For additional information, see the Midwest Mega-Region

Workshop

A workshop was held in Indianapolis, June 29-30, 1998 as part of the series of US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) regional climate change workshops. This series of workshops is seen as a first step in a U.S. national assessment of the potential consequences of climate variability and change. The purpose of the workshop was to begin a dialogue to identify the sensitivities of the region to climate variability and change, and to seek opportunities for building partnerships and initiating coping strategies. The region's economy is based primarily on industry and agriculture with forest products and water resources of significance.

The region has traditionally been stressed by weather and climate variations, including extremes. The workshop was an opportunity not only to explore these issues, but to examine tradeoffs and look for the possibility of creating partnerships among the diverse stakeholders who will be affected by future changes, or who are positioned to participate in the development of coping strategies. Workshop report available in hard copy from Indiana University, School of Public Affairs, 1315 East 10th Street, SPEA Building Room 441, Bloomington, IN 47405-1996.

Issues for Analysis

The proposed assessment would consider a limited number of key sectors that are critical in the Eastern Midwest region. Five major areas are presently under consideration for inclusion in the regional assessment: Agriculture, Forestry, Industry (heavy and construction), Manufacturing, and Transportation. The focus is on addressing environmental and socio-economic impacts due to climate changes. The assessment must also adequately address impacts of climate change adjustment policies as well as direct climate change impacts.

Strategy for the Assessment

The Eastern Midwest region assessment is continuing under the auspices of the National Institute for Global Environmental Change (NIGEC), established in 1990 with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Its mission is to carry out research on global environmental change. NIGEC is comprised of six regional research centers with the Midwestern Regional Center (MRC) located at Indiana University on the Bloomington campus. It is administered by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and operates in an interdisciplinary, multi-investigator mode, examining the causes and consequences associated with global environmental change, particularly climate change due to human modification of the atmosphere.

The current research projects include:

1. Effects of Atmospheric and Climatic Changes on Ecosystems
2. Integrated Assessment
3. Radiative Forcing Effects and Climate
4. Terrestrial Carbon Exchange