USGCRP
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US
National Assessment
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In
February 1997, the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the Office of
Science and Technology Policy initiated a series of Regional Climate
Change Workshops with the goal of starting the process of examining the
vulnerabilities of regions of the United States to climate variability and
climate change. What was initially intended to be three or four
workshops developed into a series of twenty, covering every state and
territory of the United States. The workshops span from May 1997 to
September 1998 and represented the first step in conducting a regional
assessment. Each workshop was sponsored by one or more government agencies,
and was carried out by coordinators from local institutions. For
details on each workshop, including its geographic coverage, see:
Driving QuestionsEach workshop was focused on four central questions:
High priority was also placed on the process of engaging a network of stakeholders in a dialogue about vulnerabilities and coping mechanisms. The goal was to begin a two way process of interaction: scientists gained input from the stakeholders about their information needs, and the stakeholders learned from the scientists about climate change projections, and possible consequences in the region. Workshop ProductsBefore each workshop, organizers developed one or more "white papers" to guide discussions. In some cases, these served as preliminary text for a final report; in other cases, they served to initiate discussion among participants. Following each workshop, organizers guided the preparation of a final report. Although these reports reflected special regional needs, they contained some standard elements:
These reports are accessible via individual regional web sites. Beyond the Workshops: Regional AssessmentsThe workshops were a first step in conducting regional assessments, serving to scope key issues and information needs. As a next step, each region was asked to expand upon the ideas and enthusiasm generated in the workshop by (a) conducting a more in-depth, quantitative analysis of key issues, and (b) continuing to engage the network of stakeholders in an ongoing dialogue. |
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