VALUE OF IMPROVED LONG-RANGE WEATHER INFORMATION Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • An important human welfare implication of climate involves effects of interannual variation in temperature and precipitation on agriculture. Yeartoyear variations in U.S. climate result from El NioSouthern Oscillation (ENSO), a quasiperiodic redistribution of heat and momentum in the tropical Pacific Ocean. The study described here represents a preliminary assessment of the value to the entire U.S. agricultural sector of improved ENSO forecasts in the southeastern United States. This interdisciplinary assessment combines data and models from meteorology, plant sciences, and economics under a value of information framework based on Bayesian decision theory. An economic model of the U.S. agricultural sector uses changes in yields for various ENSO phases to translate physical (yield) effects of ENSO changes into economic effects on producers and on domestic and foreign consumers. The value of perfect information to agriculture is approximately $145 million. The economic value of an imperfect forecast is $96 million. These results suggest that increases in forecast accuracy have substantial economic value to agriculture. Copyright 1995, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved

published proceedings

  • CONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC POLICY

altmetric score

  • 3

author list (cited authors)

  • ADAMS, R. M., BRYANT, K. J., MCCARL, B. A., LEGLER, D. M., OBRIEN, J., SOLOW, A., & WEIHER, R.

citation count

  • 105

complete list of authors

  • ADAMS, RM||BRYANT, KJ||MCCARL, BA||LEGLER, DM||OBRIEN, J||SOLOW, A||WEIHER, R

publication date

  • July 1995

publisher