Working groups of scientists from the UW System and state agencies have joined together in a project designed to assess the potential consequences of climate change in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts will use the research efforts of scientists across the state to analyze the effects of climate change on Wisconsin’s ecosystems, industries and human health. The initiative also aims to offer adaptation strategies for the future.

Scientists from the UW System, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and other state agencies will study how local and regional changes in temperature, precipitation levels and extreme weather conditions could affect the quality of life in Wisconsin.

“The purpose of WICCI is to anticipate and recommend adaptations to climate change regardless of its cause,” Jack Sullivan, director of science services at DNR, said in a statement.

According to DNR research scientist and initiative co-chair Richard Lathrop, scientists have been working on the project since September 2007. “[The initiative is] a long term thing that will be a dynamic process.”

Lathrop said many aspects of Wisconsin life would be affected in the future by climate change, including winter tourism, northern forests, wildlife and water quality.

“The climate is already changing, we expect those changes will continue even with the most optimistic thoughts about [greenhouse gas] mitigation,” John Magnuson, co-chair of the initiative, said. “We want to prepare and provide the best advice we can to policy makers about what the major impacts are going to be and how to minimize those impacts,” Magnuson said.

The working groups within WICCI will conduct research and use climate-simulating models to offer suggestions on how to adapt to climate change, according to Lathrop.

Lathrop said WICCI plans to be a part of the Nelson Institute’s Earth Day conference on April 16.