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The aim of this paper is to explore alternative institutional ways to approach the public strategies for the attention of the meteorological events that occur frequently in Mexico. In the context of a growing presence of such events in the country associated with climate change, increased resilience relates to the identification and correction of the vulnerability of those areas susceptible to such threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current context of economic and environmental crisis, the question for developing countries, whether it is better to think about adapting or mitigating climate change. Of the more than 24 million metric tons of C02 emitted in the world, Mexico contributes only 1.6%, although this figure is relatively small is important to devise strategies to tackle the problem of climate change, considering participation of key stakeholders such as government, private sector and civil society, through the design of environmental policies and concrete actions from private enterprise. The target of this paper is to explain how from the private sector itself emerging alternatives for adapting to climate change, the trades do also contribute to the mitigation, such as the experience of industrial ecology has been given in Altamira, Tamaulipas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kyoto Protocol, is the first legal instrument with a compromise to reduce the production of greenhouse effect's Gases. In Argentinean legislation the United Nation's Convention as well as the Kyoto Protocol are included in internal laws in the Law 24.295 and the law 25.438. The objective of this paper is to review the origins of these two international instruments; their incorporation to the Argentinean internal law; and to determine the state of the art of its application and the effectiveness of the Argentinean laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates different types of groundwater exploitation systems used in coastal areas and in small islands where seawater intrusión can occur. In many cases using open trenches for groundwater supply inconveniences appear because of seawater penetration associated with hurricanes. Pumping wells should not be used even shallow ones because of intrusion cones. It is also recommended to substitute open trenches by horizontal drains with control systems for levels and water quality in the collectors from where water would be pumped as if they were storage deposits. This also decreases evaporation losses, environmental drawbacks and contamination from drag of solids as well as reduces the possibilities of seawater penetration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of fitting simulation model STICS, previous validated for maize and beans, for growth prediction of rice under different management conditions in south of Havana. It was used and processed the experimental field information for define the climatic and soil input files and for the output files with the data of the two important crop functions: leaf area index and dray matter production. The optimization of crop file parameters was done using the experimental information of winter or dray season and the optimization module of STICS model that uses as optimization criteria the minimum of mean square error. The validation of this crop file parameters was done using data of another season cold and dry season. As a result of this work it was adjusted a new crop file for rice (STICS-Rice), that resume the general characteristics of rice crop and particularities of crop growth faces of the studied variety (J-104). However for complete validation of the model with respect to prediction of irrigation management strategies in this crop, it is necessary due field observations of variables related to water storage in the root zone and plant water consume and this will be understood in the continuity of the investigation and validation work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a qualitative and Critical Discourse Analysis of three Chilean newspapers (El Mercurio, La Tercera, La Segunda) an examination has been undertaken of how issues, which according to scientific findings are directly linked to environmental problems and/or climate change. This paper deals mainly with the discourses published by the Chilean newspapers El Mercurio, La Tercera and La Segunda during two weeks in 2007 and hoa they have addressed, or not addressed in those media. The results of the analysis reveal the ideological significance of "the absent", as well as the way by which the modification-process operating within this medium creates a certain order of discourse: neoliberal and neoclassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Queries related to environmental degradation, climate changes, quality of life, sustainable development and thermic comfort have brought great interest and worries not only among scientists but within the most diverse social sectors. The objective of this study is to analyze the climate behavior in the city of Cáceres-MT, which is located on the left bank of the Paraguay river, in southwest of State Mato Grosso, central Brazil. To verify the behavior of the climatic elements ( temperature, atmospheric pressure, evaporation, moisture and precipitation) in the city of Cáceres-MT during the 1971-2003 period, there were fulfilled the following steps: (a) data collection; the meteorological data was analyzed in four periods: 1971-1980; 1981-1990; 1991-2000; and 2000-2003; (b) construction of climate graphics and their comparative interpretation which ended in this paper. Annual precipitation mean is of 1200 mm, with a well defined rainy period (from October to April, with major incidence from December to March), and another considered dry from April to September. Temperature analysis in three decades show variations: in the first decade (1971-1980) there was a mean of 24,7 °C; this rose to 25,1 °C in the decade of 1980 (1981-1990), continued rising in the decade of 1990 (1991-2000) to reach 25,4 °C and to 26 °C in the last three years of the period studied (2001-2003). Air pressure varies in general from 997 to 998,5 milibars. This variation keeps relation with the mean temperature changes in the region. Contrary to the evaporation that showed high and low fluctuations, moisture was almost stable and the variation was les than 3,5% in 33 years. As for precipitations, it was found that in the decade of 1970, the pluviometric mean was 1.402,2 mm; it was 1.259,5 in the following decade, rising to 1.358,2 mm in the decade of 1990, and went down to 1.172,1 mm in the last three years analyzed. In correlating the climate variations to the urban expansion of the city of Cáceres we may say that the temperature increase is due to the disappearance of the forest cover and its replacement by constructions and pavement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate variability (CV) and climate change (CC) have been associated to global changes or to changes in the climate regime and have shown remarkable effects on the hydrological cycle. Water shortage, changes in precipitation intensity, and variability of extreme events are gaining more importance. Because of the increase in air temperature and the changes in precipitation, CC is increasing the competition for fresh water and is impacting hydrological processes and regimes, causing in some cases a larger flow of pollutants and sediments in lakes and rivers, water quality degradation, alteration of the rate of bio-geochemical processes, and reduction of dissolved oxygen concentration. The need for adapting to CC is urgent when large economic and social changes are occurring that affect usage of water resources (WR). CC is increasing the vulnerability of badly-managed water systems, creating an urgent need to build a new framework for the management of WR. In this paper, an integrated water resource management concept (IWRM) is presented, which is gaining acceptance as a CC adaptation strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Last August, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) celebrated its 20th anniversary. Since the Second Assessment Report, the IPCC is currently focusing on the potential effects of climate on health. However, the diseases related to climate, beyond the victims of the so-called natural disasters are increasing all over the world. This paper presents a brief overview on the reports and the overall picture of the current situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]