SUSTANCIAS UTILIZADAS

Education is an essential element of the global response to climate change. It helps all people understand and address the impact of climate change, encourages changes in their vision and helps them adapt to climate change-related threats. On the other hand, based on Articles 5 and 6 of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC, 1992), countries should facilitate climate change research and education at regional and national levels through following items:

- Support and further develop, as appropriate, international and intergovernmental programs and networks or organizations aimed at defining, conducting, assessing and financing research, data

collection and systematic observation, taking into account the need to minimize the duplication of effort; and

- Promote and facilitate at the national and, as appropriate, sub-regional and regional levels, and in accordance with national laws and regulations, and within their respective capacities, the development and implementation of educational and public awareness programs on climate change and its effects.

In addition, Article 12 of the Paris Agreement explicitly says that “Parties shall cooperate in taking measures, as appropriate, to enhance climate change education, training, public awareness, public participation and public access to information, recognizing the importance of these steps with respect to enhancing actions under this Agreement”.

In Iran Second National Communication (SNC) report to the UNFCCC, which was published in 2010, research and education activities in three fields of climate change (The physical science basis of climate change, vulnerability, and adaptation to climate change and greenhouse gas mitigations) were collected.

Accordingly, the number of books, thesis, projects, and journal papers related to climate change in following ministries, universities, and institutions, were collected and reviewed:

Ministries: Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, Ministry of Agricultural Jihad, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Oil, Ministry of Mines and Industries, Ministry of Roads and Transportation, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.

Universities: Universities in Tehran such as; the University of Tehran, Sharif University of Technology, Amirkabir University, Iran University of Science and Technology, Khajeh Nasir University, Shahid Beheshti University, Tarbiat Modarres University, and Azad university. Universities in other provinces such as; Esfahan, Shiraz, Mashhad, Gorgan, Mazandaran, Tabriz, Zahedan, Kerman and Sharekord.

Institutions: The NCCO in the Environmental Research Center of the Department of the Environment, Water Resources Research Center at Ministry of Energy, Sharif Energy Research Institute, Institute of Geophysics of University of Tehran, the Institute for Scientific and Applied Environmental Research of the Department of the Environment in Karaj, Environmental research Institute and the Energy Research Center of Amirkabir University of Technology, Meteorology and Atmosphere Science Research Center affiliated to IRIMO, Desert Research Center and International Research Center for Desert Coexistence of University of Tehran at Yazd, Center for energy and Environment Research Studies of Azad University, Science and Research Branch and Institute for International Energy studies of the Ministry of Oil.

Results showed that 1140 journal papers, 600 books, 200 theses, and 1100 projects were conducted in Iran up to 2007. The results also showed that 642 courses in three undergraduate and postgraduate

programs are taught in various technical disciplines such as; engineering, agriculture, and natural sciences. However, there is no specific educational program that covers all three fields of climate change (e.g. the physical science basis of climate change, the vulnerability and adaptation to climate change, and mitigation of greenhouse gasses). So the syllabuses of table 5.9 were proposed to add to the relevant graduate and postgraduate courses in universities.

Table (5.9): Proposed Climate Change Syllabus in SNC.

Sub-topics

‏ Topic

‏

‏Item

- The greenhouse effect and planetary temperature - Blackbody radiation; terrestrial and solar radiation - Energy balance model and the natural greenhouse effect The greenhouse effect and

- Ice ages and role of the orbit and carbon dioxide The history of earth's

climate 2

- The 20th century record of climate: global, regional, local Climate trends during the

20th century 3

- Natural variability: El Nino, etc.

- Naturally induced changes: solar and volcanoes

- Human induced changes: greenhouse gases and aerosols Climate variability and

climate change 4

- Climate models

- Climate sensitivity and feedback

- Attribution: climate of the 20th century and the human impact Climate trends during the

20th century: Human or Natural?

5

- Emission scenarios: human factor impact: greenhouse gases and aerosols

- Climate of 2100: global impacts

- Climate of 2010: regional impacts (by continent)

- Uncertainty in the projections (emissions and climate models) Projections of the future

climate 6

- Climate change and world food security: global issues - Climate change and world food security: case study - Climate change and marine ecology; global and case study - Climate change and terrestrial ecology; global and case study - Health and climate change

- Climate change and water resources Impacts of climate change

7

- Socio-economic impact of climate change - Climate change and economic diversification - Integration of climate change in development plan Economy and climate

change 8

- Mitigation and adaptation technology - Climate friendly energy technology

- Environmental energy planning and policy assessment Energy, technology and

climate change 9

- Environmental law - International law

- Climate regime and the Kyoto Protocol Climate regimes

10

In the Third National Communication (TNC) report of Iran to the UNFCCC, (this report) it was necessary to first update the number of climate change research and educational activities of the country, and secondly, propose a climate change course program that covers all three fields of climate change.

5.3.2. Results

In this report, in order to update the climate change research and educational activities of the country, more ministries, organizations, and universities than the second report was surveyed up to 2015. It was found that from 2008 to 2015 the number of journal papers related to climate change has increased by 86, projects by 48, theses by 140 and the published books by 23 compared to the pre-2008 activities. The findings also showed that most studies have focused on evaluating the impact of climate change and mitigation options. In other words, the fields of climate change adaptation strategies and scientific knowledge of climate change have been less attention in the researches. So, two approaches were considered. The first approach is to strengthen the educational courses at the postgraduate degree with the launch of climate change in any of the fields related to climate change. Accordingly, a climate change-water resources course for the postgraduate degree was proposed which the main syllabuses are presented in table 5.10.

Table (5.10): Main Syllabuses of Climate Change-water Resources Course.

‏

Syllabus No. ‏

‏

The Physical Science Basis of Climate Change 1

Methods and Tools to Evaluate Adaptation to Climate Change 7

Weather Pollution 8

Climate Regime 9

In the second approach, we tried to propose some climate change research and educational strategies for relevant ministries and institutions in Iran. These strategies were evaluated in some meetings with participation of over than 50 experts from universities, industries, and NGOs. These strategies were proposed in four disciplines; mitigation of climate change, water resources management, agriculture and food security, and the environment. Table 5.11 shows some strategies of these fields.

Table (5.11): An Example of a National Strategy on Climate Change Research and Education.

‏

Strategy Section

Development of climate change education and research activities and promotion of new infrastructures and tools for mitigating greenhouse gasses Mitigation of Climate

Change

Developing water diplomacy and regional cooperation (development, research, and education)

Water Resources Management

Review and develop technical, educational and research programs aimed at developing adaptability to climate change in agriculture

Agriculture and Food Security

Development of research activities, promoting cultural, educational and training human resources

Environment

5.4 The Economic Effects of Emission Reduction Commitments and Economic Diversification