Future Earth

Research School

High-level courses to understand and anticipate
future global environmental challenges

THE UPCOMING FERS COURSE

Data science and machine learning for climate research

Director: Stefan Klus

Language: English

Location: Bertinoro, Italy

Application opening : January 9th

Application deadline : March 6th

5th – 17th June 2023

While we are collecting and storing more and more data, understanding and interpreting the underlying processes and relationships between different observations remains a challenging problem. The Future Earth Research School on “Data Science and Machine Learning for Climate Research” aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the mathematical foundations of machine learning, with a particular focus on methods for the analysis of complex dynamical systems. Topics of interest include model reduction, system identification, estimation of associated transfer operators such as the Koopman operator, control, uncertainty quantification, deep learning, but also applications in climate science and sustainability.

Future Earth Research School (FERS)
offers a unique opportunity for up-and-coming researchers and international experts to work with. This is a great chance to share experiences on different multidisciplinary aspects of research, building a fertile ground for innovation and new research pathways.

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A Global, fresh-minded, community

FERS aggregates an international community of motivated, open-minded students who are eager to deepen the scientific foundation that are needed to address the most advanced challenges of the future, to cultivate the necessary systemic and multidisciplinary approach, to improve their ingenuity to identify solutions and drive change.
Site visits, practical activities and seminars will be unique opportunities for young professionals, PhD students and post-docs to work together and share experiences.

Download FERS brochure

A Global, fresh-minded, community

FERS aggregates an international community of motivated, open-minded students who are eager to deepen the scientific foundation that are needed to address the most advanced challenges of the future, to cultivate the necessary systemic and multidisciplinary approach, to improve their ingenuity to identify solutions and drive change.
Site visits, practical activities and seminars will be unique opportunities for young professionals, PhD students and post-docs to work together and share experiences.

Download FERS brochure

The advanced knowledge network
FERS is where early-career scientists meet, discuss, and share ideas and perspectives from various backgrounds and disciplines. A rare plus is to have different ways of interacting with science processes and developing a systemic approach, vital to understanding and building the path toward a sustainable future.

Faculty of outstanding scientists

Don't miss the opportunity to interact with internationally renowned experts and experienced practitioners from some of the world's most advanced universities and research centers in the study of complex issues such as sustainable development and climate change.

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Faculty of outstanding scientists

Don't miss the opportunity to interact with internationally renowned experts and experienced practitioners from some of the world's most advanced universities and research centers in the study of complex issues such as sustainable development and climate change.

Know more

Are you ready to deal with future challenges?

Sea-level rise, water management, floods and droughts, extreme events, risk management and reduction, the nature/technology gap, big data, equity and justice. Join FERS School to deepen your knowledge and anticipate future global challenges.

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THE FIRST FERS COURSE IS OVER

Water Resources,

Land-use and Forestry

Director: Alberto Montanari

Language: English

Location: Bologna, Italy

SUMMER 2022

The sustainable management of water resources, land and forestry is a key challenge for humanity in the 21st century, that is tightly related to the UN sustainable development goals. The nexus between water and ecology is essential to sustainability, economic and environmental development and therefore well-being for the whole humanity. The growing desire for higher living standards and the concurrent environmental changes – in particular climate change – require a forward looking and transdisciplinary approach to manage water resources and environmental resources in general. In particular, an innovative approach to adaptation to climate change is required to close the gap between climate change scenarios, policy making and technical design of adaptation strategies.

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THE SECOND FERS COURSE IS OVER

Adaptation and sustainable
risk management

Director: Daniela Jacob

Date: 3/10/2022 – 15/10/2022

Language: English

Location: Bertinoro (FC), Italy

AUTUMN 2022

The effects of climate change are becoming more and more tangible. Especially in recent years extreme events such as heat waves, heavy rains and floods are becoming more frequent. Based on the results of the IPCC, it is clear that in some regions of the world there would be fewer droughts, less heat waves, heavy rain events and floods if global warming could be limited to 1.5 °C instead of 2 °C by the end of this century. The goal of the course is to gain understanding how risks occur and how they can be assessed and managed focussing on interaction between the physical and human environment, and how risks are shaped by their interactions. This requires understanding of both physical and geographical processes, as well as economic and human development under climate change.

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News and Updates

Colombia paves the way from adaptation planning to local implementation

According to Colombia’s updated nationally determined contribution (NDC) in 2020, Colombia only contributes 0.4 percent of global emissions with 71.3 percent of domestic greenhouse gas emissions coming from agriculture and land use. To scale up climate action, Colombia partnered with the FAO and UNDP Scaling up Climate Ambition on Land Use and Agriculture through NDCs and National Adaptation Plans (SCALA) programme, funded by Germany’s International Climate Initiative (IKI) to help bridge the divide between national and local levels to implement the priorities outlined in country climate plans. Following the inception workshop in Colombia last year, the SCALA programme sat down with Mr. Nelson…

A new irrigation system provides a much-needed steady supply of water to farming communities

Bhutan’s Minister for Agriculture and Forests, Lyonpo Yeshey Penjor and UNDP Resident Representative Azusa Kubota inaugurated a 13.5-kilometer irrigation scheme in Jimithang village in September 2022, ensuring uninterrupted access to water for farmers in 12 villages. The launch of the scheme – attended by UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and Pacific, Ms. Kanni Wignaraja – will serve 193 households and cover three gewogs of Dzomi, Lingmukha, and Shengana in Punakha, supplying water mainly for rice farming. Retrofitted with new and climate-resilient technology – also known as climate-proofing – the irrigation system is designed to better withstand…

Bosnia and Herzegovina finalize country’s first climate change National Adaptation Plan

Bosnia and Herzegovina has become one of 41 countries in the world, and the second in the Western Balkans, which has finalized and submitted its climate change National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The plan is the result of long and intensive work and coordination of more than 1,300 representatives of institutions at all levels of government in the country, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme in BiH (UNDP) within the project ‘Advancing the National Adaptation Plan process in BiH‘ financed by Green Climate Fund (GCF). The Council of Ministers of BiH adopted…

The second Future Earth Research School (FERS) kicks off

The second course of the Future Earth Research School on “Adaptation and sustainable risk management” kicked off in Bertinoro (FC) this week. 16 students from 7 countries are confronting the challenge of climate change adaptation, mentored by an outstanding faculty and engaged in participatory activities, looking for practical solutions.