The Belmont Challenge

Since its creation, the Belmont Forum has developed a funders’ vision for the priority knowledge and capabilities derived from environmental research that society needs, and the underpinning research challenges over the next decade to deliver them.

These are described in a White Paper, and encapsulated as ‘the Belmont Challenge’:

To deliver knowledge needed for action to avoid and adapt to detrimental environmental change including extreme hazardous events.

This requires: 
• Assessments of risks, impacts and vulnerabilities, through regional and decadal-scale analysis and prediction 
• Information on the state of the environment, through advanced observing systems 
• Interaction of natural and social sciences 
• Enhanced environmental information service providers to users 
• Effective international coordination mechanisms

With priority foci being: 
• Coastal vulnerability 
• Freshwater Security 
• Ecosystem Services 
• Carbon Budgets 
• Most vulnerable societies

Importantly, these challenges will be integrated into a seamless, global Earth System Analysis and Prediction System (ESAPS), which will provide decision-makers with a holistic decision support system.