Nov. 23, 2018

Six from UA Contribute to National Climate Change Report

TUCSON, Ariz. — Six University of Arizona researchers helped produce a new assessment, released Friday by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, that informs U.S. citizens, communities and businesses on the impacts of climate change across the country.

The report, Impacts, Risks and Adaptation in the United States, is the second volume of the fourth National Climate Assessment, or NCA4, which represents the most recent comprehensive national effort to analyze the impacts of climate variability and change on sectors and regions of the United States. Written by more than 300 authors, the report assesses a range of potential impacts to help decision makers and the public better identify both risks that could be avoided or reduced and benefits that could be realized.

“It’s an up-to-date and authoritative source of information about climate change and its observed and potential effects in the U.S.,” said UA climatologist Gregg Garfin, a lead author on the Southwest chapter of the report. “It’s all policy relevant, but it’s not policy prescriptive.”

UA public health expert Heidi Brown and forest and ecosystem expert David Breshears also contributed to the Southwest chapter. UA climate adaptation expert James L. Buizer is an author on the new Climate Effects on U.S. International Interests chapter, and Amanda Leinberger, an expert on coastal areas and resilience, is an author on the new U.S. Caribbean chapter. UA professor Diana Liverman, who was a co-author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Summary for Policymakers of the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius, served as review editor for the International chapter. 

Unlike previous national climate assessments, NCA4 was developed as two volumes. Volume I, the Climate Science Special Report, was released in November 2017 and assesses the science of climate change, with a focus on the U.S.

The U.S. Global Change Research Program, comprising 13 federal agencies, is mandated by Congress to produce a climate assessment every four years.
 

Researcher contacts:
Gregg Garfin
UA School of Natural Resources and the Environment
UA Institute of the Environment
520-626-4372 (office) | 520-591-9543 (cell)
gmgarfin@email.arizona.edu
Available to speak about the Southwest chapter and the National Climate Assessment process

David Breshears
UA School of Natural Resources and the Environment
520-621-7259
daveb@email.arizona.edu
Available on or after 11/24 to speak about the impacts of climate change on forests and ecosystems in the U.S. Southwest. 

Heidi Brown
UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
520-626-2262
heidibrown@email.arizona.edu
Available to speak about the impacts of climate change on vector-borne and zoonotic diseases in the U.S. Southwest 

James L. Buizer
UA School of Natural Resources and the Environment
UA Institute of the Environment
520-626-4454
buizer@email.arizona.edu
Available to speak about climate adaptation and international development 

Amanda Leinberger
UA Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions
520-626-4345
aleinberger@email.arizona.edu
Available to speak about climate change impacts on coastal areas and coastal resilience 

Diana Liverman
UA School of Geography and Development
520-626-2910
liverman@email.arizona.edu

If you need immediate assistance contacting any of the above researchers, please contact:
Stacy Pigott
UA Communications
520-626-4405 (office) | 520-539-4152 (cell)
spigott@arizona.edu