In what ways can emerging technologies help address climate change impacts on FEW Nexus?

Abstract:

Emerging technologies for observation, modeling and data analytics are enabling unprecedented understanding of the coupling between climate drivers, human impacts and critical zone processes. While climate impacts can now be assessed at resolutions of a few kilometers due to advances in computing technologies and process representation, observational technologies from satellites to drones are exposing the changes in our landscapes at the meter or even smaller resolution. Coupled with modeling enabled by understanding of coupling between a spectrum of critical zone processes at a range of scales in part enabled by such data, we can characterize the joint outcomes of human impact and climate variability and change. This is of significant value for intensively managed landscapes that support industrial agriculture but with consequential environmental outcomes across scales. In this talk we will discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with bridging across scale gaps for supporting sustainable practices through precision farming and adapting to climate change.