[3] A Regional Climate Change Index (RCCI) is defined based on four variables: change in regional mean surface air temperature relative to the global average temperature change (or Regional Warming Amplification Factor, RWAF), change in mean regional precipitation (ΔP, % of present day value), change in regional surface air temperature interannual variability (ΔσT, % of present day value), change in regional precipitation interannual variability (ΔσP, % of present day value). In the definition of the RCCI it is important to include quantities other than the mean change because often mean changes are not the only important factors for determining impacts [e.g., Mearns et al., 2001]. We thus also include interannual variability, which is critical for many activity sectors, such as agriculture or water management. The RCCI is calculated for the above mentioned set of global climate change simulations and is intercompared across regions to identify climate change Hot-Spots, that is regions with the largest values of RCCI.