ABSTRACT
The evidence for substantial climatic modification due to man's activities has increased dramatically over the last decade and there is little doubt that the impact will accelerate in the near future. This chapter provides the basic nature of man's impact on climate and will not attempt to be comprehensive. Climatic modification is a subject about which little is known, but much is suspected. In addition, the available evidence is often conflicting. The chapter discusses basic principles may be used as a basis for discussing the climatic modifications associated with man-made lakes, forest removal, desertification, and urbanization and industrialization. Climatic impact of man-made lakes differs with the climatic zone, it is convenient to consider the tropical-subtropical regions and temperate-high latitude zones separately. There is a wide range in man's modification of climate from relatively local effects to global impacts. Changes in the terrestrial surface modify the surface energy balance which in turn can influence the atmosphere.
