MOSAICC is a modeling system developed by FAO and European partners to assess the impacts of climate change on agriculture at the national level. It combines climate downscaling, hydrological, crop yield, and economic models. Low resolution climate data is input to hydrological and crop models considering elevation, land cover, crop parameters and soil, with outputs feeding an economic impact assessment. MOSAICC is designed to provide information to support adaptation decision making. It is being piloted in Morocco, with results to be presented to decision makers in 2013. The session will demonstrate the system interfaces and components through a presentation and live demo of the Morocco version.

1. Climate change impact assessment in agriculture – MOSAICC development and
pilot test in Morocco.
Agenda
Background
Information on potential impacts of climate change is key in the elaboration of national adaptation plans
and policies. Given the large uncertainties about the future of the climate and the response of human
systems, model simulations offer interesting possibilities to test scenarios, explore potential impacts and
understand how different processes interact with each other. In agriculture in particular, assessing
climate change impacts requires to take into consideration its multiple aspects (crop response, irrigation
and field management, pests and diseases, socio-economic context etc.) to obtain the overall picture of
the issue. In the framework of the joint EU-FAO programme on improving global governance for hunger
reduction, FAO is developing an integrated system to carry out climate change impact assessments at
national level called MOSAICC. Delivered through capacity strengthening activities, MOSAICC is designed
to provide information to support decision making in adaptation.
Objective of the session
This session is aimed at presenting the system MOSAICC and showing the basic principles of the
interfaces.
The tool: MOSAICC
MOSAICC (Modelling System for Agricultural Impacts of Climate Change) is a server based tool built in
association with various scientific institutions in Europe (universities, research centers) and that
combines climate data downscaling, hydrological, crop yield and economic models. Low resolution
climate data serves as primary input for the whole model structure. These datasets will feed the
hydrological and crop model, which needs information on elevation, land cover, crop phenology
parameters and soil. The outputs of these models serve subsequently as an input for the economic
impact assessment. The architecture of the system has been designed as a collaborative tool facilitating
data processing and exchange among the different users. Results that can be obtained using the system
include downscaled scenarios and projections of crop yields, water resources and various economic
indicators. Transferred to national institutions through extensive capacity development activities,
MOSAICC is undergoing a full pilot experiment in Morocco. Results will be presented to decision makers
in the first semester of 2013.
Programme (1hour)
The session will be divided in three parts:
- Presentation of the system and its components
- Demo of the interfaces (Morocco version)
- Questions and answers