HR: 14:40h
AN: ED33C-05    [Abstracts]
TI: Delivering Climate Change Science: The Prairie Provinces Chapter of Canada's National Assessment of Climate Change
AU: * Sauchyn, D J
EM: sauchyn@uregina.ca
AF: Praire Adaptation Research Collaborative, # 150 - 10 Research Drive University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 7J7, Canada
AU: Byrne, J M
EM: byrne@uleth.ca
AF: Department of Geography, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
AB: Scientific assessments, such as the IPCC reports, are the conventional approach to providing decision makers and the media with authentic scientific information. In November 2007, the Government of Canada released its second National Assessment of Climate Change (NACC): From Impacts to Adaptation: Canada in a Changing Climate 2007. It was two years in the making and a major update from the first national assessment published in 1997. The NACC is a set of products including a synthesis report and series of posters. The main part of the full report is five regional chapters. We describe the preparation and communication of the Prairie Provinces chapter. Two lead authors and twelve contributing authors reviewed and interpreted almost 1000 documents related to climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation in our region. The NACC will be widely distributed with the expectation that it will influence public policy and opinion. The NACC Secretariat developed a strategic communications plan to implement effective, targeted activities during the lead-up, release and post launch phases of the national assessment. It ensures the delivery of consistent messages to stakeholders and other target audiences. We discuss the challenges and potential for applying this extensive assessment of climate change to the education of stakeholders and decision makers.
UR: http://www.parc.ca/
DE: 1630 Impacts of global change (1225)
DE: 1637 Regional climate change
DE: 3305 Climate change and variability (1616, 1635, 3309, 4215, 4513)
DE: 6620 Science policy (0485)
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting