This report of a policy forum on "Weather and Highways" presents recommendations that, if implemented, could offer considerable benefits to the safety of the nation's traveling public and the national economy by supporting the effective application of weather information services to the operation of our road systems. The AMS Atmospheric Policy Program developed this forum to address the issues connected with effective use of road weather information. The participants included nearly 100 public, private, and academic representatives of weather information providers; transportation managers and users; and policy makers knowledgeable about the nation's highway system.

The session opened after a lighting of lamp ceremony by H.E. Mr Thiru A. Raja, Minister of Environment and Forests, India and other dignitaries. Following this a number of speakers noted the significance of ensuring that the findings of the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) reach the public at large, and the need for AR4 to highlight research in developing countries. UNEP Executive Director highlighted the significance of the work of the IPCC for related policy processes, and commended the increased involvement by women and developing country authors in the AR4. Mr Halldor Thorgeirsson highlighted the importance placed by the UNFCCC on climate monitoring, the ongoing revision of the greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting guidelines, and good practice guidance on land use, land-use change and forestry.

SOLAS (Surface Ocean - Lower Atmosphere Study) is a new international research initiative that has as its goal: To achieve quantitative understanding of the key biogeochemical-physical interactions and feedbacks between the ocean and the atmosphere, and of how this coupled system affects and is affected by climate and environmental change. Achievement of this goal is important in order to understand and quantify the role that ocean-atmosphere interactions play in the regulation of climate and global change. The domain of SOLAS is focussed on processes at the air-sea interface and includes a natural emphasis on the atmospheric and upper-ocean boundary layers, while recognising that some of the processes to be studied will, of necessity, be linked to significantly greater height and depth scales. SOLAS research will cover all ocean areas including coastal seas and ice covered areas. A fundamental characteristic of SOLAS is that the research is not only interdisciplinary (involving biogeochemistry, physics, mathematical modelling, etc.), but also involves closely coupled studies requiring marine and atmospheric scientists to work together. Such research will require a shift in attitude within the academic and funding communities, both of which are generally organised on a medium-by-medium basis in most countries.