Seminario de Divulgación Multidisciplinario "Intensifying Compound Extremes in a Warming Climate"

Seminario de Divulgación Multidisciplinario Semestre B23: "Intensifying Compound Extremes in a Warming Climate"
Ponente: Dr. Ali Sarhadi
Compound extremes, resulting from the combination of climate events, have the potential to induce more pronounced societal and environmental impacts compared to individual events. These compound extremes exhibit a complex multicausal and interdependent nature that diverges from traditional categorizations of individual climate extremes. Despite their significance, current risk assessment methodologies often overlook the interdependencies and spatiotemporal dynamics associated with compound extremes, leading to an underestimation of their true impact in a warming climate. In this talk, I will introduce various typologies of compound events, focusing on two specific types: temporally and spatially dependent compound warm and dry conditions, and compound surge and rainfall-driven flooding from tropical cyclones. To better understand the typology and quantify the risks and economic damages associated with these compound extremes, I will present novel physics-based and multidimensional dynamic risk assessment methodologies. Furthermore, I will discuss the attribution of anthropogenic warming and primary drivers in triggering the risks and impacts of these compound extremes in the current and future warming climate. Additionally, I will discuss the role of global mitigation efforts, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the UN Paris agreement to mitigate the future risk of compound extremes. Moreover, I will emphasize the need for local actions to adapt communities and coastal areas, reducing the damages inflicted by these compound events. By leveraging these advancements in risk assessment and adaptation strategies, we can foster global mitigation efforts and promote climate resilience in the face of intensifying compound extremes.