CAWa - Central Asian Water

(Chair: Lars Gerlitz, German Research Center for Geosciences)

Central Asia is characterized by a highly continental climate and a pronounced inter-annual variability of temperature and precipitation. The increasing frequency of drought events during recent decades had far-reaching consequences for the vulnerable agrarian economies of the Central Asian states. Further, Central Asia is listed as one of the climate change hot spots with warming rates by far exceeding the global average.

The envisaged session aims at an improved understanding of the Central Asian climate, its variability and change at various spatial and temporal scales. We particularly invite contributions on climate observations and paleo-climatic reconstructions as well as modelling studies and regional climate change scenarios. The session will also provide a framework to discuss scientific progress in the field of seasonal and sub-seasonal forecasting and its application for early warning.