Climate Change Workshop
14 November 2023 2023-11-15 11:32Climate Change Workshop
From 9 to 19 January 2012, Universiti Brunei Darussalam organised and hosted an international climate change workshop. With the title ‘Impact of climate change and innovations for a sustainable future’, graduate students and experts from the International Consortium of Universities for the Study of Biodiversity and the Environment (iCUBE) met to discuss, promote awareness, and offer solutions to global climate change and its impact on the environment. Participants came from the University of Bonn, the National University of Singapore, the University of Auckland, the University of North Carolina, Monash University, King’s College London, and Korea University. Some of the topics discussed included carbon exchange and forest dynamics of tropical peat forests, how to model forest water, carbon and pnutrient cycling in complex terrain, the current status of Brunei’s forests, carbon sequestration and application of stable carbon isotopes, the impact of climate change on coastal environments, and how to use geographic information systems to set priorities in protecting biodiversity.
Several field trips were conducted to allow participants to gain hands-on experience in climate change research. At the Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre, Dr. Rahayu Sukri introduced participants to the lowland mixed-dipterocarp rainforest and the 25 hectare plot of the Global Earth Observatory Project, a research initiative to monitor the response of biodiversity to global climate change. Another field trip to the Brunei Bay was led by Dr. David Marshall who demonstrated the impact of ocean acidification on marine life. Dr. Kamariah Abu Salim introduced participants to the unique mangrove forests at Pulau Selirong. Finally, Dr. Ulmar Grafe and Dr. Ruth Rawcliffe took participants to the Belait district to highlight the need to protect tropical peat forests which function as a sink for greenhouse gases.
At the closing ceremony, the Assistant Vice Chancellor and champion of the iCUBE workshop, Dr. Azman Ahmad encouraged workshop participants to return to Brunei to conduct further research in the area of climate change as it poses a serious threat to biodiversity as well as the economic and social fabric of human societies around the world.
