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Anticipating Climate Change in the Pamir Mountains 2015

VIEW Proposals
Proposal creation

CoLab members create proposals

Mar 6, 2015 08:00 EST - May 18, 2015 12:00 EDT
Semi-Finalist selection
Expert judges select semi-finalists

May 18, 2015 12:00 EDT - Jun 1, 2015 12:00 EDT
Proposal revisions
Semi-finalists can improve their proposals

Jun 1, 2015 12:00 EDT - Jun 1, 2015 12:00 EDT
Finalist selection
Expert judges select finalists

Jun 19, 2015 12:00 EDT - Jun 19, 2015 12:00 EDT
Finalists Announced
Finalists are announced

Jul 2, 2015 12:00 EDT - Aug 3, 2015 12:00 EDT
Voting
Public Voting Period

Aug 3, 2015 12:00 EDT - Sep 13, 2015 08:00 EDT
Completed
Winners are awarded

Sep 13, 2015 08:00 EDT
How can traditional ecological calendars used to guide agricultural activity link to climate science so as to anticipate climate change in the Pamir Mountains?

In the Pamir Mountains, which span the border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan, small-scale farmers and herders are key food producers. Traditionally, they have used calendars based on historical climate cues, such as first budding of a plant or the last day of snow cover, to anticipate weather patterns and coordinate planting and harvesting with seasonal cycles. These ecological calendars vary from valley to valley because they are well-tuned to small-scale elevation and geographic differences. As a result of colonialism and conflict throughout the twentieth century, ecological calendars fell out of use.

The goal of this contest is to find ways to use both traditional and scientific knowledge to adapt the calendars and anticipate the effects of climate change. Relevant data can include, but are not limited to: satellite data, snow and ice observations, historical records, climate model output, stories, and local observations. The climate events that Pamiris need to prepare for have a wide range of time frames and may relate to: changes in the mean climate (long-term adaptation), year-to-year variability (short-term adaptation), and extreme events (response to individual events such as flooding, late spring freezes, droughts).

What:
Where:
Who:
How:
8 Proposals
Jun 18, 2015
Anyone
Campaign awareness with agricultural tips
Jun 9, 2015
Team only
Anticipate and adapt to changing phenological patterns in the Pamir Mtns through the use of historical and contemporary biodiversity data
Oct 22, 2015
Team only
Participatory phenological/meteorological data collection can provide the fine-scale data necessary to recalibrate natural calendars.
Jan 23, 2015
Team only
Adapting agriculture to changing and increasingly variable conditions requires engaging multiple generations in locally-focused learning.
Jun 17, 2015
Team only
Is the phenomena known as the Calendar of the Body a form of ideasthesia? And, if so, is there a biogeochemical basis which can be enhanced?
Jun 18, 2015
Team only
Integrating traditional bio-indicators of the body calendar with GIS techniques offers farmers a CC-adaptive weather forecasting aid
Jul 14, 2016
Team only
Jun 17, 2015
Team only
The Pamir Mountain Region can enjoy a number of benefits from establishing a network of low cost metrological kite/tether stations.