In many countries, governments are seeking advice from a wide range of disciplines on the potential impacts of climate change on the environment and their society and economy. This handbook is designed to help those conducting research supporting such advice. Underlying the research are two fundamental questions: “What does climate change mean to us?” and “What might be done about it?” This handbook is designed to provide newcomers to the field of climate impact and adaptation assessment with a guide to available research methods, particularly for answering the first question.

Climate change impact studies are necessarily conjectural. Models are the method used most frequently in impacts assessments, and it is to the description and evaluation of such models that this handbook is primarily devoted. The designs include detailed work-plans that specify methods to be used; the time, financial resources, and skills that will be allocated and brought to bear; and the related operational and logistic support. The handbook is organised in two parts: Part I treats generic and cross-cutting issues, and Part II presents methods for studying impact and adaptation in the selected sectors of water, coastal resources, agriculture, rangelands, health, energy, forests, biodiversity, and fisheries.