It is with great sadness that the Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has learnt of the death of one of its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) authors, Gemma Teresa T. Narisma. Dr Narisma passed away on 5 March 2021. She was one of the Coordinating Lead Authors of the Atlas of the Working Group I contribution to AR6.
Born on 12 April 1972, Gemma was the 12th Director of the Manila Observatory, the scientific research institution founded by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in the Philippines.
“During her term, she made sure to execute the strategic plans of the Observatory and ensured its maximum impact and sustainability for the coming years,” said Antonio Gabriel La Viña, the Officer in Charge of the Manila Observatory.
“Gemma was our leader, a mentor, and close friend to many of us. As an active member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Gemma was a world class scientist. And as many of us witnessed in the last few years, and especially the last few months when she battled against serious illness, she was also a woman of deep faith,” he said.
She was also a physics professor at the Ateneo de Manila University and a member of the Board of Trustees of various Jesuit institutions. In 2013 she received the Philippines Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) award.
IPCC Working Group I has decided to dedicate the AR6 Working Group I Atlas to Gemma Narisma in her honour.