May 14, 2020

The State of Climate Modeling in the Great Lakes Basin

A Synthesis in Support of a Workshop
held on June 27, 2019 in Ann Arbor, MI

ABOUT THE EVENT

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) initiated a collaborative workshop on climate modeling in the Great Lakes Basin (GLB) to be held in Ann Arbor, Michigan on June 27, 2019 to fulfill the objectives of both Annex 7 (Habitats and Species) and Annex 9 (Climate Change Impacts) of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA). Both annexes are working to bridge the gap between climate modelers and decision makers, and to enhance collaboration and communication within the climate modeling community.

The objectives of this workshop and the resulting report were:

1. To review the existing Great Lakes regional climate modeling efforts, including the strengths, limitations and credibility of climate change projections and their applicability to the Great Lakes Basin
2. To share preliminary results from relevant studies in Canada and the U.S.
3. To identify gaps and areas of greatest uncertainty
4. To develop recommendations for future work

By identifying the current gaps in climate modeling in the GLB, climate modelers and practitioners can work together to improve these models through funding, collaboration, and engagement activities.