such as distance from current ice margin, or linear alignments, may not necessarily indicate moraines deposited contemporaneously. These disturbances can also modify the size distribution of lichen populations, providing a distinctive signature for surfaces with similar histories and a means of identifying contemporaneous moraine surfaces. In this paper, statistical analysis of lichen size distributions is used to identify moraine surfaces with similar histories from complex suites of Little Ice Age moraine fragments in the proglacial areas of Skálafellsjökull (including Sultartungnajökull) and Heinabergsjökull, southeast Iceland. The analysis is based on a novel use of the goodness-of-fit statistic, Watson's U2 which provides a measure of ‘closeness’ between two sample distributions. Moraine fragments with similar histories are identified using cluster analysis of the U2 closeness values. The spatial pattern of the clustered moraines suggests three distinct phases of moraine deposition at Skálafellsjökull and Heinabergsjökull, four phases at Sultartungnajökull and a digitate planform margin at Heinabergsjökull. These spatial patterns are corroborated with tephrochronology. The success of the U2 statistical analysis in identifying surfaces with similar histories using lichen size distributions suggests that the technique may be useful in augmenting lichenometric surface dating as well as differentiating between other surfaces that support lichen populations, such as rock avalanche deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the rapid rate of global warming at the onset of the Bølling interstadial became evident, its cause has been under debate. It coincides closely in time with a strong global transgression called meltwater pulse 1a. One attempt at solution says that a meltwater pulse of Antarctic origin could cause an increase in North Atlantic Deep Water formation, and thus give rise to the Bølling interstadial. However, others have disputed that Antarctic meltwater would have that effect, and furthermore, the start of the Bølling interstadial is not even associated with an increase in North Atlantic Deep Water. A controversial hypothesis says that some Laurentian meltwater came from a jökulhlaup (sub-glacial outburst flood), but no study has yet shown unequivocally that sufficient amounts of water could be stored under the ice. Furthermore, according to all available data a melt-water pulse from the Laurentian ice would give rise to strong cooling, not warming. Nevertheless, meg-afloods appear instrumental in accumulating the Mississippi Fan, created entirely during the Quaternary period, and dramatic climate changes are characteristic of this period. This paper presents a hypothetical chain of events, building on the published literature and simple calculations, to investigate whether the order of magnitude is reasonable. The hypothesis is that a jökulhlaup from a Laurentian captured ice shelf flowed out through the Mississippi, boosted the Gulf Stream, reinvigorated the North Atlantic circulation, and as a result triggered the Bølling warm phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In August 2003, Western Europe experienced a deadly heat wave. It is estimated that 15,000 people died in France from its direct effects. Applying an indirect estimation technique to the monthly number of deaths by sex, age, and place of residence for the period 1996-2003, we estimate the number of years that would have remained to those who died from the heat wave had they been spared. The paper also evaluates the role of the 'harvesting' effect of the 2003 heat wave in explaining the deficit of deaths recorded in 2004 - estimated at 23,000 out of an expected total of 535,000 deaths. The harvesting effect was modest and accounted for fewer than 5,000 of the 'missing' deaths in 2004. The mortality decline in 2004 is thus due mainly to other factors. One hypothesis is that special efforts have been directed towards isolated older people as a consequence of the heat wave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and climate anomalies are inducing strong variations in the high-mountain environment, driving the responses of physical and biological systems differently. This paper assesses tree-ring growth responses to climate for two Norway spruce ( Picea abies (L.) Karst.) sites at different altitudes from an Ortles-Cevedale Group (OCG; internal zones of the Central Italian Alps) valley site and reports some examples of climate impact on glacier dynamics in the OCG in recent decades. Growth–climate relationships between tree-ring chronologies and meteorological data were established by means of Pearson's correlation and response functions. In the high-altitude chronology we found a strong signal of July temperatures, whereas the low-altitude chronology also contained a signal of summer precipitation. Climate anomalies occurring in these months proved to influence tree growth at the two sites differently. In summer 2003 extreme climatic conditions established over Europe and the Alps, strongly affecting physical and biological systems. Spruce responses to the climate anomaly of 2003 were more evident with a one-year lag. The high-altitude site profited from the warmer growing season, whereas trees at the low-altitude site experienced water stress conditions and their growth was strongly inhibited also in the following year. Glacier mass loss in the OCG in 2003 was the highest since yearly measurement started. The examples reported confirm the strong and even divergent variations affecting the Alpine environment, induced by recent climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postglacial sediments from Lake Jues, located at the SW margin of the Harz Mountains, were investigated for pollen, diatoms and sediment characteristics. The paper focuses on the time period between 7600 and 1200 y cal. BP (calibrated years before present), during which human impact began to influence the environnment of the lake. Climate variability was mainly inferred from sediment characteristics and changes in algal assemblages. The observed climatic changes coincide well with those recorded from other sites. Neolithic settlement started during the warm and dry Atlantic period. Intensive land use occurred under favourable climatic conditions during the Bronze and the Iron Ages, while human activities declined during cool and wet periods around 4000 and 2700 y cal. BP and after 2300 y cal. BP. The study shows that climate strongly influenced human settlement at remote locations like Lake Jues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we describe the dynamic behaviour of Salajekna, a valley glacier, over the last 200 years using terrestrial observations, in situ measurements, remote sensing observations and glacier reconstructions. The response time of the glacier was calculated using analytical models and field measurements. We were subsequently able to attribute specific dynamic responses to climate trends in the available climate record. The glacier's historical maximum extension was reached around 1880–1910 and was the result of a more continental climate with multi-modal airflows in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. A transition to more maritime conditions in the mid-19th century resulted in a near-continuous 20th century retreat before the glacier adjusted to a near-steady state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The “Ricardian” technique for projecting climate change impacts on agriculture has generated an unusual amount of critical attention. Ricardian climate sensitivities are typically viewed as the necessary and static result of exclusively local economic and biophysical conditions. In this paper, six spatial econometric models are estimated to explore how human-environment relationships associated with climate sensitivities have varied over space and time in the Great Plains, 1969–1992. Results indicate that spatial effects, such as extra-local communication processes and proximity to and regulation of Ogallala irrigation water, are important influences on climate sensitivities. Projected climate change impacts also vary significantly with the scale, location, and time of analysis. Under a hypothetical climate change, at the county scale, land values would decline (by up to one-third) in the western counties, but increase (by up to one-half) in the eastern counties. In some cases, the projected impacts for a given county change algebraic sign or order of magnitude during the study period. At the regional scale, impacts are significantly higher in the early years (a projected increase of about 5 percent of regional land values, ∼$7 billion [1992$]) than in the later years (an increase of about one-half of one percent, ∼$0.7 billion). These results suggest that, suitably modified, the Ricardian framework can be used constructively to explore subtle yet important social dimensions of dynamic climate risk, and that on balance the Great Plains system of agricultural production, despite a heterogeneous picture of projected impacts, appears to be increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the ability of women to adapt to climate change pressures will be enhanced by using the 'capabilities approach' to direct development efforts. By using this approach, women will improve their well-being, and act more readily as agents of change within their communities. This argument is supported by previous research on gender and livelihoods, and a study conducted in rural India. Examples are based on the experiences of poor, rural women in India, who are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts. Their survival is dependent on their being able to obtain many essential resources from their immediate environment. Yet these women lack many of the requirements for well-being, such as access to healthcare, literacy, and control over their own lives. Gaining these would reduce their vulnerability to their changing environmental circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that climate change not only requires major technological solutions, but also has political and socio-economic aspects with implications for development policy and practice. Questions of globalisation, equity, and the distribution of welfare and power underlie many of its manifestations, and its impacts are not only severe, but also unevenly distributed. There are some clear connections, both positive and negative, between gender and the environment. This paper explores these linkages, which help to illustrate the actual and potential relationships between gender and climate change, and the gender-specific implications of climate change. It also provides examples of women organising for change around sustainable development issues in the build-up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), and demonstrates how women's participation can translate into more gender-sensitive outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]