Modelling climate change impacts on terrestrial ecosystems in the Himalaya

March 17, 2014 | 17:00 h - 18:30 h

Abstract:

The Asian Highlands, including the Himalaya and the Tibetan Plateau, stretch from Afghanistan to China, and are amongst the most diverse regions of world, both biologically and culturally. The region covers the most extensive areas of glaciers outside high latitudes, and is often referred to as the “Asian Water Tower”. It is the source of the nine largest rivers in Asia, which sustain over 1.3 billion people. It is also a region of high scientific uncertainty and generally data scarce. Nevertheless, climate change is already evident to the many small subsistence farmers of the region, with serious implications for water resources, farming systems, and terrestrial ecosystems throughout the region. Understanding the rate of climate change, and the direction and magnitude of these changes, is essential to meeting the challenges of adaptation (and mitigation) within these bio-diverse but fragile mountainous regions

Vitae

Dr. Robert Zomer is a landscape ecologist, with a broad interest in plant community, forest and agricultural ecology, and using geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and environmental modeling for landscape level spatial analysis. He has many years experience working in the Himalayas, East Africa, South America, and throughout Asia, including positions at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Nepal, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Sri Lanka, and the International Center for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) in Kenya. He is currently a visiting Professor at Kunming Institute of Botany and a Senior Landscape Ecologist with the World Agroforestry Centre - East and Central Asia Region. His current interests focus on the application of advanced spatial tools at global to local levels, ecosystem management, and the impacts of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity conservation.