Preparing For Climate Change Impacts On Freshwater Ecosystems Prince

This book examines global warming and climate change over the past five decades in mainly subtropical and tropical countries. The amount and types of changes in these countries vary with the environment but are often less than those occurring in the Arctic and northern countries. Chapters address such topics as the controversy surrounding global warming, the effects of climate change on agriculture, changes in land use and hydrology, and more.

This volume provides a comprehensive overview of the interactions and feedbacks between urbanization and global environmental change. A key focus is the examination of how urbanization influences global environmental change, and how global environmental change in turn influences urbanization processes. It has four thematic foci: Theme 1 addresses the pathways through which urbanization drives global environmental change. Theme 2 addresses the pathways through which global environmental change affects the urban system. Theme 3 addresses the interactions and responses within the urban system in response to global environmental change. Theme 4 centers on critical emerging research.

The designations employed and the presentation of ISBN: 92-9225-136-8 material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of Copyright © 2009, Secretariat of the Convention on the Convention on Biological Diversity concerning the Biological Diversity legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerni [...] Ahmed Djoghlaf Where species and ecosystems are well protected and Executive Secretary healthy, natural adaptation may take place, as long as the Convention on Biological Diversity 5 Review of literature PREFACE These three literature reviews on the 'Links between evidence of the importance of natural ecosystems in the Biodiversity and Climate change: Impacts,Adaptation carbon cycle and in mitigat [...] Finally the third section aims to highlight the developments in our understanding of the role The IPCC 4th Assessment Report (AR4; IPCC 2007) of biodiversity in climate change mitigation, and the impacts concluded that climate change will have significant impacts of mitigation policies on biodiversity. [...] Models of future be large and more complex in the tropics, where the effects climate change suggest that these distributional changes of rising temperatures and reduced precipitation are may lead to severe range contractions and the extinction of exacerbated by the effects of land-use change. [...] Each of these sources Because of the importance of these impacts and of climate and modelling approaches has advantages and change itself, there has been a great deal of recent disadvantages (Thuiller et al 2008).

The Committee's report examines a range of issues relating to water management in England and Wales, including the regulatory and legislative framework, water demand and supply issues, water efficiency, and environmental aspects including the Water Framework Directive. Amongst the 60 conclusions and recommendations made, the Committee finds that a sustainable balance between water resource development and demand management cannot be achieved until there is a co-ordinated institutional framework for water resource management, with a need for wider stakeholder engagement by means of new regional boards consisting of environmental and consumer interests, as well as Ofwat representatives. Ofwat and the Environment Agency should take a more realistic approach to long-term planning issues, including agreeing indicative pricing for each water company. Current levels of leakage from the distribution network are unacceptably high in parts of the country, which damages the public's attitude towards sensible water use, and Ofwat should sanction water companies to spend more on reducing leakage with targets that take greater account of environmental and social factors as well as economics. The Government should make it easier for water companies to impose water meters on households in the driest parts of the country, in order to help reduce demand and ensure fairer charging practices, with support through the tax and benefit system for vulnerable customers who have difficulty with their bills. In order to address the very high level of unpaid water bills, those people who can afford to pay but refuse to do so should be partially disconnected from the water supply.

The Committees report examines the actions that will be necessary to adapt to changes in flooding and water availability caused by climate change. There are a number of steps that the Government should take to reduce future flood risk, with a key consideration being the planning of new housing developments to avoid building on flood plains, where possible. Where this is necessary, developments should be designed to be as resilient as possible to flooding, utilising sustainable drainage systems and including areas such as parks in order to contain floodwater. Existing sewer systems will need upgrading and new systems must be built to cope with higher storm flows. Greater attention needs to be paid by the Government to the issue of water shortages due to drier summers, including considering alternative water pricing mechanisms to relate costs more directly to amount used, and ensuring building regulations pay greater attention to water efficiency. Water companies must also do more to reduce water leakages.