The Global Environmental Change and Human Security Project

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The Global Environmental Change and Human
Security Project
THE SOUTHERN AFRICA VULNERABILITY INITIATIVE
(SAVI)INAUGURAL WORKSHOP MAPUTO,
MOZAMBIQUE 19-21 JUNE 2003
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Overview

• SAVI Context
• GEC Research Community
• GECHS Development Research Agenda
• Rethinking Vulnerability within the GEC
  Community
• SAVI Overview Sponsors
• Workshop Objectives Format

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The GEC Research Community

• Sponsoring Agencies
• Research Programs
• Research Projects

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The GEC Research Community contd

• SPONSORS
• International Council for Science (ICSU)
• International Social Science Council (ISSC)
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

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The GEC Research Community contd

• PROGRAMS (SPONSORS)
• World Climate Research Program (WCRP)
• (ICSU,WMO)
• International Geosphere Biosphere Program (IGBP)
  (ICSU)
• International Human Dimensions Program on GEC
  (IHDP) (ICSU, ISSC)
• DIVERSITAS (ICSU)

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The GEC Research Community contd

• IHDP Projects
• Institutional Dimensions of Global Environmental
  Change (IDGEC)
• Industrial Transformation (IT)
• Land Cover Land Use Change (LUCC)
• Global Environmental Change Human Security
  (GECHS)

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The GEC Research Community contd

• WMO ICSU ISSC
• WCRP IGBP IHDP DIVER
• IDGEC
• IT
• LUCC
• GECHS

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SAVI Organization

• GECHS-led project (1 yr grant)
• Science Agencies (Funders)
• ICSU IHDP
• Co-op Universities, Institutes Organization
• Witswatersrand, Carleton, Center for
  International Climate and Environmental
  ResearchOslo, Internat Geog Union
  (Vulnerability Task Force), IGBP,
• Southern Africa Savannas Network

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SAVI Organizing Committee

• Coleen Vogel, University of the Witswatersrand
• Karen OBrien Ane Schjolden, Center for
  International Climate Environmental
  ResearchOslo
• Mike Brklacich, Carleton University

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GECHS Origins

• Redefinition of traditional security concepts

• Human security the Canadian/international
  policy agenda

• Environment economy linkages

• Critical zones mapping

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Human Security GEC

• Human security is having the capacity to overcome
  vulnerability and to respond positively to
  environmental change

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Key Questions Underlying GECHS
Context
Response Options

• What types of environmental change threaten
  human security?

What strategies are potentially available to cope
with the insecurities caused by environmental
change?

• How does environmental change threaten human
  security?

• What is the present extent of insecurity?

Analysis

• Which regions and groups are the most insecure?

• Why are some strategies selected?

• Can we predict future insecurities?

• Why are some effective?

• Why are some regions and groups more vulnerable
  to specific environmental change than others?

• How can obstacles be overcome?

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Rethinking Vulnerability to Climatic Change (CC)
Impacts to Responses to Vulnerability
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Impacts of Climatic Change
Macro-Climatic Change Scenarios First-Order
Impacts Regional Climatic Properties Second-Orde
r Impacts Primary Productivity Higher-Order
Impacts Regional Production
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Responses to Climatic Change
Macro-Climatic Change Scenarios Impacts Adapta
tion Nonresponse Mitigation
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Attributes of Impacts Response Research

• Single stressor
• Slow, incremental CC
• Single scale
• Limited socio-economic change
• Vulnerability as a CC residual

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Building A Framework To Link CC Vulnerability
Research
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Building A Framework To Link CC Vulnerability
Research contd
SOCIETAL CHANGE Change in institutions, resource
accessibility, economic conditions, etc
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Comprehensive VulnerabilityScience Policy
Linkages

• Identify vulnerable populations/regions
• Assess interventions to reduce human
  vulnerability / improve human security
• Balanced programs to improve adaptive capacity
  mitigation

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SAVI Overview

• Project Development
• Sponsoring Agencies
• SAVI Objectives
• SAVI Process

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Project Development

• Comprehensive vulnerability
• Multiple stressors
• Current (environmental) stress GEC
• Policy responses
• Southern Africa focus

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SAVI Organization

• GECHS-led project (1 yr grant)
• Science Agencies (Funders)
• ICSU IHDP
• Co-op Universities, Institutes Organization
• Witswatersrand, Carleton, Center for
  International Climate and Environmental
  ResearchOslo, Internat Geog Union
  (Vulnerability Task Force), IGBP,
• Southern Africa Savannas Network

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SAVI Purpose

• Develop long-term applied research program
• network for southern Africa to address
• who is vulnerable, to what, why,
• and what can be done.

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SAVI Objectives

1. Consolidate different facets of vulnerability
research and develop an integrated framework for
understanding vulnerability within the context of
southern Africa 2. Develop a proposal for a
self-sustaining, longer-term project which
integrates vulnerability research with policy
formulation. 3. Build a coalition amongst ICSU
and other scientists in the region to implement a
vulnerability research program.
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SAVI Process (Tentative)

• Assembling the multi-disciplinary team (Mar-Jun
  03)
• Inaugural W/S (Jun 03)
• Workshop report (Jun-Sep 03)
• Report in IHPD Update (Sep-Oct 03)
• AVISO Bulletin Briefings in Washington (US AID
  WB) Ottawa (CIDA IDRC) (Jul-Dec 03)
• Draft longer-term research proposal (Aug-Dec 03)
• Mtg/ws to Review Revise Draft Proposal and
  Engage Policy Community (Jan 04)
• Preparation and Submission of Proposal for
  Long-term Project Funding (Oct 03 Mar 04)

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Inaugural SAVI Workshop

• Workshop Objectives
• Logistics
• Anticipated Outcomes Follow-up

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Workshop Objectives

• Examine current threats to human security in the
  region
• Discuss how GEC in combination with other
  stresses might impinge upon human security in the
  region, identify linkages.
• Articulate policy issues relating to
  comprehensive vulnerability and human security in
  the region.
• Begin development of a conceptual framework to
  assess comprehensive vulnerability.

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Workshop Logistics

• Mix of thematic case studies
• Short presentations to stimulate discussion
• Discuss Qs presented in ToRs
• Articulate linkages amongst vulnerability threats
• Brainstorming!!!!!!

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Anticipated Outcomes Follow-up

• Sharper Qs regarding
• Who and which regions within southern Africa are
  vulnerable to what why?
• What is threatened?
• Role of GEC and other changes in future
  vulnerabilities?
• Future collaborations funding?
• Sketch of SAVI conceptual framework
• Workshop reports
• W/S summary, IHDP Newsletter, AVISO, Other?
• Plans for SAVI W/S II
• Purpose, Focus, Timing