Integrated assessment modelling of global change impacts and adaptation (FINESSI)

FINESSI was a project funded by the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) during 2003-2010 to develop a computer-based evaluation framework for investigating the impacts of global change on various natural and managed systems in Finland (Figure).

The FINESSI project: research tasks are shown on the left; evaluation framework on the right.

The specific objectives of FINESSI were:

1. to develop a Web-based modelling framework for estimating the impacts of a range of global change scenarios on several natural and managed systems in Finland along with their attendant uncertainties;
2. to stimulate new research into the modelling of global change impacts on biological species distributions using the abundant empirical information held at SYKE;
3. to use hydrological, water quality, forest management and possibly other models to investigate impacts and possible adaptation measures under a changing environment; and
4. to offer a tool for the dissemination of research results and a pedagogical device for displaying indicators of current and future environmental change in Finland and estimated impacts and adaptations in selected impact areas.

The project addressed a major objective of the Research Programme for Global Change (GTO), which is to serve as a focal point for the study of global changes, their impacts and possible response measures. The modelling framework itself is of scientific importance in addressing the impacts of environmental change across different disciplines. The project also has the potential to offer new insights into the ability of Finnish ecosystems and society to adapt to global change. Overall, the evaluation framework offers a useful new policy tool for examining the long-term implications of global change across a range of ecosystems and economic activities, and for integrated sets of global change scenarios.

Timothy Carter, Maria Holmberg

Address:
Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Research Programme for Global Change
Box 140 (Mechelininkatu 34a), FI-00251 Helsinki, FINLAND
Tel: +358 20 610 123