GIS in the Metropolitan East Coast Climate Assessment Project

Author: Mark G. Becker
Organization: Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN)

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Columbia University
Palisades, NY 10964
USA

Phone: 914-365-8980
Fax: 914-365-8922
mbecker@ciesin.org

This paper presents the use of GIS in the Metropolitan East Coast Climate Assessment project. The assessment looks at the potential impacts of climate change on a global city--the 31-county region that comprises the greater New York City metropolitan area. The project is focused on the potential consequences of climate variability and change within six sectors: coasts and wetlands, infrastructure, water supply, public health, energy, and decision making. The paper explores the integration of a variety of climate change data, demographic predictions, and cartographic files to visualize predicted effects of climate change in the New York area.