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.
