To summarize, GCIP is the first international project to bring together the hydrologic and meteorological science communities on a common research goal. This cooperation has already been beneficial to both communities and is the basis for the initial success of GCIP. Thus, the panel's primary recommendation is that GCIP should stay the course and continue with the implementation of its scientific research plans, with modifications as recommended in this report. When fully implemented, GCIP can be expected to strengthen our nation's capability for climate prediction and water resources management. It will provide a sound basis for hydroclimatological research at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Still, the project does not address hydroclimatic phenomena that are characteristic of the semiarid U.S. Southwest, a region where the availability of water is a critical resource issue as well as a challenging scientific problem. Applying the methodologies and technical facilities developed for GCIP to a study of the Colorado River basin and surrounding mountain regions is a challenge for the future.