Date: May 10, 2022
Speaker: Steven Thur, Ph.D., Director, NOAA NOS National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Abstract: It is likely that the impacts associated with climate change will be the largest economic, social and environmental challenge of the century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability has a clear message: there are unavoidable climate hazards and increases to risk profiles for both ecosystems and humans. Adaptation and mitigation measures are no longer optional considerations; they are necessities. Science conducted by NOAA’s National Ocean Service and partners will be critical to how society adapts to the challenge of the century. Nature-based infrastructure, combining both hardened structures and living components, offers solutions for flood and inundation risk reduction, habitat restoration, threatened and endangered species recovery, and recreation. Assessing and predicting climate impacts on living marine resources and those that make their living from water-dependent activities is foundational to the development of adaptation strategies. Understanding social vulnerability and perceptions of potential mitigation measures will enable decision makers to evaluate alternatives and effectively communicate with affected communities. Addressing the challenge of the century will require a change to our research paradigm. Specifically, we will need to embrace greater risk in our research portfolio, accepting more failure as a tradeoff for the benefits that accrue from research breakthroughs needed to assist society in our rapidly changing world.
Bio: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/staff/steve-thur-phd/
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