Regional
Headquarters, Jamaica. Friday, August 16, 2019—The
IPCC, the United Nations body for assessing the science related to
climate change, has just released its findings and recommendations on
climate change and land and three academics from The University of
the West Indies (The UWI) are contributors to the global report.

Entitled
Climate Change and
Land: An IPCC Special Report,
the Summary for
Policymakers was
approved earlier this month in Geneva, Switzerland by representatives
of the world’s governments. This Special Report on Climate
Change and Land (SRCLL) is the second of three special reports that
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is preparing
during its current Sixth Assessment Report cycle. The first special
report, Global Warming
of 1.5°C, was
approved and released in September 2018—UWI staff also played a
significant role in authoring it. The third report, examining Ocean
and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, is
expected to be released in September 2019.

Of
particular concern, is the devastating impact that global warming is
having on the Caribbean. This includes coastal erosion resulting from
sea level rise and tropical hurricanes, which greatly threaten lives
and livelihoods in the region. Small island nations are also facing
the degradation of ecosystems, both marine and land, which may harm
industries on which we rely, such as fishing and farming. Overall,
the Caribbean is particularly vulnerable to greater health,
environmental and economic challenges because of these climate and
land changes.

Dr.
Adrian Spence (International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear
Sciences, The UWI Mona) was a lead author on Chapter One of the
Special Report on
Climate Change and Land,
“Framing and Context”; Dr. Donovan Campbell (Geography and
Geology, The UWI Mona) was a lead author on Chapter Six,
“Interlinkages between desertification, land degradation, food
security and greenhouse gas fluxes”; and Professor Noureddine
Benkeblia (Life Sciences, The UWI Mona) was a review editor for
Chapter Five, “Food Security”.

As
explained by Dr. Spence, “Land is a critical resource for human
livelihood and development, providing food, fresh water and other
ecosystem services. However, land is under growing pressure and
climate change is exacerbating this pressure. Notwithstanding that,
land may offer some solutions to limiting global warming to 1.5
degrees, but we must act now.” Other critical themes addressed in
the report include: land as a resource; desertification and land
degradation; food security; and land and climate change responses.

The
UWI is also proud that it has nine academics currently contributing
to the IPCC. They are members of three international working groups
mandated to produce a three-volume global assessment report, known as
“the sixth report” and “three special reports”. The
academics are Professor Michelle Mycoo (coordinating lead author on a
chapter on small islands); Dr. Tannecia Stephenson; Dr. Donovan
Campbell; Dr. Adrian Spence; Professor Michael Taylor; Professor
Noureddine Benkeblia; Dr. Michael Sutherland; Dr. Aidan Farrell; and
Professor John Agard.

In
addition to this achievement, The UWI has made significant impact in
the global effort to reduce climate change in several other ways.
Earlier this year, the International Association of Universities
(IAU) selected The UWI as its global leader in the mobilisation of
research and advocacy for the achievement of a climate-smart world.
The UWI was designated the lead institution for a Global University
Consortium on SDG 13 (Climate Action). This designation recognised
the significant contributions the University has made to the issue
through decades of research and advocacy.

In
July 2019 when policy makers and academics around the world met at
the United Nations’ High-Level
Political Forum 2019 (HLPF)
on Sustainable Development, The UWI was centre stage in these
discussions. It included The UWI co-hosting a symposium themed,
Research and
Innovation 4 Climate Action,
which showcased research initiatives of members of the Global
University Consortium on SDG 13 and highlighted the synergies between
SDGs 4, 13 and 17.

Later
in July, The UWI also hosted the first-ever meeting of
universities across the Commonwealth to collaborate on climate
challenges and resilience in their countries. This involved
collaboration between representatives from approximately 500
institutions in 50 countries.

The
UWI’s participation in the battle against climate change is part of
its efforts to aid in developing a culture of resilience and
resilience planning in the Caribbean, reflected in its Triple
A Strategy (Strategic
Plan 2017–2022).

For
more about the Special Report on Climate Change and Land
(SRCCL,) seehttps://www.ipcc.ch/report/srccl/.

-End-

The
IPCC approved and accepted Climate
Change and Land: an IPCC special report on climate change,
desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food
security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems at
its 50th Session held on 2 – 7 August 2019. The approved
Summary for Policymakers (SPM) was presented at a press conference on
8 August 2019.https://www.ipcc.ch/report/srccl/

Related
News:

The
UWI calls for Caribbean action based on UN IPCC report

About
The UWI

For
over 70 years The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has
provided service and leadership to the Caribbean region and wider
world. The UWI has evolved from a university college of London in
Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948 to an internationally
respected, regional university with near 50,000 students and four
campuses: Mona
in Jamaica, St.
Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave
Hill in Barbados, and an Open Campus. As part
of its robust globalization agenda, The UWI has established
partnering centres with universities in North America, Latin America,
Asia, and Africa including the State
University of New York (SUNY)-UWI Center for Leadership and
Sustainable Development; the Canada-Caribbean
Studies Institute with Brock University; the Strategic Alliance for
Hemispheric Development with Universidad de los Andes (UNIANDES); the
UWI-China Institute of Information Technology, the University of
Lagos (UNILAG)-UWI Institute of African and Diaspora Studies and the
Institute for Global African Affairs with the University of
Johannesburg (UJ). The UWI offers over 800
certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options
in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education,
Law, Medical Sciences, Science & Technology, Social Sciences and
Sport. 

As
the region’s premier research academy, The UWI’s foremost
objective is driving the growth and development of the regional
economy. Times Higher Education
ranked The UWI among the top 1,258 universities in world for 2019,
and the 40 best universities in its Latin America Rankings for 2018.
The UWI was the only Caribbean-based university to make the
prestigious lists. For more, visit www.uwi.edu.

(Please
note that the proper name of the university is The University of the
West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)