integrated assessment - an analysis which involves multiple disciplines and seeks to inform policy and decision making rather than to advance knowledge for its own sake. (Ch. 10, Economic and Social Dimensions of Climate Change (Working Group III, IPCC, 1995))

Societal impacts of climate variability are expected to increase dramatically during the 21st century. This increase will likely result from increasing human population in conjunction with poor zoning and piecemeal management of our natural resources. On a regional scale, the most notable and potentially serious effects of climate variability are likely to be fluctuations in the magnitude and frequency of extreme weather such as floods, blizzards, droughts, and heat waves. Furthermore, these acute events often result in ecological disruption and public health problems, which are typically further compounded by regional air pollution.

Our focus is New England. The region experiences considerable climate variability, both spatially and temporally. The region's air quality is strongly affected by emissions from upwind sources in the Mid-Atlantic, the Midwest, and eastern Canada and by local/regional emissions as well. New England also has a wide variety of landscapes ranging from densely-populated urban areas to largely-forested regions. Finally, many New Englander's have strong cultural and economic ties with their physical and ecological environment.

The New England Integrated Sciences and Assessments (NEISA) will rely upon the efforts of the AIRMAP (Atmospheric Investigations, Regional Modeling, Analysis and Prediction) research program funded by NOAA. One of the ultimate goals of AIRMAP is to develop decision relevant information concerning climate and air quality for the citizens of New England. In order to identify and engage a wide range of interested and affected parties in this process, we have been funded by NOAA - Office of Global Programs to undertake a multi-year program titled The Effect of Air Quality and Weather on Human Health in New England: Assessing Vulnerability and Generating Decision Relevant Information. The main objective of this research is toimprove public health in New England by:

(1) engaging a wide range ofstakeholders in the development of a strategic plan to investigate the link between pulmonary health and air quality; and

(2) use the resutls to create informed public policy and guide the development of the NOAA funded AIRMAP air quality forecasting research effort.

At present, there are five Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments activities in the United States funded by NOAA - Office of Global Programs . These are focused on:

• Pacific Northwest
• Southwest
• California
• Inter-Mountain West
• Southeast regions of the United States

Details of the NOAA-OGP Integrated Assessments program are provided here.

A separate National Assessment on the Impacts of Climate Change on the United States is being conducted by the US Global Change Research Program.

The New England Regional Assessment portion of the National Assessment is being conducted by scientists at the Institute for the Study of Earth Oceans and Space at the University of New Hampshire.

For more information or to get involved with the New England Integrated Sciences and Assessments project, please contact:

Cameron Wake
NEISA Project Director
Climate Change Research Center, EOS
University of New Hampshire
Durham, NH 03824
Voice: 603-862-2329
Fax: 603-862-2124
e-mail address: cameron.wake@unh.edu

or

Adam Wilson
NEISA Project Coordinator
Climate Change Research Center, EOS
University of New Hampshire
Durham, NH 03824
Voice: 603-862-0813
Fax: 603-862-2124
e-mail address: Adam.Wilson@unh.edu