UNESCO Cairo project on RCM (PRECIS)
application in the Arab region:
Challenges, progress and future cooperative
perspectives
byDr. Abdelaziz Zaki
AndDr. Mohamed Ezzat
Introduction
Outline UNESCO Strategy for Action on Climate Change
UNESCO Cairo project on RCM (PRECIS) application in the Arab region:
Challenges
Adopted methodology (Domain and Ensemble Selection)
Progress: Presentation of First Sets of Results
Possible Future cooperation
UNESCO Cairo project on RCM (PRECIS) application in the Arab region: Challenges, progress and future cooperative
perspectives
Introduction
Climate Change overarching societal issues
Poverty reductionEconomic
development Population
growth
Climate change impacts
Socio-economic vulnerability
Environmental impacts
Sustainable Development
Progress is required on many fronts:
• effective climate change mitigation,
• adaptation to unavoidable climate change impacts,
• reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,
• development of green technologies, and
• importantly political support for the establishment of effective international and national policies.
How does UNESCO respond?
UNESCO Strives to increase the capacities of Member States to prepare for, mitigate, and adapt
to the water-related impacts of climate change
UNESCO Strategy for Action on Climate Change
UNESCO Strategy for Action on Climate Change
Education Culture SciencesSocial and
Human Sciences
Communications
• facilitate UNESCO strategy for action on climate change
• address climate change holistically
UNESCO established Intersectoral Platform:
UNESCO Action to Address Climate Change
Complex water-related climate change risk
IOC
IHP
MA
B
SHS
Assessing the impacts of global climate change on the eco-
hydro-system in the Biosphere reserves
developing a gender-sensitive understanding of
the socials impacts of water scarcity
Examples of major activities
10
THEME I:
Adapting to the
Impacts of
Global
Changes on
River Basins
and Aquifer
Systems
THEME II:
Strengthening
Water
Governance for
Sustainability
THEME IV:
Water and Life
Support
Systems
THEME V:
Water
Education for
Sustainable
Development
IHP-VII: Water Dependencies:
Systems under Stress and Societal Responses
2008-2013
Cross Cutting Programmes: The FRIEND and HELP
Associated Programs: ISI, IFI, PCCP, JIIHP,G-WADI …
Hydrological research, Education, transfer of knowledge and capacity building
THEME III:
Ecohydrology
&
Environmental
Sustainability
THE THEMES AND THE FOCAL AREAS OF PHASE VII
Focal area 1.1 - Global changes and feedback mechanisms of hydrological processes in stressed systems
Focal area 1.2 - Climate change impacts on the hydrological cycle and consequent impact on water resources
Focal area 1.3 - Hydro-hazards, hydrological extremes and water-related disasters
Focal area 1.4 - Managing groundwater systems’ response to global changes
Focal area 1.5 - Global change and climate variability in arid and semi-arid regions
Theme 1: ADAPTING TO THE IMPACTS OF GLOBAL
CHANGES ON RIVER BASINS AND AQUIFER
SYSTEMS
Priority areas as defined by Arab states
• Impacts on groundwater systems
• Impacts on Wadi systems Management
• Impact assessment of climate change on rainfall distribution and intensity
• Climate change impacts on aquifer recharge
• Indicators of climate change impacts on the hydrological cycle
• Groundwater protection and development for sustainable use with special emphasis on non-renewable systems
Ongoing Regional Activities
Support the preparation of climate change scenarios based on RCM applications for the Arab region.
To be available for the scientific community
in the Arab region
Challenges
Different hydrological regimes
Variable climatic and topographic features
Huge domain for regional climate modeling
Methodology
Future Cooperative Regional Activities
Development of Climate Change Scenarios Digital Map of the Arab region
Share produced climate change scenarios for the Arab region
Support joint climate change impacts studies at national level
Thanks for your kind attention