Regional Integrated Assessment Initiative
(FY 2009 - FY 2013)
As climate change science evolves, there's more demand to understand how vulnerable human and natural systems are to climate change, especially flooding and other extreme events. We also need a better understanding of the climatic and economic consequences of less carbon-intensive energy options, such as biofuels. Increasingly, decision-makers are demanding these answers in more detail—and in the geographic regions for which they are responsible.
Regional Integrated Assessment, a PNNL-funded initiative, was established to target these very issues. Through the Initiative, scientists at PNNL and the Joint Global Change Research Institute are developing high-resolution computer models to enable regionally specific understanding of the impacts and timing of climate change and the implications of human decisions. These advancements will result in a new generation of regional integrated climate models that incorporate climate, ecosystem, and integrated assessment tools.
The outcomes:
- More accurate predictions of climate change and its impacts
- More quantitative tools that enable decision-makers to more effectively manage risks and make investment decisions.
