Incluye bibliografía

Introduction -- 1. Country studies -- 2. Inventories of sources and sinks of greenhouse gases -- 3. Impact and vulnerability assessment -- 4. Cost-effective interventions -- 5. Costs and staffing patterns -- 6. The usefulness of country studies for government policy-makers -- Tables in text -- References -- Appendix 1: Studies, terms of reference and papers assessed -- Appendix 2: Country study summary -- Appendix 3: Criteria for review and assessment of GHG inventories -- Appendix 4: Biological effects of climate change on natural ecosystems - overview of Major International Research Programs.

Country case studies are important instruments for determining national climate policies and for adding to the global knowledge on climate issues. They are also the basis for examining the obligations of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), and for developing and assessing projects eligible for financing by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). These country studies must be comparable to allow the GEF to choose effectively between potential investments in the nations being assessed. Comparisons of ecological and economic efficiency are especially important. As many of the studies are not yet complete, the focus of this review is on workplans, terms of reference, and underlying assumptions and parameters used in their development. This review and assessment is, therefore, built on a few studies and terms of reference. While an in-depth study of all the issues mentioned was not possible, it is hoped that this exercise will further the discussion and the development of more comparable methodologies for future studies.