Climatologist to lead global climate change research

A USQ climatologist has been nominated to lead an international research program in climate change, climate variability and extreme events that are likely to affect sustainability in agriculture.

Director of the Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments and USQ Professor in Climatology and Water Resources, Professor Roger Stone, was chosen to lead the worldwide program during a recent United Nations (UN) Commission for Agricultural Meteorology congress meeting.

'At this Mission and Congress meeting, part of the activity was to elect new leaders of UN programs and projects for the coming four-year term,' Professor Stone said.

'Against considerable competition from all other world regions and member nations of the United Nations, I was, as a representative for Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, fortunate to win through to lead this global program.'

Professor Stone said his role would primary be managerial and would involve developing research in three sub-programs and projects that involve preparedness strategies in agriculture, rangelands, forestry and fisheries and adaptation to changing climate at a regional level.

'I believe it’s a small coup for USQ, Queensland and Australia and reflects all the work this region – a ‘zone of excellence’ in farming systems and associated climate research - has achieved over the past 20-25 years.

'In particular, the new research program will also address extreme climate events, such as drought and other severe climate patterns that affect agriculture globally and place southern Queensland, yet again, at the forefront of climate applications research for agriculture worldwide.

'I will, of course, continue in my core role as a professor at USQ.'