Winston Chow
Associate Professor of Urban Climate, Singapore Management University
Dr. Winston Chow is a leading urban climate expert. His research and teaching at SMU focuses on urban climate impacts and sustainability. Dr. Chow also serves as the co-Lead Principal Investigator for the multi-institute Cooling Singapore Initiative. His portfolio includes lead author in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) latest assessment on urban climate impacts and adaptation, where he contributed his expertise in evaluating the vulnerability of coastal cities to climate change. In July 2023, Dr. Chow was elected as Co-Chair of the IPCC's Working Group II, which is dedicated to assessing the impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation of climate change for the Seventh Assessment Cycle from 2023 to 2030. The IPCC, the United Nations' authoritative body for climate change information, relies on experts like Dr. Chow to guide global stakeholders and governments in addressing critical climate challenges.
Keynote Lecture 4 – What Happens When The Sea Rises? Effective Coastal City And Settlement Adaption To Manage Climate Change Risks
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has assessed that current climate impacts are likely to worsen across multiple human-natural systems. Coastal communities in the Southeast Asian region face disproportionately high risks without urgent and coordinated action. This talk examines the levels of risk that regional coastal communities encounter as sea levels rise. It also delves into short-term climate action, such as the Paris Agreement and the Singapore Green Plan, as they gain momentum by 2030. One essential component of enhancing climate resilience in these communities involves planned and executed adaptation strategies that blend technology with nature-based and social policies, ensuring inclusivity of stakeholders, particularly local communities. Discover how gaps in successful adaptation to climate risks can be rapidly closed through meticulous planning and adequate financing of such initiatives.
