Description
Book SynopsisAs governments around the globe begin to wake up to the far reaching effects of changes in climate, the search for available options and instruments for addressing the issue becomes increasingly vital. This authoritative, step-by-step guide to the assessment of the impacts from, and potential adaptations to, changes of climate is based on the approach developed by the authors and other scientists for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This approach has been widely adopted as 'best practice' by experienced researchers but has not, until now, been available in an accessible form.
This illuminating account of the methods used by the IPCC scientists will be essential for all those involved in the study of climate impacts and adaptations, or designing and implementing policies for dealing with them. Written in non-technical language, this state-of-the-art guide is ideal for all people interested in the far-reaching implications of climate change and the greenhouse effect. The book contains numerous illustrations, including several worked examples, clearly presented in boxes and diagrams.
Table of ContentsIntroduction * Understanding and Predicting Climate Change * Climate Impact Assessment: Developing the Method * The First Step: Defining the Problem * The Second Step: Selecting the Method * The Third Step: Testing the Method * The Fourth Step: Developing the Scenarios The Fifth step: Assessing the Impacts * The Sixth and Seventh Steps: Evaluating Adaptive Responses * Conclusions: Organizing the Research and Communicating Results * Appendix 1:Summary and Main Features of Integrated Assessment Models * Appendix 2: Some International Data Sources of Interest in Climate-Impact Assessment Studies * References and Notes * Index
