Over the past decade or so, the term “climate system modeling” has been gradually changed to “earth system modeling”, which reflects a shift of emphasis on seeking more understanding and modeling of how human activities (e.g. agriculture, urbanization, energy exploration and exploitation, and socio-economics) affect and are affected by climate variability and change. While anthropogenic greenhouse gases and aerosols as a driving force for climatic change and impacts have been a primary focus of study, changes in land use and land cover, especially urbanization and agricultural practice, have received increasing attention. Because most adaptation and many mitigation decisions are made at local and regional scales, regional earth system modeling is an important tool to provide high-resolution regional information necessary for sound science-based decision-making. In recognition of these needs and developments, the first international symposium on regional earth system modeling and analys ...