FRAMEWORK FOR INTEGRATED ASSESSMENTS OF GLOBAL WARMING IMPACTS

This paper provides a framework for integrated assessment of the impac ts of climate change on natural resources and sets the stage for paper s that follow in this volume. Integrated assessments are used to organ ize large quantities of technical information bearing on complex issue s (environmental and others) in ways that facilitate application of th e information in decision making and policy setting. Any integrated as sessment must be based on the best available information. For that rea son this paper includes a 'primer' on the current (and presumably best available) understanding of the science underlying climatic change. T he remainder of the paper describes the component parts of one possibl e framework for integrated assessment.