Socio-environmental systems indicators for climate change adaptation & resilience in the US
The goal of this workshop is to advance development of socio-environmental systems indicators of climate change to support adaptation and resilience decisions in the United States. Climate change science has evolved from an initial emphasis on geophysical processes, climatological data, and computer models, into a multi- and inter- disciplinary endeavor to analyze ecological and social impacts. Indicators of climate change need to evolve, as well, to better measure environmental changes, social vulnerability, and societal impacts through time. Techniques for combining biophysical and social indicators of climate change are beginning to be developed at regional and local scales for particular ecosystems and human populations. A key scientific question thus arises: can we generalize from these cases into an overarching socio-environmental systems approach to indicator development? This workshop convenes participants with diverse experiences developing and using climate change indicators to generate a common understanding of what socio-environmental systems indicators might look like, and how they can support adaptation and resilience decisions.