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Happy New Year from C-CIARN Agriculture We wish all our network members the very best for 2004. Welcome to those who have recently signed on. C-CIARN Agriculture remains committed to working with those in industry, research, and policy to develop effective climate risk management strategies for the Canadian agri-food sector. Please note our Fall #2 update ran into delivery problems so many of you may not have recieved it. You can now review it (an all other past updates) through this web site. Our monthly update format has been altered to provide information concisely. Comments and feeback are always welcome. Upcoming Events Climate Change Adaptation - a Producer Perspective. C-CIARN Agriculture Meeting, Ottawa, February 25, 2004. Holiday Inn Plaza la Chaudiere, Gatineau, Quebec. 8:30a.m. - 2:00p.m. Long-Range Climate and Impacts Forecasting Working Group Meeting. Ramada Inn and Conference Centre, Guelph, Ont., March 15-17, 2004. Managing Risks from a Changing Climate, Making Adaptation Happen. C-CIARN Ontario Workshop, Guelph, Ontario. Communities and the Impact of Climate Change Conference. CUSO meeting, March 18-22, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Research News The CCAF (Climate Change Action Fund) issued a call for proposals for research into implications from Climate Change to Human Health amd Well-being. The scope of topics includes some that are relevant for agricultural communities. For instance: Defining vulnerable population groups and communities: research using geographic, demographic, population health and other data, in combination with geographic information systems and other information techniques, to show the locations in Canada of the population groups most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. These groups could include (but are not limited to); children, the elderly, those with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or low incomes, those who are homeless, those who rely mostly on natural resources for their livelihood, or those who are located far from health care and social services. The research will need to assess the relative significance those groups in different regions of Canada, the response and coping capacity of the region in relation to natural and human resources, critical climate thresholds or climate characteristics, and barriers to the protection of these groups, or to their successful adaptation to changing climate conditions. Be sure to visit our Funding Opportunties web page to find additional support for research projects. News Items December 11, 2003. The Guardian Economic losses in Europe because of the summer drought exceeded £7bn in the agriculture sector alone because of loss of crops and livestock, the insurance industry announced at the climate talks in Milan. Premiums are having to be increased across Europe to cope with the number and frequency of extreme weather events, and some parts were becoming uninsurable because of repeated flooding. December 29, 2003. Environment Canada News Release It was another warm year for Canada and the world. Despite the long cold winter in the east, the year 2003 was the 11th consecutive year with above normal average temperatures for Canada. All four seasons had warmer temperatures, making an unprecedented stretch of 25 of the last 26 seasons warmer than normal in Canada… Globally, 2003 was the 25th consecutive year with warmer temperatures…Scientists anticipate that in the future, climate change will likely cause weather disasters such as floods, drought and wild fires to become more frequent and intense. Employment Opportunities The International Research Institute for Climate Prediction (IRI) at the Earth Institute, Columbia University, NY, has a number of prospective positions listed on their web site. Recent Publications Plant disease and risks. January 2004, IPMnet NEWS Issue 121. Seven papers presented at a 2002 American Phytopathological Society symposium, "Managing Risk to Minimize Crop Loss," are now available online through the Plant Health Progress segment of the Plant Management Network. The included papers discuss key aspects of determining and managing risk elements of plant disease ranging across theoretical application and actual field implementation. C-CIARN Agriculture News We continue with modifications to C-CIARN Agriculture office staff and operations. It may take another month before network communications, web site features, and other information sources are updated and fully functional. Apologies for any inconvience. All for now, Ellen Wall Co-ordinator, C-CIARN Agriculture (Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network for Agriculture) Blackwood Hall (Room 202) University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 Phone: 519 824 4120 ext 58480 Fax: 519 763 4686 www.c-ciarn.uoguelph.ca |
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