The Environment Canada Policy Research Seminar Series

Dr. Jill Jäger February 15, 2002

On Friday, February 15, 2002, the Environment Canada Policy Research Seminar Series hosted Dr. Jill Jäger in a talk entitled "Global Environmental Change: How do humans fit in?" The following is a precis of Dr. Jäger's talk.

The International Human Dimensions Program (IHDP) started in 1996, and deals with the challenges of including humans into the debate surrounding global environmental change. There are three important elements to consider in regards to human dimensions: first, how humans as individuals and as societies contribute to environmental change; second, how humans are influenced by environmental change; and third, how humans mitigate and adapt to change.

IHDP is an international science program that is interdisciplinary in focus and non-governmental in structure. It attempts to integrate the natural and social sciences by coordinating and supporting human dimensions research. The aim is to describe, analyze and understand the human dimensions in relation to environmental change.

The reason for interest in environmental change was summarized by Dr. Jäger using several indicators. She noted that 50% of the land surface of the earth has been transformed for human use. The consequences of this intervention into the natural environment manifest themselves in changes in biodiversity, climate, the nutrient cycle, and the soil structure of our ecosystems. Furthermore, about half of the accessible freshwater is being used by humans either directly or indirectly. Underground water tables have rapidly decreased in the last several decades, while greenhouse gases have increased tremendously. There are also well documented changes in concentrations of carbon over the past 400 years. Dr. Jäger remarked that the earth system has a natural cycle in carbon concentrations that has had observable, systematic fluctuations over the past 400,000 years. However, since the beginning of the industrial revolution, carbon concentrations have risen far above natural limits, bringing the natural cycle out of balance. She also pointed out that 22% of recognized marine fisheries are overexploited and approximately 44% are at the limit of exploitation. Extinction levels are not only increasing rapidly in marine systems, but also in terrestrial ones. Dr. Jäger also reminded the audience of the rapid increases in human population growth, and nitrogen concentrations.

IHDP has several tasks in shedding more light on these issues. The organization identifies research priorities, provides focus on research endeavors, and establishes a framework for interdisciplinary approaches. Another task of the Human Dimensions Program is to disseminate research findings throughout academic networks, as well as into the policy branches. Furthermore, the program provides national and regional inputs into research projects.

There are four major research initiatives to which IHDP brings its full contribution: Land-use and Land-cover change (LUCC), which is co-sponsored by IGBP (International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme); Global Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS); Institutional Dimensions of Global Environmental Change (IDGE); and Industrial Transformation (IT).

LUCC focuses on land-use dynamics through comparative case studies that track changes in land use due to factors such as deforestation, urbanization, and agriculture. The program examines land-cover dynamics through empirical observation and diagnostic modeling, ranging from analyzing satellite images to developing household surveys. Regional and global integrated models to project land use changes is another focus of the program, in which the analytic tools and results from cases studies and empirical observation are integrated. One of the recent publications that came out of this program is entitled "What drives tropical deforestation?", which utilizes a meta-analysis approach to examine demographic, economic, technological, institutional, cultural, and socio-political factors. The outcomes of this study provide strong evidence that any universal or global policy attempt to approach the issue of tropical deforestation is doomed for failure, due mainly to the multiplicity of factors involved. The full report is available here (pdf - 1.7MB).

Global Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS) aims to address the interaction between human security and environmental change through interdisciplinary, international research and policy efforts. Resource use and human security in relation to environmental change is partially examined through modeling of environmental stresses and human vulnerability. The human dimensions of environmental change and the reconceptualization of security are approached through three main objectives: The promotion of research in this field; the promotion of dialogue and collaboration between scholars from around the world; and the facilitation of a network for communication and collaboration among policy makers, researchers, and other groups.

Institutional Dimensions of Global Environmental Change (IDGEC) analyzes the role institutions play in human/environment interactions. The program focuses on how institutions cause as well as respond to global environmental change. The effectiveness of institutional innovations designed to address global environmental change are examined, while the prospect of (re)designing the institutions to confront environmental challenges is brought to the table. For example, the topic of carbon management is examined from a viewpoint that includes the long-term institutional consequences. As another example, the issue of maintaining an ecological balance in the fishing industry is addressed by looking at the effectiveness and failures of institutions to adapt to these problems.

Industrial Transformation (IT) attempts to address the changes in the relationship between industrial systems and the environment. The program focuses on energy and material flows, and attempts to decouple socio-economic development from environmental pressures. Its scope ranges from analyzing the production and consumption process of manufactured goods and services, while identifying the impact of energy transformations on environmental systems as well as on quality of life.

Dr. Jäger then introduced the audience to several joint projects IHDP attends to in collaboration with IGBP (International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme) and WCRP (World Climate Research Programme). The Global Carbon Project investigates human dimensions in regards to climate change, focusing specifically on the dynamics of the carbon cycle in the past, present, and future. The interest in this topic is significant to all involved parties, as human dimensions and climate change are at the core of this project. The Joint Food Project investigates three fundamental questions: How global environmental change will affect food provision, how societies adapt and cope with global environmental change, and what the new environmental and social consequences of adaptation will be. The Joint Water Project focuses on the social, environmental, and physical stresses imposed on water systems, whereby demand, vulnerability, and consequences are examined.

Dr. Jäger also described the size and structure of IHDP. The secretariat is located in Bonn, Germany and employs about 10 staff. Each project has its own international scientific steering committee, whereby the role of the office in Bonn is to provide links between the projects and the committees. IHDP is responsible for the coordination of information and research in order to ensure that there is no overlap or gaps. The office in Bonn is primarily funded by the German government, and receives its 2nd largest contribution from the US National Science Foundation. The rest of the contributions are provided by several European countries. The researchers involved in the various projects have their own funding, but participate with IHDP for better research coordination. Dr. Jäger pointed out that demand for research on human dimensions has increased in the past five years, while funding support has not had the same level of increase. Expectations for research on human dimensions is high, as the recognition that humans are central to environmental change has become prevalent. Dr. Jäger reminded us that these raised expectations should be matched with the funding provided for this type of work. For further exploration of the International Human Dimensions Project and its affiliated organizations and projects, please visit www.ihdp.org.

Biography

Jill Jäger is the Executive Director of the International Human Dimensions Program (IHDP) on Global Environmental Change, which is headquartered in Bonn, Germany. Her main fields of interest are the development of policies in response to climate change and the linkages between science and policy in the development of responses to global environmental issues. At IDHP she ensures programs have solid scientific context, while also seeking the necessary funding to complete projects.

Dr. Jäger has been working on the threshold between science and policy for most of her career. She studied Environmental Science in England, and continued on to her PhD in Climatology at the University of Colorado. She has primarily worked as a consultant, and has held various positions at Environment Canada, the Federal German Environment Agency, and the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP). In September 1994, she joined the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA, Laxenburg) as Deputy Director for Programs, where she was responsible for the implementation and coordination of the research program. She is currently co-authoring a forthcoming publication entitled "Learning to manage global environmental risk".

List of articles and reports by Dr. Jill Jäger

1. Bolin, B., Döös, B.R., Jäger, J., & Warrick, R.A., editors. The Greenhouse effect, climatic change and ecosystems. -- New York : John Wiley & Sons, 1986. -- 541 p. -- (Scope ; no. 29).
   
   
2. Cavender, J. & Jäger, J. The History of Germany's response to climate change. International Environmental Affairs (1993) 5 (1) : 3-18.
   
   
3. Clark, W.C. & Jäger, J. Report on reports : Climate change 1995 : the science of climate change. Environment (1997) 39 (9) : 23-28.
   Notes : "Members of Environment's editorial board critically review the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 3-volume Second Assessment report".
   
   
4. Jäger, J. Climate and energy systems : a review of their interactions. -- Chichester, U. K. : Wiley and Sons, 1983. -- 231 p.
   
   
5. Jäger, J. Climatic change : floating new evidence in the CO₂ debate. Environment (1986) 28 (7) : 6-9, 38-41.
   
   
6. Jäger, J., Clark, W.C., Goodman, G.T., Oppenheimer, M., & Woodwell, G.M. Developing policies for responding to climatic change : a summary of the discussions and recommendations of the workshops held in Vilach (28 Sept.-2 Oct. 1987) and Bellagio (9-13 Nov. 1987) under the auspices of the Beijer Institute, Stockholm . -- [Geneva] : World Climate Impact Studies Programme, 1988. -- 53 p.
   
   An executive summary of this paper, without illustrations, has been published in Dean Edwin Abrahamson's 1989 The challenge of global warming, chapter 7, pages 96-109
   
   
7. Jäger, J. Les conséquences de l'effet de serre. Franc-Nord (1988) 5 (4) : 26-27, 30.
   
   
8. Jäger, J. The Changing atmosphere. In The Changing atmosphere : implications for global security (Toronto : 27-30 June 1988). -- Geneva : Secretariat of the World Meteorological Organization, 1988. -- p. 384-404.
   Notes : Conference background paper.
   
   
9. Jäger, J. Anticipating climatic change. Environment (1988) 30 (7) : 12-15,30-33.
   
   
10. Jäger, J. Practical responses to climatic change. Environment (1990) 32 (6) : 44-45.
    
    
11. Jäger, J. Climate : approaches to projecting temperature and moisture changes. In Toward ecological sustainability in Europe : climate, water resources, soils and biota. Editors : Solomon, A.M. & Kauppi, L. -- Laxenburg, Austria : International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, 1990. -- ch. 1, p. 7-30.
    
    
12. Jäger, J. & Ferguson, H.L., editors. Climate change : science, impacts and policy : proceedings of the Second World Climate Conference. -- Cambridge, Mass. : Cambridge University Press, 1991. -- 578 p.
    
    
13. Jäger, J. Meeting reports : Open Science Meeting of the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Research Community held at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria, during 12-14 June 1997. Environmental Conservation (1997) 24 (4) : 365-366.
    
    
14. Jäger, J. The Human side of global change : the 1997 Open Meeting of the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Research Community. Environment (1998) 40 (1) : 25-26.
    
    
15. Jäger, J., ed. The EFIEA Workshop on Uncertainty (Baden bei Wien, Austria : July 10-18, 1999). -- Amsterdam, The Netherlands: European Forum on Integrated Environmental Assessment Secretariat, 2000. -- 56 p.
    http://www.vu.nl/english/o_o/instituten/IVM/research/
    efiea/badenrep.pdf (pdf - 157KB)
    
    
16. Jäger, J., Matson, P., Morre III, B., et al. Global change and the earth system : a planet under pressure. [Stockholm, Sweden] : International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, 2001. -- 32 p. -- (IGBP science ; no. 4).
    
    
17. Kates, R.W., Clark, W.C., Corell, R., et al. Sustainability science. Science (2001) 292 (5517) : 641-642.
    
    
18. Lambin, E., Fischer, G., Jäger, J. & Baulies, X. Electronic Conference on Land Use and Land Cover Change in Europe (21 November - 19 December). Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgique : Université catholique de Louvain, 1997. -- (LUCC report series ; no. 2).
    http://www.geo.ucl.ac.be/LUCC/publications/reportseries/
    series2/contents.html
    
    
19. Pitovranov, S. & Jäger, J. Climate : Grosswetterlagen approaches. In Toward ecological sustainability in Europe : climate, water resources, soils and biota. Editors : Solomon, A.M. & Kauppi, L. -- Laxenburg, Austria : International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, 1990. -- ch. 2, p. 31-41.
    
    
20. The Social Learning Group. Learning to manage global environmental risks / edited by W.C. Clark, N.M. Dickson and J. Jäger. -- Cambridge, Mass. : Cambridge University Press, 2001.
    Notes: Synopsis, Table of Contents, Overview chapters available at http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/sl/index.htm .