The Belmont Forum is guided by the charge embodied in the Belmont Challenge, which is a “funders' vision for the priority knowledge and capabilities derived from environmental research that society needs, and the underpinning research challenges over the next decade to deliver them.”

This vision is described in a White Paper, and encapsulated as 'the Belmont Challenge':

 

 

 

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This requires:
➢　 Assessments of risks, impacts and vulnerabilities, through regional and decadal-scale analysis and prediction
➢　 Information on the state of the environment, through advanced observing systems
➢　 Interaction of natural science, social sciences and the humanities
➢　 Enhanced environmental information service providers to users
➢　 Effective international coordination mechanisms

 

With priority foci being:
➢　 Coastal vulnerability
➢　 Freshwater Security
➢　 Ecosystem Services
➢　 Carbon Budgets
➢　 Most vulnerable societies

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These challenges will be integrated into a seamless, global Earth System Analysis and Prediction System (ESAPS), which will provide decision-makers with a holistic decision support system.