Watson Institute for Internation and Public Affairs
Brown International Advanced Research Institutes

BIARI at Brown 2017 - June 3-17

Climate Change and Its Impacts: Connecting Local Variability and Knowledge in a Global System

The knowledge of global scale climate change science is rich and well established, but understanding the variability in climate encountered at the local level is critical to sustaining human development. How do we best predict regional to local scale changes in future climate? How does this knowledge feed into local practices for ecosystem-based management, sustainable agriculture, and maintaining air, soil and water quality? How can local knowledge systems contribute to best practices? How do historical legacies influence our ability to adapt and transform?  What can be learned and transferred between societies to inform tractable strategies and policies? “Climate Change and Its Impacts 2016” will draw on theoretical and practical insights from environmental sciences and management, atmospheric sciences, sociology, hydrology, climate modeling, geography, and social and environmental justice. This Institute will provide opportunities to develop research projects with scholars across disciplines, and advance oral and written communication skills for publications, presentations and grant applications.


Conveners

MEREDITH HASTINGS

Meredith Hastings is an Assistant Professor of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences. Her research interests span biogeochemistry, atmospheric chemistry, and climate.

SIRI VELAND

Siri Veland is an Assistant Professor of Environment and Society (Research). Her work broadly concerns the role of science in cross-cultural contexts, and asks how and in which arenas knowledge about environmental change and risk is generated and given authority.