The importance of integrating local perspectives into international debates about climate change has received increasing attention. Local perspectives on the impacts of climate change often focus on issues of loss and harm and support the widely recognized need for global responses to climate change as suggested by scientists and international institutions.Here we argue that local perspectives need to be addressed not only from outside communities but also from inside in order to understand people's responses to climate change: their concerns, their understanding of themselves as members of particular groups and their position in the world, their view on responsibilities for causing climate change, and their perceptions of possible responses. The ethnographic work at two study sites, one in Carhuaz, Cordillera Blanca, Peru, and one in Stilfs, South Tyrolean Alps, Italy, identifies dominant perceptions on climate change at each site with a particular focus on glacier retreat. The case studies show that the view on the need for global action as response to climate change is not necessarily shared throughout the world, and thus presents a challenge to global collaboration.

Assignificantimpactsofclimatechangeareincreasinglyconsideredunavoidable,adaptationhas become a policypriority. Itis generally agreedthat science is importantfor the adaptation process but specific guidance on how and to what degree science should contribute and be embedded in this process is still limited which is at odds with the high demand for science contributions to climate adaptation by international organizations, national governments and others. Here we presentandanalyzeexperiencesfromthetropicalAndesbasedonarecentscience-policyprocess on the national and supra-national government level. During this process a framework for the science contribution in climate adaptation has been developed; it consists of three stages, including(1) the framing and problemdefinition, (2)the scientific assessmentof climate, impacts, vulnerabilitiesandrisks,and(3)theevaluationofadaptationoptionsandtheirimplementation.A large amount of methods has been analyzed for stage (2), and a number of major climate adaptation projects in the region assessed for (3). Our study underlines the importance of joint problem framing among various scientific and non-scientific actors, definition of socio-environmental systems, time frames, and a more intense interaction of social and physical climate and impact sciences.Scientifically,thescarcityofenvironmental,socialandeconomic data inregions like the Andes continue to represent a limitation to adaptation, and further investments into coordinated socio-environmental monitoring, data availability and sharing are essential.

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HIV infection in Spain was monitored in persons undergoing voluntary HIV testing in ten sentinel clinics between 1992 and 2002. Only patients on their first visit were considered for inclusion, and their numbers rose from 4426 in 1992 to 6649 in 2002. Most of them recognised their risk exposure as heterosexual. The proportion of injecting drug users decreased from 19% to 2% of the study population, and the proportion of female sex workers increased from 6% to 26%. The number of patients diagnosed with HIV infection declined from 604 in 1992 to 153 in 2002, and HIV prevalence fell from 13.6% to 2.3% in the same period. In all risk exposure categories, a decrease in HIV prevalence was observed, more pronounced during the first few years and stabilised in the later years. In 2002, the highest HIV prevalence was found in injecting drug users (IDUs) (14.2%), homo/bisexual men (7.5%) and individuals who had an HIV infected heterosexual partner (10.2%).

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