Regional action on climate change (RACC) at the STS forum 2013

The RACC meetings are typically four to maximum eight hours and take place the day before the opening of the STS forum. A special topic is dealt with in the first part, followed by a breakout session dealing with particular experiences of Knowledge Action Networks in Africa and Europe, the Americas, and Asia. The lessons learned and required solutions identified in the breakout sessions will be presented to all at the end of the meeting.

Objectives of the RACC are:

• Learning from each other’s experiences, issues, problems and solution approaches, and from the integration of local and traditional knowledge with newest advances in science and technology;
• Creating a growing community of individuals across societal institutions and disciplines who speak the same language;
• Developing templates based on local cases for successful solutions in climate change adaptation;
• Building capacities around the globe for dealing efficiently with local challenges for successful climate change adaptation.

Issues discussed at the RACC comprise topics such as:

• Coastal cities: risks from climate change and natural hazards;
• Loss of productive and inhabitable land, through sea level rise;
• Spread of infectious diseases as a result of climate change;
• Loss of permafrost and consequent ground destabilization.