Adaptation to Climate ChangeSafe and Prosperous SocietyContribution to Sustainability

I n s t i t u t e f o r G l o b a l C h a n g e A d a p t a t i o n S c i e n c e

Sustainability

Institute for Global Change Adaptation Science

Science

Modern societies are faced with complex and global issues such as environment, energy, water, food and population problems.Enabling global society to become sustain-able requires large-scale changes in eco-nomic systems, production and consumption as well as the development of revolutionary technologies with little environmental im-pacts, national and local policies and even the lifestyle of individuals. It was for these aims that “The Integrated System for Sustainability Science (IR3S)” was initiated by the University of Tokyo, together with Ibaraki University as a participating university.In 2010, the IR3S was succeeded by the

newly incorporated Sustainability Science Consortium (SSC), which aims to develop a vision for securing sustainability and creating a safe and wealthy society by addressing these problems that humanity faces in the 21st century.In response to the program, Ibaraki University established “The Institute for Global Change Adaptation Science (ICAS)” in 2006. By target-ing the Asia-Pacific, a region experiencing staggering population and economic growth facing and devastating damages from climate change and natural disasters ICAS will carry out research and education in sustainability science by focusing primarily on “adaptation

to climate change”.Through this, the ICAS aims to set out to fore-cast the effects of climate change, propose adaptation technologies and policies, and develop a local sustainability vision for Ibaraki through comparative analysis with other re-gions in Asia. Furthermore, ICAS will educates Japanese and foreign students together in hopes of fostering human resources that can flourish internationally and challenge each of the various problems the current generation faces with a comprehensive, sustainability point of view.

“Living with Global Warming”

Securing sustainability and contributing to a safe and wealthy society

Small islands in the South Pacific face a crisis.

They may be inundated as sea level rises due to global warming.

The amount of greenhouse gases these countries emit is so small that they cannot stop this global warming by themselves.

And yet raising their voices loudly about how global warming is threatening their islands is not providing

a sustainable solution for their inhabitants.

So how can people in these developing countries meaningfully address the challenges of global warming?

The answer lies in adaptation.

Global warming is a transnational challenge.

Countries need to cooperate to meet this challenge – through both mitigation and adaptation.

For future generations.

Three Goals

What is Sustainability Science?

1. Forecasting the effects of climate change and decision-making support adaptation technologies/policies

2. Development of human resources from the standpoint of sustainability science

3. Leadership through an international network platform for research and education in sustainability science

Current environmental and social problems are becoming increasingly complexSustainability science has been proposed in recent years as a foundation for developing road maps and methods to realize a sustainable society.Sustainability science, as defined by the SSC, consists of three components the “Global system” comprised of climate, resources/energy and ecosystems that provide the foundation for the existence of humanity; the “Social system” comprised of political, economic and technological systems as well as industrial structures that characterize each country; and the “Human system” comprised of the lifestyle, health, and value standards of individuals.If a functional interrelationship exists among the three systems of Earth, society, and humans, a sustainable society, in which humans and nature coexist in har-mony, can be realized and maintained. However, in reality the interrelationships appear to be frayed.Sustainability science aims to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the collapse of the three systems and their interrelationships as represented by issues facing global environment and security, to re-construct the systems and to propose measures and visions for mending the interrelationship.

Networking

Research

Education

Research networkin the Asia-Pacific region

Educational programon sustainability science

Program 1. Development of engineering methods for adaptation

Program 2. Development of climate change-adaptive agricultural technolo

Program 3. Livelihood plans and policies for adaptation

Program 4. Plans for safe and secure societies in the future

Systems comprising sustainability science

Current environmental andsocial problems are

increasing in complexity

Global SystemClimate system

Resources/energy

Ecosystem

Social SystemPolitics

Economy

Industry

Technology

Human SystemLifestyle

Health

Value standards

Low-Carbon SocietySociety in Harmony with Nature

Safe and Secure Society

Problems increasingin complexity

Sound Material-Cycle Society

Mass productionMass consumption

Mass disposal

Global warmingWide-scale air pollution

PovertyExpansion of infectious diseases

Recurrent natural disasters

Research Programs

Climate change is being felt by frequent localized heavy rains and increases in the size of typhoons in recent years. In reality, the number of natural disasters believed to be caused by climate change is on the rise. It is crucial to review the ability of social infrastructures to support our lives against future climate change so that we can improve our capacity to prevent disasters. In Program 1, we aim to construct sustainable technologies that utilize engineering methods, such as those in civil engineering and information technology, to realize adaptation to climate change.

Development of engineering methods for adaptation1.

Development of climate change-adaptive agricultural technologies

Livelihood plans and policies for adaptation

Research issues

① Integrated impact assessments and adaptation technologies in Japan ② Investigation for adaptation measures using information technology

③ Development of technologies that simultaneously achieve reductions in environmental impact and disasters

In Program 2, we carry out research on building the foundation for climate change-adaptive agricul-ture. Our focuses include sustainable land use as well as agricultural and pastoral systems under climate change, the development of adaptive cultivation technologies, and conservation of soil and water material circulation in agricultural ecosystems. Specifically, will we analyze the influence of drying pastures and artificial disturbance on plant populations as well as investigate the causal fac-tors of crop damage due to abnormal high temperatures in summer and the relationship between agricultural techniques, such as cover crops, no-till farming, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Research issues

① Sustainable land use for climate sensitive farming communities

② Development of climate change-adaptive cultivation technologies

③ Conservation of soil and water material circulation in agricultural ecosystems under climate change

With urban living areas as our focus, we analyze and assess the anticipation and adaptive behavior of local people toward climate change and natural disasters, the influence of climate change on the functions of urban environments and scenic/tourism resources, the potential of local systems to use recycled resources renewable energy, localized energy consumption and CO2 emission structures, and local-level mitigation/adaptation measures such as land use plans and traffic policies. Based on the assessment we plan to support urban plans and policies to adapt to climate change.

Research issues

① Adaptation plans for climate change ② Analysis and assessment of local renewable resources and the development of renewable energy

③ Proposals for local adaptation measures

Plans for safe and secure societies in the future

We plan for safe and secure societies in the future. We investigate how to bring about social equity through research on the relationship between threats to security in countries prone to climate change and national security strategies as well as clarifying the actual situations of social inequity that tend to be exposed at the time of serious disasters. Furthermore, we also perform on-site investigations and hypothetical examinations on how to mitigate regional conflicts caused by war or disputes and to create “wisdom of coexistence”.

Research issues

① Proposals for climate security policies ② Research on social equity

③ Creation of “wisdom of coexistence”

Program

2.

Program

3.

Program

4.

Program

ogies

Educational Programs on Sustainability Science

Features of the Educational Program

At Ibaraki University, “Education on sustainabil-ity science” is promoted to foster human resources that can take on the construction of sustainable societies. We have provided liberal arts courses such as “Introduction to Sustain-ability Science” in undergraduate programs since 2006, and initiated a master’s program “The Graduate Program on Sustainability Science in Ibaraki University” in 2009.“The Graduate Program on Sustainability Science in Ibaraki University” is an interdisci-plinary master’s program that aims to foster sustainability science experts who can be active both locally and internationally to construct sustainable human societies. Under the slogan of “education across the mind,

skills and knowledge,” this program aims to foster experts who have comprehensive understanding of the complex interrelation-ship between humans and the environment, advanced specialized knowledge and skills in specific areas, the ability to balance the inter-ests of stakeholders including business organi-zations, governments, educational institutions, and civil activity centers. At the same time, students will gain skills to achieve mutual understanding and to facilitate problem solving through making changes in problem-atic behaviors.This program is administered in cooperation with other universities participating in the SSC.

The Graduate Program on Sustainability Science in Ibaraki University is an educational program that traverses all graduate schools. It aims to foster specialists with knowledge in both a broad range of fields and specific disciplines to create sustainable societies, such as a low-carbon society, sound material-cycle society and a society in coexistence with nature. The program provides educational activities in cooperation with the SSC.■ Students in the program are entitled to benefit from the credit transfer system agreed upon among the universities participating in the SSC, including the University of Tokyo, and to take part in the common international fieldwork education programs.

Majors (courses) and minors (programs)In addition to the Sustainability Science Course (major program), which is provided by the Urban System Planning Course of the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, the Sustainability Science Program (minor program) is offered in each of the other graduate schools.■ The Sustainability Science Course is a major program that requires the completion of 30 units. ■ The Sustainability Science Program is a minor program that requires the completion of 10 units.

Certificate of completionGraduates who earn the required units will receive a “Certificate of Sustainability Science Course/Program” and a “Certificate of the SSC Joint Educational Program” in addition to the master’s degree in the major field of study.

①Human resources with comprehensive perspectives on the interrelationship between humans and the environment②Human resources with specialized knowledge in specific areas③Human resources with the will, and skills to solve global problems

College ofHumanities

College ofEducation

College ofScience

College ofEngineering

College ofAgriculture

Departments Graduate Schools(Master’s Courses/First Two-Year Term of Doctoral Courses)

GraduateSchool of

HumanitiesSustainability Science Program in Humanities and Sociology

GraduateSchool ofEducation

Sustainability Science Program

GraduateSchool of

AgricultureSustainability Science Program

GraduateSchool of

Science andEngineering

Sustainability Science Program

Urban System Engineering Sustainability Science Course

Fostering specialists who can be active internationally to construct sustainable societies

Practical education across the mind, skills and knowledge

Educational Program in Sustainability Science� Comprehensive classes on sustainability� Specialized classes in each specific disciplines� Lectures provided in English (some)� Training sessions and master’s thesis projects

in an international environment

Cooperation with the SSC� Transfer of units with other participating universities

(University of Tokyo etc.)� Common international education programs

Institute for Global Change Adaptation Science

>>http://www.grad.ibaraki.ac.jp/gpss/

General Incorporated Association

Sustainability Science Consortium

Contact info for inquiries

Institute for Global Change Adaptation Science (ICAS), Ibaraki UniversityEnvironment Research Laboratory Building2-1-1 Bunkyo, Mito, Ibaraki 310-8512, JapanTel. & Fax. +81-29-228-8787E-mail: ICAS@mx.ibaraki.ac.jphttp://www.icas.ibaraki.ac.jp/

Organization and Management of ICAS

President of Ibaraki University

Organization for Research Promotion

Institute for Global Change Adaptation Science

Steering Committee

External Evaluation Committee

College of Agriculture

College of Engineering

College of Science

College of Education

College of Hum

anities

Center for Information Technology

Center for Water Environm

ent StudiesInstitute of Regional StudiesG

ene Research CenterO

ther inner-university Centers

Research network in Asia-Pacific region

Cooperation with the SSCPartnership and exchange with cooperative universities

Partnership and outreach with local communities, business organizations and municipalitiesCommunity as A Partner Programs, Ibaraki University

SustainabilityScience Consortium

(SSC)

ChibaUniversity

WasedaUniversityNIES

RitsumeikanUniversity

TohokuUniversity

ToyoUniversity

United NationsUniversity

Universityof Tokyo

OsakaUniversity

KyotoUniversity

HokkaidoUniversity

Associations,foundations,

NPOs, etc.

Businessorganizations

MunicipalitiesCitizens

Rese

arch and Education Organizations

General Incorporated AssociationSustainability Science Consortium (SSC)