Post on 17-Dec-2015
Climate and Energy Policy in the Mediterranean
Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs
World Congress of Environmental and Resource Economists
Istanbul Technical University June 29, 2014
BWh = Hot desert; Csa = Mediterranean (mild wet winter, hot dry summer)
The Mediterranean Climate Zones
SEAGER ET AL., 2014, “CAUSES OF ARIDIFICATION OF THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION IN RESPONSE TO RISING GREENHOUSE GASES”
“MID-LATITUDE JETS AND STORM TRACKS SHIFT POLEWARD AND THE HADLEY CELL EXPANDS, CAUSING EXPANSION OF SUB-TROPICAL DRY ZONES”
SOME POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS:
MORE FREQUENT AND INTENSE DROUGHT CONDITIONS
MORE EXTREME STORMS AND FLOODING
LOSS OF HYDROELECTRIC POWER, DRINKING WATER, AND WATER QUALITY IN DRY SEASONS (TERRADO ET AL., 2014)
LOSS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
REDUCTION OF RIVER FLOW (E.G. NILE, TIGRIS, EUPHRATES)
REDUCTION OF BIOMASS OF MEDITERRANEAN SEA
POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICT
The Sustainable Development Solutions Networkoperates under the auspices of UN Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon, and engages scientists, engineers, business and civil society leaders, and development practitioners for evidence-based problem solving. It promotes solution initiatives that demonstrate the potential of technical and business innovation to support sustainable development (www.unsdsn.org)
SDSN-Mediterranean is hosted by University of Siena