About event
One of the main lessons of the growing climate crisis is that we’re all interconnected. What happens in one part of the world affects the rest of the planet. Tibet is emerging as one of the most significant hotspots for climate change: it is often referred to as the “third pole” because it is the third largest repository of fresh water in the world. Hydrological patterns that originate in remote ice fields in western regions of the Tibetan Plateau initiate the process that leads to monsoonal rains in South and Southeast Asia; they then move to northern Australia, where they are responsible for much of the annual rainfall in the region. They also affect the Southern Oscillation, and so they affect how much rain Australia and North America receive. Tibetan glaciers are shrinking at four times the global rate, and although a range of possible causes have been identified, more research is needed to determine underlying patterns and what might be done to alleviate the crisis. This talk will provide an overview of a recently-initiated international research project funded by the Australian Research Council that is developing an innovative approach to climate research by bringing together natural scientists, ethnographers, and historians to gather data that will be used to create a picture of Tibet’s environmental past that can be used as a comparator for present developments. Our goal is to move beyond traditional disciplinary silos and develop a coordinated approach to research and dissemination of our results. Three members of the team will discuss their perspectives on the sort of research they envision as their contributions to the project. About the speakers: John Powers is a Research Professor in the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation at Deakin University. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities and author of sixteen books and more than ninety book chapters and journal articles. His main area of expertise is Tibetan history and religion, and he has also published on Chinese propaganda relating to Tibetan Buddhism, human rights, and gender in Buddhism. Sara Beavis (ANU) is an earth scientist who specialises in water systems. She has published widely on surfacewater hydrology, land capability and soil degradation, hydrogeology, environmental science and management, geochemistry and geology. She has published numerous studies on water and sediment geochemistry and impacts of natural and anthropogenic processes on water quality and water security, including impacts of climate change. Jamie Pittock is Professor in the Fenner School of Environment and Society at The Australian National University. He works on better governance of the interlinked issues of water management, energy and food supply, responding to climate change and conserving biodiversity. He leads research programs on irrigation and water management in Africa, and on hydropower, food and water in Asia. He is a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists. Venue Tip: Deakin’s new city centre campus is a short walk from Southern Cross Station towards Docklands and on part of the free city centre tram network (Stop D15 on routes 11 and 48). Entry is via Tower Two. The reception desk directs you to an escalator to a bank of lifts and Deakin Downtown is on Level 12.
Event Contact:
ssn-info@deakin.edu.auShare