Adapting to climate change in South America
Nearly 200 scientists are part of the 'A Europe-South America network for climate change assessment and impact studies in La Plata Basin' (Claris LPB) project, which will form long-lasting research collaborations between Europe and South America. The researchers are looking at climate scenarios and impacts in the short term (2010–2040) and the long term (2070–2100). The project hopes to involve public, private and governmental policymakers in the design of adaptation strategies. It will also focus on training young scientists in European and South American institutes. Researchers have begun by analysing past climate data and extreme weather events as they relate to agriculture and hydrology. For the agricultural assessments specifically, small- and large-scale farms in Argentina and Brazil were selected as study sites. In terms of the hydrological studies, researchers are looking at how floods affect oceanic boat navigation, urbanisation and man-made structures along river banks. They are also evaluating the potential for generating hydropower in the La Plata Basin. The four-year project hopes to provide the basin's communities with a better understanding of their vulnerability to potential climate change scenarios. Armed with this data, the local populations will be able to adapt to these scenarios effectively by implementing the strategies developed by the Claris LPB project.