Introduction

Abstract

It is widely accepted that the trend in rising global temperatures during the twentieth-century can be attributed to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, stated with 90% certainty by the most recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2007). Even with immediate and complete mitigation of emissions, an unlikely eventuality under the current political consensus, global impacts of such increasing temperatures are unavoidable; far less certain are the regional impacts. It is generally agreed, however, that economically developing and vulnerable countries will be hardest hit, being less able to adapt to future changes in climate.