In this study, we analyzed the development of high school students’ argumentation through their writings on socio-scientific Issues (SSI) related to the Climate Change Unit in the Earth Science I curriculum. Pre- and post-writing assignments on the two main causes of global warming were analyzed and compared. In addition, an in-depth interview of the focus group was conducted with 7 students who showed a distinct change in the level of argumentation. According to the results, 16 of 52 students remained at the same argumentation level in pre- and post-writing assignments, and students remaining at Level 2 among five levels had difficulty in understanding the Toulmin’s argument pattern (TAP) structure. Using the TAP structure, 29 of 52 students demonstrated increased argumentation levels in the post-writing assignments. The conclusions include that writing lessons on SSI using the TAP in Earth science classes can improve the level of high school students’ argumentative writing, and that the level of students’ argumentation can develop with the elaboration of their level of falsification. Also, it is suggested that the science curriculum should increase students' science writing competencies by specifying science writing as one of the goals.

This study was conducted to investigate cucumber plants response to greenhouse environments by solar shading in greenhouse in the summer. In order to estimate heat stress reduction of cucumber plants by solar shading in greenhouse, we measured and analyzed physiological conditions of cucumber plants, such as leaf temperature, leaf-air temperature, rubisco maximum carboxylation rate, maximum electron transport rate, thermal breakdown, light leaf respiration, etc. Shading levels were 90% mobile shading of full sunlight, 40% mobile shading of full sunlight and no shading(full sunlight). The 90% shading screen was operated when the external solar radiation is greater than 650 W·m-2. Air temperature, solar radiation, leaf temperature, leaf-air temperature and light leaf respiration in the 90% shading of full sunlight was lower than those of 40% shading and no shading. Rubisco maximum carboxylation rate, arrhenius function value and light leaf respiration of the 90% shading were significantly lower than those of 40% shading and no shading. The thermal breakdown, high temperature inhibition, of 90% shading was significantly higher than that of 40% shading and no shading. Therefore, these results suggest that 90% mobile shading made a less stressful growth environment for cucumber crops.

We examined long-term variations in sea surface temperature (SST) and annual amplitudes of SST around the Korean Peninsula. Two SST data sets with data periods of approximately 51 years and longer than 100 years, respectively, were obtained from the National Institute of Fisheries Science and Japan Meteorological Agency. SST of Korean waters clearly increased during last 51 years (1968-2018), which was 2.5 times higher than the global trend. This significant increasing trend was caused by the dominant increasing SST trend during winter. However, a negative and positive SST anomaly frequently appeared during winter and summer, respectively, in a recent decade. These features of seasonal SST variation have changed the annual amplitude of SST, and resulted in a drastically increasing trend after 2009. Using the longer SST data set, it was revealed that the decreasing SST trend in winter began in the 2000s and the increasing SST trend in summer bagan in the 1990s. During a recent decade, there was a distinctive SST increase in summer, whereas a clear decrease in winter. In summary, the annual amplitude of SST around the Korean Peninsula significantly changed from a decreasing trend to an increasing trend during a recent decade.

This study developed an evaluation system of adaptation countermeasures for climate change in the water resources sector using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and the assessment procedures were applied to the Second Chungcheongnam-do Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan (Chungnam Implementation Plan). Firstly, the evaluation criteria are composed of two levels according to the hierarchical structure, and AHP gives priority to 4 evaluation criteria of the first level and 16 alternative indicators of the second level. Secondly, after the importance of the evaluation criteria or indicators has been determined, the significance of each measure was evaluated by applying it to the water-sector measures of the Chungnam Implementation Plan, and the effectiveness of the evaluation system was validated. The Chungnam case study shows that the evaluation system will be more effective and efficient when it is applied during development phase rather than after the implementation plan is finalized. It is also expected that the evaluation system will be used to evaluate and prioritize climate change adaptation policies in other regions, and then to compare the means of adaptation to climate change in various regions and to select recommendation policies.

A two-year study was conducted from 2017 to 2018 by the establishment of a test field at Chungju-si and Cheongyang-gun. Plant height, number of leaves, insects and diseases, and fresh and dry matter yields for corn hybrid(‘Kwangpyeongok’) were investigated. Daily average, maximum, and minimum temperature, monthly average temperature, daily precipitation, and sunshine duration during the growing season were investigated. We selected climate-critical factors to corn productivity and conducted an evaluation of vulnerability to climate change from 1999 to 2018 for both regions. In 2018, the dry matter yield of forage corn was 6,475 and 7,511 kg/ha in Chungju and Cheongyang, respectively, which was half of that in 2017. The high temperature and drought phenomenon in the 2018 summer caused the corn yield to be low. As well as temperature, precipitation is an important climatic factor in corn production. As a result of climate impact vulnerability assessment, the vulnerability has increased recently compared to the past. It is anticipated that if the high temperature phenomenon and drought caused by climate change continues, a damage in corn production will occur.

Vespa velutina is a predatory hornet distributing in SouthEastern part of Asia and became invasive in early 2000s; invading into Korea in 2003 and France in 2004. Its distribution pattern showed typical species-invasion curve type with slow progress in the beginning and rapid expansion on ward. We determined the geographic spread of V. velutina with CLIMEX modeling. The model analysis indicates that the ecoclimatic indices (EI) increased as the projection year increased based on RCP8.5 scenario. Then the predicted EI values were further regressed with the field collected data from 2018. Vespa velutina population sizes were estimated from 230 points of sampling over the country and the sampling data were correlated with predicted EI values. The results indicated that partial contribution of the climate factors for its abundance. Also this could be an usual biological indicator of climate change in agroecosystem in Korea. Given the important risk and impact on beekeeping, socio-biological as well as ecosystem and biodiversity levels, careful monitoring of phenology, range expansion and preventive efforts mitigating the impact are further required.

This is a descriptive case study of the capacity building program in the field of climate change cooperation achieved by UNITAR Jeju Cifal and GTC(Green Technology Center). The study included the GTC's expertise in climate technology and the UNITAR's collaboration program, an international training body in the environment, peace and security. First, in this study, the results of the satisfaction survey of the education and training in 2017 were analyzed. Education demand for climate change adaptation was shown to be high, and technology demand needed in developing countries was found to be the highest demand for ecosystem monitoring/restoration. Second, an analysis of the program for 2018 showed that South Korea's Eco-city project case is also worth referring to Asian Pacific countries. It was also found that exchanges and discussion activities among participants were more helpful than simple lectures. Meanwhile, development of city-share programs, including self-evaluation, was found to be necessary. Finally, we discussed ways to improve the city-share program in UNITAR. Sharing urban information among peers in this program is beneficial. However, it is necessary to plan programs that have a prior understanding of the culture and background of participants. And it is also important for participants to follow up on their own goals by setting up action plans and checking them after training. It is also necessary to make it clear to participants that there is an organic connection at each stage of the program. That way, participants will set up and plan problems in the climate technology sector of their own country or city, and the effect of education and training will be even greater.

Climate friendly technologies contribute to tackling global climate crisis and the dynamic transfer of these technologies is important to achieve universal climate actions. The UNFCCC, and its recent Paris Agreement, have introduced international assistance to promote climate related-technology transfer. They call for collaborative actions from both technology supplier and demander sides in order to enable environments for a meaningful and effective technology transfer. According to the UNFCCC, the international technology assistance is unlikely to work in a desired way with the absence of indigenous enabling environments. Therefore, it is crucial to identify, assess and overcome potential barriers potentially confronted by host countries in their acquisition of climate technologies, which helps prepare these countries for climate resilience economy and sustainable development. This paper attempts to provide a deep and comprehensive analysis on enabling policy/law environments in host countries and uses Asian countries as examples in most occasions.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of seeding dates on grassland productivity and botanical composition in oversown pasture located in Cheonan of South Korea. Four treatment groups were established based on the seeding dates: 18th August, 1st September, 15th September and 29th September. Evaluation of seasonal changes in botanical composition of pasture showed that the highest ratios of grass in 18th August and 1st September (pasture species 93% and weeds 7%) and the lowest in 15th September (pasture species 75% and weeds 25%). In the plant length, there is no significantly different in 5% probability level. In the total dry matter yield of grass, 18th August (13,362 kg ha–1) and 1st September (13,988 kg ha–1) were higher than 15th September (11,883 kg ha-1) and 29th September (11,459 kg ha-1). The findings of the this study suggest that seeding by early September the most desirable results for botanical composition and grassland productivity in oversown pasture, Cheonan of South Korea.