Technology for the Environment to Drive Social Innovation

Abstract

Climate change is one of the top three global concerns for people around the world. Studies indicate that climate change will cause weather patterns to shift, resulting in severe drought, wildfires, and water scarcity in some areas, and excessive rainfall and flooding in others. These shifts can be expected to affect the productivity of farms, forests, and fisheries as well as the geography of disease. Meanwhile, experts estimate that the world’s population will grow from seven billion today to somewhere from 9 to 11 billion by 2050. The economies of countries such as China and India continue to expand at a significant rate, increasing the demand for products, energy, and other resources. Combined, these factors place severe stress on our planet’s resources. Observation shows that climate change can have serious ramifications—from economic losses to natural disasters to social strife. Faced with the challenge of inadequate ecosystem management as climate change occurs, governments, development agencies, and private industry are investing in task forces around the globe to plan for and take action at the country, regional, state, and local level.