Accounting for OA Across Vulnerability and Risk Assessments
By accounting for increasing acidification and cumulative climate- ocean impacts, governments can more accurately assess the economic, cultural and social vulnerabilities directly caused by CO2 emissions.
Vulnerability assessments can help inform targeted strategies that support food security and sovereignty, increase resilience of marine ecosystems and build a sustainable ocean economy in the face of future change.
The 90 minute webinar provided a snapshot of OA vulnerability and risks assessments that have already been conducted in the Pacific Islands Region and British Columbia, Canada and highlight strategies and methodologies that account for socio-economic and cultural vulnerabilities.
Agenda:
(1) Welcome and brief overview (5 minutes)
Jessie Turner, Project Manager, OA Alliance
(2) Overview of Climate Risk Assessments and Applications for OA Vulnerability Assessments (10 minutes)
Confirmed speaker: Dr. Sarah Cooley, Ocean Conservancy, Director of Climate Science
What’s the difference between risk and vulnerability?
What methodologies have been used or put forward by the IPCC to assess climate vulnerabilities in general?
Timescale and geographic considerations
How can global or regional data help inform regional or local vulnerability assessments (opportunities and limitations?)
At a basic level, what can local or regional risk and vulnerability assessments help inform?
(3) OA Vulnerability Assessment- Case Study Pacific Islands (10 minutes)
Confirmed speaker: Dr. Johanna Johnson, Director of C2O Pacific
Overview and Origin of the Pacific Islands Ocean Acidification Vulnerability Assessment
Methodology, evidence base and data used to establish projected changes for the region
Focus areas of the vulnerability assessment
Key factors considered and notable recommendations
How is the vulnerability report currently being applied?
(4) Ocean Acidification Within Broader Climate Risk Assessments- Case Study British Columbia, Canada (10 minutes)
Confirmed Speaker: Dominique Sigg and Johanna Wolf, British Columbia Climate Action Secretariat, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
Overview, origin and purpose of the risk assessment
What evidence base (data and information) did you draw from?
Methodology utilized and framework established
Core Principles of the framework
Objectives –how were objectives identified?
Risk event
Risk cause—this includes OA—why?
Impact or Consequence – inclusion of cultural resources
Existing Mitigations
How likely
How Severe
Sum and Risk Rating
Overview of discrete risk causes (events) vs. ongoing risk causes (trends)
Application and next steps for provincial government
(6) Facilitated panel discussion with additional experts (45 minutes)
Dr. Jan Newton applications within Pacific Northwest of N. America
Dr. Nayrah Shaltout applications within the Mediterranean
Dr. Johanna Johnson applications within Pacific Islands Countries and Territories
Dominique Sigg and Johanna Wolf applications within British Columbia
Dr. Sarah Cooley applications within Alaska