Climate W

itness: Neil Smith, United Kingdom

Harsh, cold winters used to be the hallmark of the Highlands, a rugged mountainous area of northern Scotland.

Not anymore says one ice climber

What the IPCC says

N

eil

Sm

ith liv

es in the w

este

rn h

ighla

nds o

f Scotland, and h

as a

passio

n for ic

e

clim

bin

g.

“Over the past 27 years I have

observed a dramatic change

in the ice conditions

throughout the Scottish

highlands.”

What this WWF Climate Witness

is experiencing right now

• A

naly

sis

of availa

ble

long-term

riv

er

flow

record

s s

how

s that sin

ce 1

989

more

than h

alf o

f Scotland’s

larg

est

rivers

(nota

bly

those d

rain

ing fro

m the

west) h

ave record

ed their h

ighest

flow

s. O

f 16 riv

ers

surv

eyed, w

ith a

m

edia

n record

of 39 y

ears

, 8 h

ad their

maxim

um

flo

w d

uring 1

989-1

997 - a

period o

f hig

h N

orth A

tlantic O

scillation

index v

alu

es c

onsis

tent w

ith s

torm

tracks b

ringin

g h

igh levels

of

pre

cip

itation to n

orth B

rita

in.

Sourc

e: IP

CC

4th

Assessm

ent R

eport,

work

ing g

roup II [1

.3.8

.1]

• “Since the mid-1990s the lower mountains have yielded

very little ice climbing. It may snow, and then freeze, but

exceptionally mild weather would arrive and strip the

mountain bare again.”

• “I c

ertain

ly rem

em

ber th

e a

bundant frost and it w

ould

arr

ive

much e

arlie

r th

an recent w

inte

rs. Milder winters are driving

snow elevations higher and producing more rain.”

0To limit the impacts of climate change highlighted by the IPCC's 4th Assessment Report...

• Industria

lized c

ountrie

s m

ust cut th

eir e

mis

sio

ns b

y a

t le

ast 30%

by 2

020;

• B

ig d

evelo

pin

g e

conom

ies s

hould

agre

e to join

hands w

ith ric

h c

ountrie

s to d

evelo

p their o

wn c

limate

solu

tions; and

• D

efo

resta

tion m

ust be s

topped, by m

akin

g fore

st pro

tection a

busin

ess p

ropositio

n.

WW

F w

ork

s w

ith g

overn

ments

and c

om

munitie

s a

round the w

orld to d

evelo

p regio

n-s

pecific

adapta

tion s

trate

gie

s to

addre

ss c

limate

change im

pacts

— s

uch a

s those im

pacts

bein

g o

bserv

ed b

y o

ur C

limate

Witnesses h

ere

and n

ow

.

For m

ore

info

rmation: C

hie

f Scie

ntist, W

WF Inte

rnational C

limate

Change P

rogra

mm

e, E

mail:

Lara

.Hansen@

ww

fus.o

rg

Find out more

Testimonial:

panda.o

rg/c

limate

witness/s

mith

Contact WWF: C

laire C

arlto

n, M

anager

Clim

ate

Witness P

rogra

mm

e,

WW

F-Inte

rnational, T

el: +

61 2

4381 1

873,

ccarlto

n@

ww

f.org

.au

Download B-Roll and high-resolution

photos: http://tin

yurl.c

om

/2qw

so9

www.panda.org/climatewitness