Projected continued global warming is a clear threat for the Mediterranean climate regions (MCRs) of the world, located in transitional midlatitude zones like the Mediterranean basin, western North America and small coastal areas of western South America, southern Africa and southern Australia and highly exposed to climate change, as well as for other global hotspots. Prolonged and recurrent droughts and wildfires, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, as well as floods and other compound extremes are all threats for sectors such as agriculture and human health. In response, adaptation strategies are emerging worldwide-ranging from water-efficient farming and wildfire management to urban greening, ecosystem restoration, and policies promoting climate resilience. At the same time, extreme events pose major challenges for science and decision-making, demanding methods that are both robust and tail-aware.
This session aims at promoting a multi-disciplinary approach to identify and prepare shared solutions and practices, to safeguard both natural systems and human livelihoods in one of the world’s most climate-sensitive regions. Studies of observed past changes and/or future climate projections focused on physical (including extremes, teleconnections, hydrological cycle) and biogeochemical (including biodiversity) aspects of MCRs and other global hotspots are welcome. Similarly, climate change related social aspects, including indigenous knowledge in mitigating climate risks, are well received. Analyses where multiple MCRs are considered and compared are highly appreciated.
As extremes represent one of the primary challenges of present and future climate change over MCRs and other global hotspots, in this session we want also to offer an interdisciplinary platform for researchers applying Extreme Value Theory (EVT) and related approaches to exchange ideas, connect across disciplines, and showcase advances that improve the inference and prediction of extremes, with particular emphasis on environmental and geoscientific applications. We particularly encourage contributions that bridge EVT with climate, hydrology, and infrastructure risk applications, including decision-relevant uncertainty quantification and studies of compound or cascading extremes. Submissions may include new methodological developments, open datasets and tools, or real-world case studies.
George Zittis