Climate impact assessment : studies of the interaction of climate and society

Problems related to the effects of extreme climatic events - such as droughts, floods, or severe cold - are a continual burden to economies and societies in many parts of the world. Moreover, with growing evidence that increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases may be altering the Earth's climate, these problems seem likely to be exacerbated. Thus, it is incumbent upon the scientific community to develop and refine effective methods of assessing the impacts of climatic variations on society.