World in Transition: Basic Structure of Global People-

1,64
MB Environment Interactions – 1993 Annual Report –

226
stron

5503
ID Alfred-Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research

2001
rok

Contents

Outline of Contents V

List of Figures X

List of Tables XI

List of Boxes XII

A Summary – World in Transition:

Basic Structure of Global People-Environment Interactions 1

B Introduction: The global dimension of the environmental crisis 7

Is humanity's natural basis at stake? 7

Human responsibility 7

The necessity for global action 7

The task of the Council 8

C Global change: approaching the research object 9

1 Definitions 9

Global environmental change 9

Sustainability 10

2 Basic structure of interaction between the ecosphere and the anthroposphere 11

D Global change: Elements of a system analysis 14

1 Changes in the ecosphere 14

1.1 Atmosphere 14

1.1.1 Increase in long-lived greenhouse gases 14

Brief description 14

Causes 16

Effects 17

Link to global change 17

Assessment 17

Impact weighting 18

Research needs 18

1.1.2 Changes in ozone and temperature in the stratosphere 19

Brief description 19

Causes 19

Natural causes 19 Anthropogenic ozone decline 19

Effects 20

Ecosphere 20 Anthroposphere 22 Time scale 22

Link to global change 22

Need for action 23

Research needs 25

1.1.3 Changes in tropospheric chemistry 25

Brief description 25

Causes 26

Effects 28

Link to global change 29

Assessment 29

Contents VII

Impact weighting 30

Research needs 30

1.2 Climate change 31

Brief description 31

Causes 31

Effects 33

Link to global change 35

Assessment 36

Impact weighting 37

Research needs 38

1.3 Hydrosphere 38

1.3.1 Changes in the ocean and cryosphere 39

Brief description 39

Causes 39

Effects 41

Global effects 41 Regional / local effects 42 Time-related effects 43

Assessment / need for action 43

Research needs 44

1.3.2 Qualitative and quantitative changes in freshwater 45

Brief description 45

Water as a resource 45 Water as a cultural asset 49

Causes 49

Local causes 50 Regional causes 51 Global causes 51

Effects 51

Ecosphere 51 Anthroposphere 53 Regional differences 54 Time horizons 54

Link to global change 55

Assessment / need for action 57

Demand for water 57 Supply of water 58 Water resource protection 59 Crisis and disaster

management 59

Elements of a global water strategy 59

Impact weighting 62

Research needs 62

1.4 Lithosphere/Pedosphere 63

Brief description 63

Habitat function 64 Regulation function 64 Utilisation function 64 Soils as vulnerable systems 65

Causes 65

Geographical differences in soil degradation 65

Effects 66

Habitat function 67 Regulation function 68 Utilisation function 73

Link to global change 75

Assessment 76

Ecological assessment of soils 76 Economic assessment of soils 80

Weighting 83

Research needs 84

1.5 Biosphere 84

An overview of the biosphere 85

1.5.1 Changes in the biosphere based on the example of the forest 86

Brief description 86

Causes 87

Effects 88

Biosphere 89 Anthroposphere 90

Link to global change 90

Phenomena of the ecosphere 90 Phenomena of the anthroposphere 91

Assessment 91

VIII Contents

Need for action 92

Measures at the international level 93 Measures at the national level 94

Research needs 96

1.5.2 Loss of biodiversity 96

Brief description 96

Causes 97

Link to global change 99

Assessment 99

Need for action 102

Research needs 106

Area of natural sciences 106 Socioeconomic area 107

2 Transformation of the anthroposphere: Introduction 108

2.1 Population growth, migration and urbanisation 112

Short summary 112

Causes 114

Causes of high population growth 114 Causes of increasing migration 116 Causes of rapid

urbanisation 119

Effects 119

Effects of high population growth 119 Effects of increasing migration 120 Effects of rapid

urbanisation 121

Links to global change 123

Atmosphere 123 Water 123 Soils 124 Biodiversity 124 Economic development 124

Need for action 125

Research needs 127

Research field: population growth 127 Research area: migration 127 Research area: urbanisation

128

2.2 Changes in the world economy 128

Preliminary remarks and definitions 128

Introduction 128 Growth and development 129 Growth and the market economy 130

Causes 131

World economic growth 131 The regional structure of world economic growth 133

The sectoral structure of world economic growth 139

Effects 143

Assessment 146

Need for action 149

Political concept 149 Priorities for taking action 151

Research needs 153

Assessment of consequential costs and analysis of causes 153 Basic research for political

recommendations 153 System of indicators 154

2.3 Increases in transport 154

Summary 154

Causes 155

Effects 160

Assessment / Need for action 162

Research needs 163

2.4 The human dimension of global environmental change: psychosocial factors 163

Short description 163