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Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.6

Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.4

Research Programs

Mission

To assess the impacts of global change--particularly climate variability and change--on air and water quality, ecosystems, human health, and socioeconomic systems in the United States, and provide timely and useful information and decision-support tools to policy makers and resource managers to help them adapt to a changing climate.

Contact
Joel Scheraga (scheraga.joel@epa.gov)
National Program Director
Global Change Research Program
202-564-3385

Multi-year plan for research: under development

Science Overview

The Global Change Research Program is a stakeholder-oriented research and assessment program in EPA's Office of Research and Development that addresses the potential consequences of global change--particularly on climate variability and change--on air and water quality, aquatic ecosystems, human health, and socioeconomic systems in the United States. EPA uses the results of these studies to investigate adaptation options to improve society's ability to effectively respond to the risks and opportunities presented by global change, and to develop decision support tools for resource managers coping with a changing climate.

The science is used by EPA, communities, states and others to investigate ways to adapt to climate variability. Researchers are providing critical information to improve society's ability to effectively respond to the risks and opportunities presented by global change, and to develop decision-support tools for resource managers coping with a changing climate. The research program supports and fosters projects that bring scientists, policy makers, and resource managers together to build mutual understanding and develop solutions to addressing changes in our climate.

The impacts of global change and their solutions often are unique to a location such as a watershed or municipality. The Global Change Research Program emphasizes a place-based approach to conducting science to respond to global change issues particular to a given area. As a result, partnerships are established with locally-based decision makers to ensure that the program is responsive to their unique scientific information needs and the socioeconomic realities at their locales.

Assessments and decision-support tools developed by the Global Change Research Program are used to:

EPA is one of 13 federal agencies and departments that comprise the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP). The CCSP coordinates and integrates scientific research on global change and climate change across the federal government. All of the work conducted in the Global Change Research Program is consistent with and closely coordinated with the 2003 CCSP Strategic Plan. The research program supports the production of CCSP synthesis and assessment products for the CCSP which are called for in the strategic plan.

The Global Change Research Program has two major areas of emphasis: air quality, and water quality/aquatic ecosystems. Research is also conducted to support understanding of the human health impacts from global change.

Air Quality
Studies are being conducted that examine the potential consequences of global change on air quality in the United States. The long-term goal of air quality research in the Global Change Research Program is to provide the approaches, methods, and models to quantitatively evaluate the effects of global change on air quality, and to identify technology advancements and adaptive responses.

Water Quality/Aquatic Ecosystems
The program is assessing the impacts of global change on water quality and aquatic ecosystems in the United States. A major focus is on studying the sensitivity to climate change of goals articulated in the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the opportunities available within the provisions of these Acts to address the anticipated impacts. Research also is planned to evaluate the effects of global change on aquatic ecosystems, invasive nonindigenous species; and ecosystem services.

Human Health
Human health is affected by a variety of social, economic, political, environmental, and technological factors. As a result, investigating the health impacts of global change poses many challenges. Research is aimed at developing integrated health evaluation frameworks that take into consideration the effects of multiple stressors and their interactions on our health and human adaptive responses. Along with health sector studies conducted in conjunction with other agencies involved in the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, research also focuses on the possible health consequences of global change such as weather-related morbidity and vector- and water-borne diseases. In addition, the results from the program's air and water quality studies will be used to evaluate health consequences.

The Global Change Research Program is evaluated through extensive review by EPA's independent Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC). A review in 2006 by the BOSC concluded that the program has conducted the “right work” and done it “well.” The review stated the program “has provided substantial benefits to the nation” and “is on course to make significant further contributions to societal outcomes by informing and facilitating decisions by the public and private sector actors who must consider the prospects of global change.”

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