Global change

The term global change summarizes various global change processes, which to a large extent influence one another.

This includes in particular

• Global environmental changes such as global warming , deforestation , increasing amounts of waste (an outstanding symptom of plastic waste in the oceans ), the loss of biodiversity , the acidification of the oceans , the spread of deserts or the conversion of forests and steppes into agricultural areas .

• the effects of globalization as well

• the demographic changes on earth ( population growth , aging , migration ).

Research on global change

Research on global change includes, for example

• Land use systems under the influence of climate change .
• Water management options in line with future user demands.
• Sustainable handling of ecosystem services .
• Future energy concepts .
• Carbon management concepts .
• Urban development concepts .
• Changes in the oceans
• Coastal protection and coastal zone management.
• Avoidance and adaptation strategies with regard to changing climatic conditions.

Research on global change is mostly application-oriented and interdisciplinary.

Germany and Europe

Research on global change was coordinated in Germany by the National Committee for Global Change Research (NKGCF), which was dissolved in March 2013. Instead, the German Committee for Sustainability Research in Future Earth (German Committee Future Earth) was set up by the German Research Foundation (DFG) at the beginning of 2013 . The committee acts as a national contact point for international cooperation as well as a German advisory body and forum.

In 2008 the European Alliance of Global Change Research Committees was established by the national committees of the international Global Environmental Change Program.

International

In order to tackle research on global change in a coordinated manner on a global level, four international Global Environmental Change (GEC) programs were established around 15 years ago:

• the International Human Dimensions Program with a focus on social and political science interests, communication and capacity building,
• the International Geo-Biosphere Program with a focus on biogeochemical processes and interactions,
• the World Climate Research Program with a focus on climate system understanding and climate projection, and
• the Diversitas International with a focus on biodiversity research and science policy dialogue.

International research on global change is now undergoing a paradigm shift from research that is primarily focused on understanding the Earth system to research that is more geared towards solving problems of sustainability. This new focus will also bring about a change in international structures. The new international research program "Future Earth: research for global sustainability" is to be established in 2014.

courses

In recent years, more and more courses on the subject of "global change" have been set up:

• Master's degree “Global Change Ecology (GCE)” at the University of Bayreuth deals with all of the above-mentioned sub-areas, but has a focus on environmental changes and their impact on people.
• Master's degree "Global Change Management (GCM)" at the Eberswalde University of Applied Sciences
• Master's degree in "Geography of Global Change" at the University of Freiburg
• Master's degree "Global Change - Regional Sustainability" at the University of Innsbruck
• Master's degree "Water Management in Global Change" at Ostfalia University, Suderburg Campus
• Master's degree "Global Studies" at the Karl-Franzens University Graz

Web links

• National Committee for Global Change Research
• Scientific Advisory Board on Global Environmental Change
• Future Earth: research for global sustainability

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Global Change Research in Germany ( Memento of the original from February 23, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
2. ↑ NKGCF ( Memento of the original from January 30, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
3. ↑ German Committee for Sustainability Research in Future Earth ( Memento of the original from February 22, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed February 9, 2014. 
4. ↑ European Alliance of Global Change Research Committees  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
5. ↑ IHDP
6. ↑ IGBP ( Memento of the original from January 11, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
7. ^ WCRP
8. ↑ DIVERSITAS
9. ↑ ICSU: Future Earth ( Memento of the original from January 6, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
10. ↑ http://www.global-change-ecology.de/
11. ↑ http://www.geooekologie.de/index.php?dat=newshowtext3.php&id_ss=70&sp=1&id_s=81&id_n=17
12. ↑ http://www.ostfalia.de/cms/de/b/Studienangebote/Wasserwirtschaft_im_globalen_Wandel/
13. ↑ http://globalstudies.uni-graz.at/de/masterstudium/