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THE ADAPTATION OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL COMMUNITIES TO CLIMATIC CHANGE. Christopher R. Bryant Géographie, Université de Montréal Chair, IGU Commission on the Sustainable Development of Rural Systems Ottawa, May 6 2003. Département de géographie. Objective & Plan.
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THE ADAPTATION OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL COMMUNITIES TO CLIMATIC CHANGE Christopher R. Bryant Géographie, Université de Montréal Chair, IGU Commission on the Sustainable Development of Rural Systems Ottawa, May 6 2003 Département degéographie
Objective & Plan TO PRESENT A PRATICAL AND A RESEARCH-BASED PERSPECTIVE ON ADAPTATION TO CLIMATIC CHANGE • THE BASES OF THE REMARKS • CLIMATIC CHANGE & THE DECISION-MAKING ENVIRONMENT • SIGNIFICANT SOCIO-ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS • THE IMPORTANCE FOR FARMERS AND RURAL COMMUNITIES Département degéographie
THE BASES OF THE REMARKS BASED ON RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN • WITH A RESEARCH GROUP AT THE UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTRÉAL • WITH OTHER RESEARCHERS AND ACTORS WORKING IN A CROSS-CANADA NETWORK • 35 YEARS OF RESEARCH INTO AGRICULTURAL ADAPTATIONS TO OTHER FORMS OF STRESS • 20 YEARS OF RESEARCH AND INVOLVEMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITIES Département degéographie
THE INFORMATION BASE 1. INTERVIEWS WITH FARMERS 2. WORKSHOPS INVOLVING * GROUPS OF FARMERS * OTHER PROFESSIONALS 3. CONSULTATIONS WITH COMMUNITIES Département degéographie
CLIMATIC CHANGE & THE DECISION-MAKING ENVIRONMENT THE STUDY OF IMPACTS & ADAPTATIONS CANNOT BE UNDERTAKEN WITHOUT TAKING ACCOUNT OF: · THE HUMAN FACTOR & THE INDIVIDUAL AS DECISION-MAKER · THE REALITY OF MULTIPLE SOURCES OF STRESS · BEING CAREFUL NOT TO MAKE FALSE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN MITIGATION & ADAPTATION STUDYING ONLY THE BIOPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT & ITS DYNAMIC IS INADEQUATE BUT THIS IS WHERE CANADA SPENDS MOST OF OUR RESEARCH RESOURCES Département degéographie
SIGNIFICANT SOCIO-ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS 1. THE PERCEPTIONS OF DECISION-MAKERS 2. THE ADAPTABILITY OF FARMERS & AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS: REQUIRES UNDERSTANDING OF : PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DECISION-MAKER THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE FARM: ITS STRUCTURE & BIOPHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT THE GENERIC STRESSES AS WELL AS THOSE THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO EACH PRODUCTION SYSTEM & EACH BROAD REGION Département degéographie
CLIMATIC CHANGE – IS IT CONSIDERED IMPORTANT BY FARMERS? 1. VARIABILITY SEEN AS MORE IMPORTANT THAN CHANGES IN AVERAGE CONDITIONS 2. THIS INCLUDES THE FREQUENCY OF EXTREME EVENTS & CONDITIONS 3. BUT THERE ARE OFTEN OTHER SOURCES OF STRESS CONSIDERED MORE PRESSING 4. IMPLYING DECISIONS OFTEN TAKEN IN A SHORT TERM PERSPECTIVE RATHER THAN A LONGER TERM PERSPECTIVE 5. THIS IS ALSO TRUE FOR COMMUNITIES Département degéographie
VULNERABILITY – A NEW & MORE IMPORTANT PERSPECTIVE 1. WITH MULTIPLE STRESSES, DECISION-MAKERS TAKE DECISIONS CONTINUOUSLY, SUGGESTING GREATER CONCERN WITH VULNERABILITY OF ACTIVITIES (AGRICULTURE, RURAL) TO ANY FORM OF CHANGE 2. THUS, THE ADAPTATION OF FARMING & RURAL COMMUNITIES TO CLIMATIC CHANGE CAN BE SEEN MORE AS A SECONDARY CONSEQUENCE OF RISK MANAGEMENT Département degéographie
SOME CONCLUDING POINTS • 1. THE IMPORTANCE OF A HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE • 2. VULNERABILITY : UNDERSTANDING & • REINFORCING THE CAPACITY OF FARMERS & • OTHER RURAL ACTIVITIES TO ADAPT & • BECOME MORE RESILIENT • 3. IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THEIR CONTRIBUTION • TO THEIR RURAL ECONOMIES & COMMUNITIES Département degéographie