By: Perlyn M. Pulhin

OML Center Scientific Director, Dr. Rodel D. Lasco presented a keynote paper on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report (IPCC AR5) Key Findings for Asia and chaired a session at the Monsoon Asia Integrated Regional Study (MAIRS) Open Science Conference held in Beijing, China on 7-10 April 2014.

The theme of this 2014 MAIRS Open Science Conference is ‘Future Earth in Asia’. It brought the regional experts together to better understand the complexity of the interactive nature between climate, ecosystem and human systems, to enhance integration of different disciplines, sectors, programs, and national efforts across spatial-temporal scales in the Monsoon Asia. The Conference provided a platform for scientists, stakeholders, policy makers, and public in general to present the state-of-the-art findings and challenges in addressing climate change issues in the Monsoon Asia.

The Asian monsoon region is uniquely affected by global climate change, drawing international attention to the magnitude and scale of climate variations and their impacts on the nations of the region. MAIRS Programme was established in 2006 to specifically address the interactions between climate and human systems in the monsoon Asia region, using interdisciplinary approaches to integrate research on human communities, climate and ecosystems. By focusing on the integrated studies in three vulnerable zones (Coastal Urban, Mountain, and Dryland), the MAIRS programme has achieved a significant understanding not only on how the climate-human system interacts but at the same time identified knowledge gaps.

Source: http://www.mairs2014.org/