Session: The Fourth National Climate Assessment Vol. II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States (99th American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting)

Monday, 7 January 2019: 2:00 PM-4:00 PM

North 226C (Phoenix Convention Center - West and North Buildings)

Hosts: (Joint between the 14th Symposium on Societal Applications: Policy, Research and Practice; the 10th Conference on Environment and Health; the 24th Conference on Applied Climatology; and the Seventh Symposium on the Weather, Water, and Climate Enterprise )

Chair:

John Balbus, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD

The Global Change Research Act of 1990 mandates that the U.S. Global Change Research Program deliver a report to Congress no less than every 4 years that integrates, evaluates, and interprets global change science and the effects of global change on human and natural systems in the United States. The Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4) fulfills that mandate in two volumes, the first of which, the Climate Science Special Report, was released in November 2017.

Volume II, Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States, is expected to be released in late 2018. Drawing on the physical science described in Vol. I, this assessment focuses on the ecological, societal, and economic aspects of climate change and variability for 10 regions and 17 national topics. Particular attention is given to observed and projected risks and impacts, with additional chapters on adaptation and reducing risks through emissions mitigation. Throughout its regional and national topic chapters, NCA4 Vol. II provides examples of actions underway in communities across the United States to reduce the risks associated with climate change, increase resilience, and improve livelihoods. NCA4 Vol. II has an increased focus on regional information and includes a new standalone chapter addressing the U.S. Caribbean. In addition, the report includes new chapters on air quality, climate effects on U.S. international interests, complex systems and multiple stressors, and an international appendix that looks at national assessments around the world.

NCA4 Vol. II was developed by more than 300 authors from across the country representing many different disciplines and region-specific expertise. The assessment is written for a broad audience, and is intended to help inform decision-makers, resource managers, planners, and all who are interested in better understanding the effects of climate change on the United States.

This session will highlight the findings of NCA4 Vol. II, related tools and initiatives, and examples of how climate assessments may be used to inform resilience planning and adaptation. Presentations will also explore new approaches to assessment and showcase new tools to assist in the assessment and decision support processes.

Papers:

TJ2.1

An Introduction to the Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II

2:15 PM

TJ2.2

The Fourth National Climate Assessment: Updating the Science of Climate Change

Donald J. Wuebbles, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL

Recorded Presentation

2:30 PM

TJ2.3

Reducing Risks of Economic Impacts Throughout Multiple U.S. Sectors and Regions: National Climate Assessment Vol II

Brenda Ekwurzel, Union of Concerned Scientists, Washington, D.C.; and J. Martinich, B. J. DeAngelo, D. Diaz, G. Franco, C. Frisch, J. McFarland, B. O'Neill, A. Light, D. R. Reidmiller, and C. Avery

Recorded Presentation

2:45 PM

TJ2.4

Highlights from the Fourth National Climate Assessment: Human Health

John Balbus, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD

Recorded Presentation

3:00 PM

TJ2.5

Climate Effects on U.S. International Interests

Peter Schultz, ICF, Washington, D.C.

Recorded Presentation

Handout (1.7 MB)