Our Goal
We will support innovation in the generation and delivery of decision-relevant information and knowledge about the evolving Earth system.
Our Scientific Emphases
Interactions with social systems
Collaborative research involving WCRP’s natural sciences and the social and economic sciences of other programmes will lead to rapid advances in answering complex questions associated with the dynamics of the Earth and societal systems. Social processes have intrinsic roles in the Earth system, and human communities and institutions cannot be separated in any meaningful way from the physical, chemical and biological systems that support them.
To understand the complex interactions and feedbacks between climatic and socioeconomic systems, we will participate in collaborative research on responses to natural and human-induced forcing. New and fundamental aspects of emergent behaviors will be incorporated into a comprehensive understanding of the profoundly coupled Earth system.
Engaging with society
A sustainable future for society presupposes a stable and amenable climate and requires salient and credible information on current and future states of the climate system. The timescales on which society requires this information range from near-term extreme events to long-range planning horizons, while spatial scales range from local to global. We will support the development of actionable climate information, scientific assessments, educational approaches, and public communication strategies that require collaborative efforts with multi-sectoral actors in all regions of the globe.
WCRP’s partnerships with programmes within and beyond Future Earth will support the refinement of risk management and disaster response, economic and infrastructure planning, public communication, and education, as well as adaptation and mitigation strategies.
