2017•08•17     Bonn

Two scientists from UNU-EHS have been selected to serve as lead authors for the upcoming Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Dr. Matthias Garschagen, head of the Vulnerability Assessment, Risk Management and Adaptive Planning section (VARMAP) at UNU-EHS, will contribute to the opening chapter, which will frame the debate and set the context of the report. “A solid understanding of climate change impacts on the world’s oceans and cryosphere and the assessment of related vulnerabilities and adaptation opportunities – but also constraints – is of key relevance for policy-makers. The risks related to such impacts can be far reaching and become particularly visible in coastal areas, island communities and delta environments,” he notes.

Dr. Zita Sebesvari of the Environmental Vulnerability and Ecosystem Services section (EVES) will work as a member of an author team on Chapter 4, which will look at the implications of sea level rise for highly vulnerable coastal zones, particularly small island states, coastal cities and infrastructure, deltas and low-elevation areas, and at pathways to resilience and sustainable development. “This will provide a useful reference point for policy makers and organizations involved in coastal zone management,” she says.

Both Dr. Garschagen and Dr. Sebesvari were selected from a strong field of over 560 nominees from 57 IPCC member countries.