International Conference on Southeast Asian Weather and Climate 2013
The International Conference on Southeast Asian (ICSA) Weather and Climate 2013 will bring together scientists and practitioners working on adaptation to the impacts of climate change. The conference will create an ASEAN forum with the aim of fostering a creative dialogue among policy makers and practitioners. The focus of this scientific conference is the assessment of the current research on climate change within the ASEAN community. The conference will help to identify the possible adaptation and mitigation options and strategies for policy makers based on research findings and experience.
The conference is being organized by an International Committee for Southeast Asia membership of which includes representatives from the Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, Green Tree Foundation, Northern Meteorological Center, National Science Museum, The Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology, The Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation Department, Yunnan province Meteorological Society (China), and Queensland University of Technology (Australia).
About the conference
Climate change worldwide has affected ecosystems, resulting in increasingly destructive natural disasters, and severe impacts on the global production systems involving millions of people. Earth’s temperature has increased on average 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade over the past 30 years. This has caused seasonal changes and more frequent and severe natural disasters, including floods, earthquakes, landslides, storms, droughts and forest fires. Ecosystems in many areas have become vulnerable, leading to loss of biodiversity. The earth’s surface has undergone physical change, including coastal erosion and a rise in sea level, resulting in the forced migration of coastal communities and damages to infrastructure, tourist areas, and high-investment industrial zones. Global warming has created water shortages and has increased epidemics of infectious diseases. In the long run, worldwide climate change will become more and more extreme and will aggravate food shortages. Southeast Asia is especially vulnerable because agricultural crops are a major source of income for these economies.
International Conference on Southeast Asian Weather and Climate 2013 will be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from November 27-29, 2013. It is expected that the International Conference will, apart from building a database and information system on climate change, help in finding appropriate cost-effective solutions to problems arising from climate change.
