The Swedish regional climate modeling program 1996-2003 : Final report

The Swedish Regional Climate Modeling Program (SWECLIM) was a 6.5-year national research effort with the aim of providing the Swedish society with more detailed regional climate scenarios than those available from international global climate mode! simulations. SWECLIM built up a new scientific niche in Sweden, namely that of climate modeling, provided users with regionally detailed climate scenarios, expert advice and synthesis of climate changescience. Regional climate modeling was a major activity, supported with studies of climate processes as well as on observed data on the Baltic Sea, regional hydrology and meteorology. The major impact study part was on hydrological modeling, to elaborate the potential impact of regional-scale climate change on hydropower, dam safety and water resources in general. Other types of impact studies were not performed by SWECLIM itself, but means were provided for outside experts to pursue such knowledge. This fmihered the general understanding of climate change and created new insights into planning processes, especially in Sweden, but also on theNordic, European and global arenas.Examples of practical users of the results were experts and decision-makers within national, regional and local administration, organizations, businesses, politicians, as well as media and the general public. These Swedish cfforts on climate science also contributed to international research and assessment networks, and to the quest for better knowledge base to act on in dealing with the climate problem.This repor! provides the final reporting of the SWECLIM-program, building on earlier reports and complements the results published in scientific journals, as reports, presented in meetings and provided to the general public. The focus here is on the work undertaken <luring program phase 2, lasting from July 2000 to June 2003