Description:

The impacts of extreme meteorological phenomena and climate change are increasingly felt worldwide, affecting countries, regions, communities, and individuals alike. From heat waves to floods, droughts to air quality disturbances, these events pose significant risks to food and water systems, energy availability, infrastructure stability, ecosystems, and human health. And the trajectory suggests more challenges lie ahead.  At every level, from local to global, communities are grappling with the urgent need to bolster their resilience against these threats. They require actionable information and tools to navigate an increasingly unpredictable Earth system.

The scientific community plays a crucial role in this endeavor. By harnessing Earth system predictability research, scientists can provide vital insights and resources to empower communities in their resilience-building efforts. Although climate change is a global phenomenon, its impacts manifest locally. Thus, there's a pressing need for robust and localized information to help communities prepare and mitigate the worst consequences of these events.

This session seeks presentations that showcase examples of Earth system predictability research and its application at the community level. For this session we are broadly defining communities as a group of individuals who are connected by a geographical location (city, state, or region), or share a profession or experience related  to an Earth system phenomena (e.g., residents who live within the same water basin, county-level emergency managers). Specifically, we invite contributions that highlight one or more of the following areas: 

1. Application to Communities: Demonstrations of how Earth system predictability research is being utilized to assess and address risks at the local level, such as forecasts of heatwaves, droughts, and air quality disturbances in regions, cities or rural areas.
2. Informing Communities: Efforts to translate scientific findings about predictability into robust and accessible information, and resources for communities to better understand and respond to climate challenges.
3. Learning from Communities: Research and efforts that begin with and advance understanding of community needs and interests related to Earth system predictability. For example, results from studies or workshops aimed at collecting the perspectives and experiences of a community related to Earth system predictive needs. 
4. Co-Creating Science with Communities: Collaborative initiatives that engage communities in the research process, fostering mutual learning and enabling effective adaptation and mitigation strategies grounded in scientific understanding of predictability. For example, the presentation of lessons learned or proposed frameworks for effectively engaging in co-creation.

We welcome submissions focused on the outcomes of such research, as well as the process of doing this work. By fostering dialogue and sharing practices that have proven successful in different contexts, this session aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and strategies for enhancing community resilience in the face of climate variability and change. Together, we can empower communities to build a more sustainable and resilient future.