Modelling in support of policy negotiations for increasing food production whilst maintaining hydrological ecosystem services in the Andes

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• Dr. Mark Mulligan, King's College, University of London
• Thursday 08 November 2012, 16:15-18:00
• Small Lecture Theatre, Department of Geography, Downing Site.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Professor Michael Bravo.

This talk will discuss the role of data and modelling in policy support around food and water through a discussion of the approaches pioneered by the Challenge Programme on Water and Food projects in the Andes system of basins. I will focus on the role of modelling, alongside theoretical developments and field science, in providing policy-relevant understanding and also highlight the challenges of modelling in data-poor but problem-rich developing country environments. I will discuss the development of the WaterWorld Policy Support System (www.policysupport.org/waterworld), its biophysical basis and innovations as well as the role it plays in the understanding of hydrological ecosystem services and the negotiation of benefit sharing mechanisms for water (such as payments for ecosystem services schemes) at sites throughout the tropics. Though there are risks to making models like WaterWorld available and accessible for non-hydrologists and non-modellers to use in such policy contexts, there are also considerable benefits in bridging science with application and filling some of the informational vacuums in which policies or management decisions sometimes have to be made.

This talk is part of the Department of Geography - main Departmental seminar series series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• AUB_Cambridge Seminars
• Cambridge Global Food Security
• Department of Geography
• Department of Geography - main Departmental seminar series
• Small Lecture Theatre, Department of Geography, Downing Site

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