BRIDGES CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAMS

The global agricultural sector faces the significant challenge of feeding a population projected to increase to 9 billion by mid-century under an evolving climate change. It is expected that climate changes will place farmers and policy makers under increasing pressure to plan for environmental conditions with which they have limited or no experience. Climate change represents a special "feedback loop", in which agricultural sector both contributes to the problem and suffers from the consequences.

IN PARTICULAR, UPON COMPLETION OF OUR PROGRAMS PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO:

Describe the global agricultural systems and key constraints to crop production globally and in Ukraine.

Identify the mechanisms and distinguish between climate variability and anthropogenic climate change.

Understand and analyze modeled and observed climate and crop data, interpret and apply scientific literature.

Outline the implications of climate change on agriculture at local to global scales.

Assess the implications of climate change on global hunger and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Develop and evaluate potential strategies for minimizing risks and improving crop production within the context of a changing climate.

Apply Climate Smart Farming Practices (topics vary depending on the crop and needs, including minimum and no-till technologies and others).

Gain other skills depending on the needs of targeted audience.

Agricultural Extension Center BRIDGES is working on development and implementation of consulting projects and educational programs that cover background information on:

global trends, scientific information on Climate Change Mechanisms and Processes relevant globally and particularly for Ukraine, Climate Smart Farming Practices, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies for various agricultural sectors targeting farmers, University students and extension professionals, land managers and policy makers.

Each educational program is tailored to specific needs of targeted audience.

In general, our consulting and educational programs on climate change would help to make timely, evidence-based informed resource management decisions for farmers and policy makers and apply climate information to those decisions. They can support adaptation at a regional level in specific agriculture sectors, while also delivering general information about the science of climate change.