About this Paper

This paper examines the potential impacts of climate change on the Southeast region. It is intended as a resource for formal and informal educators. The paper's content is based on a regional workshop attended by representatives from government, industry, academic and non-governmental organizations, from regional assessment research, the National Assessment Synthesis reports (Overview and Foundation), and other research reports. Workshop participants identified many potential environmental, social, and economic impacts of climate change that were of concern to them. Four of these are discussed: agriculture, forests, sea-level rise, and human health. Topic discussions are accompanied by initial suggestions about how the region may be able to cope with or ameliorate the potential impacts.

Several of the identified topics are currently issues of concern to society for reasons other than climate changes. For example, climate change is very likely to increase the rate at which sea level is rising. This is a potential problem because many coastal communities and infrastructure are built in vulnerable locations or according to building codes that are not likely to be stringent enough to protect them. Potential climate impacts give one additional reason for considering actions that may not make sense for other reasons. It is also important to realize that some of the projected climate changes and their impacts will be gradual and slow to develop while others will be nearer term and more noticeable.

Also, because we are talking about changes and impacts extending over as much as the next 100 years, we may well have time to take actions that could make it easier to moderate the potential negative consequences. The focus of this paper is less on the potential positive consequences because government responsibilities are typically to ameliorate adverse consequences, because they tend to be within the realm of past experience. Positive outcomes typically arise as people identify the opportunities changes present and create new (and less foreseeable) activities. Therefore, caution should be taken in drawing conclusions about potential net consequences - while change will occur, how society responds will be a key determinant for many types of consequences.

For additional information on this region, please see the Southeast Workshop and Assessment reports and website. Also see the National Assessment Synthesis reports -- Overview and Foundation. This paper was developed by Dr. Lynne M. Carter.  Thanks to the late Dr Ron Ritschard, regional assessment director for his early comments and to Dr. James Cruise, now regional assessment director for his contributions to and reviews of the information contained in this paper.