Policy-oriented impact assessment of climatic variations

IIASA organized a Task Force Meeting (held in late June 1986) to undertake a policy-oriented assessment of various climatic impacts. Among the questions addressed were: What are the main policy questions and research needs of this field? Is there a niche for IIASA to fill meaningfully over the next several years? If so, should the work be an independent entity within the current Environment Program or should it be absorbed within the framework of other projects? This report of the Task Force Meeting provides a focus not only for IIASA, but also or many other national and international bodies engaged in climate impact research. In particular, the idea of integrated regional assessments seems to have caught on, and this Research Report is likely to become a basic reference.