YCEI Annual Conference — Water: The Looming Crises
See the “Water: The Looming Crises” Website for more details
Public discussions of climate change often focus on greenhouse gases and rising temperatures, but the most severe and immediate societal impacts of global warming are likely to be associated with changing hydrological conditions. Disruptions in water supply, extreme storms and record droughts may impact every aspect of rural and urban society: from agriculture and manufacturing to housing, energy and human health.
Planning and adapting to large shifts in Earth’s water resources will require better climate and weather forecasting, as well as technological advances in engineering and biology. Forward-thinking public officials will have to invest in far-reaching strategies. As hurricanes Sandy and Katrina revealed, coastal cities are poorly prepared for sustained increases in storm intensity and sea level. Weathering the coming changes will require public and private commitment to mitigation and adaptation, along with strong international cooperation as shifting water resources press against food supplies and national security.
Water: The Looming Crises, the 4th Annual Conference sponsored by Yale Climate & Energy Institute, will focus on the science of predicting the effects of climate change on global hydrology and on how industry, government, and NGOs are planning for dealing with all aspects of water in a warmer world. Discussion and analysis will be framed by leading experts in science, industry, policy, and government.
FEATURED SPEAKERS:
Kerry Emanuel, MIT
Hurricanes and Storms in a Warmer World
Gavin Schmidt, NASA
Can We Constrain Future Hydrologic Changes by Looking to the Past?
Jay Gulledge, Oak Ridge National Lab
Climate Science, Water and Security
Farhana Sultana, Syracuse University
The Social Impacts of Changing Water Patterns
Torgny Holmgren, Stockholm International Water Institute
Organizing to Combat the Global Water Crisis
PANEL DISCUSSIONS:
Anticipating and Adapting to Water Extremes Today
moderator: Matt Huber, Climate Dynamics Prediction Lab, Purdue University
Understanding and Planning for Future Water Needs
moderator: David Cassuto, Pace Law School, Pace University
