Analyzing and visualizing the synergistic impact mechanisms of climate change related costs

Abstract

One climate related phenomenon could affect many more. The direct costs associated to climate related factors pass to a number of other climate related costs through the indirect economic consequences of climate change. In this paper we propose a mathematical model which aims to provide forecasts of the distribution of the costs caused by the synergistic mechanism of environmental effects. The model is created to be directly applied to situations where the primary costs associated to climate related factors can be specified. It is expressed in matrix terms and is programmed using Mathematica's matrix functions. We provide the framework for efficient computation of this model, covering possible linear and nonlinear functions of the impact mechanism for costs and, infinite direct cost scenarios. Some directions for the quantitative estimation of impact indicators and adaptation potentials of the costs incurred by certain climate related factors are included, in order to apply the proposed model using real socioeconomic data. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.