International Symposium “Coastal ecosystems vulnerability to global change

and extreme events” Biarritz, France, 21 October 2011

Round Table

Professor Louis LegendreChair of the Scientific CommitteePierre & Marie Curie University

Villefranche Oceanography Laboratory, France

Adaptation

Adaptation: IPCC• The state of the Earth’s changing climate is continuously

assessed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC – GIEC in French)

• Latest IPCC report- published in 2007- 4 volumes

33

Adaptation: IPCC 2007• 2007 IPCC report: 4 volumes

44

SynthesisReport

Mitigation of Climate Change

PhysicalScience

Basis

Impacts, Adaptation and

Vulnerability• Natural scientists often focus on Physical Science Basis• Social scientists and decision makers are much more

concerned by the next two volumes

Adaptation and mitigation• Some effects of climate change have become unavoidable- example: sea-level rise of up to 1 m by 2100 - purpose of adaptation is to prepare human societies (local,

national and regional) to manage the inevitable • Not only is the climate is changing rapidly, but if nothing

were done, climate would change more and more rapidly- example: destabilisation of Antarctic ice caps, with sea-level

rise of tens of metres - purpose of climate change mitigation is to prevent the

occurrence of the unmanageable • Many societies have started to prepare their adaptation to

various aspects the changing environment- adaptation must be grounded in scientific knowledge and

expertise (social and natural sciences)- adaptation will proceed with or without scientists 5i5

Research versus expertise

Research versus expertise: historical• In many aspects of social life, research and expertise

developed independently until relatively recently- medicinepractical activity of healing since the origin of humankind biology and chemistry have emerged has sciences only a

few centuries ago two types of activity merged at the end of the 19th century- engineering building artificial structures and mechanical devices for

millenniaphysics has emerged as a science in the 18th century two types of activity started to merge in the 19th century• Merging of research and expertise is a major characteristic

of modern societies 7i7

Research versus expertise: environmental management

• Managing the environment- traditional knowledge has often been successful at

managing small-scale systems that experienced moderate human pressure and were changing relatively slowly

- societies must now manage large-scale systems that are under tremendous human pressure and are changing rapidly

8i8

• Large-scale environmental management- not a practical activity until recently: no tradition of expertise- relies heavily on scientific knowledge and theories- however, no clear approach to translate scientific knowledge

and theories into practical management rules and tools- problem must be recognised and become very rapidly a

focus of active research

Sharing knowledge and know-how

Sharing knowledge and know-how• Researchers, decision-makers from the government and

business sectors, and Non-Governmental Organisations must share knowledge and know how

• This key activity is not usual for researchers- who are often penalised in their careers if they devote some

of their research time to sharing knowledge- who often do not know how to proceed even in interested- who generally cannot find human or financial resources to

pursue knowledge sharing (except in European projects)• Suggested actions (in France)- research organisations and universities: clearly identify the

knowledge-sharing activity as a highly positive factor for promotions and other rewards

- funding agencies: have dedicated programmes to support researchers who wish to do knowledge sharing 1010