Hazards may be defined as the potential occurrence of a natural or human-induced physical event, trend or physical impact, which may cause loss of life, injury, or other health impacts, as well as damages and/or losses to property, infrastructure, livelihoods, service provision and environmental resources.
Due to climate change, the frequency and intensity of hazard events such as extreme weather events (e.g. floods, droughts and heat waves) on the one hand, but also of forest fires and damages to agricultural productivity (especially crop yield) on the other, are expected to increase in the future. Hazards may change exposure patterns, lead to substantial beakdowns of infrastructure, damages to property and ultimately decrease the resilience of households and communities. Moreover, the links between climate hazards and health are strong, with mortality and morbidity rates rising as a result of them. Hazards pose additonal pressures to both human and natural systems.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) outlined on its 4th (2007) and 5th (2014) Assessment Reports the need to manage the risks of extreme events and the hazards they bring about, to advance climate change adaptation.
It is important to better understand what climate change hazards are, how the different components of climate change including frequency, intensity, variability and uncertainty play together and relate to ecosystems, and how a better understanding of vulnerability of people to climate change in terms of sensitivity can be achieved. Also, it is equally important to identify adaptation options based on the adaptive capacity- which does vary - between sectors, populations and ecosystems.
The Symposium is being organized by the Research and Transfer Centre “Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management” of the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany), University of Padova, and the International Climate Change Information Programme (ICCIP), in cooperation with Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), and various international organisations concerned with climate change and hazards.
Apart from the presentation of scientific research and studies, the Symposium will also provide a forum for the discussion on sustainable solutions to matters related to climate change and hazards. The event will also assist in stock-taking efforts and analyse aspects of loss and damage. Ultimately, the Symposium will also serve the purpose of showcasing experiences from research, field projects and best practice to address climate hazards, which may be useful and/or widely implemented. The Symposium will be a truly interdisciplinary event, mobilizing scholars, social movements, practitioners and members of governmental agencies, undertaking research and/or executing projects related to climate change and hazards, from across the world.
Veranstalter: | Research and Transfer Centre “Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management” of the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany), University of Padova, International Climate Change Information Programme (ICCIP) |
Veranstaltungsort: | University of Padova, Italy |
Beginn: | 25.02.2019 |
Ende: | 26.02.2019 |
Internet: | Weitere Informationen |