1 Introduction
1.1 Materials and methods
2 Adaptation activities in the United States
2.1 Federal government
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Executive Order 13514 (E.O.) requiring federal agencies to develop recommendations for strengthening policies and programs to adapt to the impacts of climate change;
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The creation of a U.S. Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force (ICCATF) that led to the development of national principles for adaptation and is leading to cross-cutting and government-wide adaptation policies;
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The development of three crosscutting national adaptation strategies focused on integrating Federal, and often state, local and tribal, efforts on adaptation in key sectors: the National Action Plan: Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate (ICCATF 2011), the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy (forthcoming), and a priority objective on resilience and adaptation in the National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan (forthcoming);
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A new decadal National Global Change Research Plan (2012–2021) that identifies the goals of improving basic science, informing decisions, improving assessments, and communicating and educating (USGCRP 2012); and
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The development of several interagency and agency-specific groups focused on adaptation, including a “community of practice” for federal agencies that are developing and implementing adaptation plans; an Adaptation Science Workgroup inside the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP); and several agency-specific climate change and adaptation task forces.
Entity | Action | Description |
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White House and Interagency | Established Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force (ICCATF) and issued E.O. 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance.
| ICCATF is co-chaired by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), along with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with senior participation from 20+ agencies. E.O. 13514 charged ICCATF with developing recommendations to help prepare for the impacts of climate change, and required Federal agencies to “evaluate agency climate-change risks and vulnerabilities to manage the effects of climate change on the agency's operations and mission in both the short and long term.” |
Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force (ICCATF) | Developed Guiding Principles for Federal adaptation efforts and policy goals and recommended actions for the Federal government. Guides interagency adaptation planning efforts. | The October 2010 Progress Report of the ICCATF laid out eight principles for Federal adaptation efforts and made five key recommendations, including the development of agency adaptation plans and strategies to address key cross-cutting issues such as water management, natural resource management, and the integrating of adaptation actions into existing planning processes. |
ICCATF Water Resources Adaptation Workgroup | Developed and is leading implementation of the National Action Plan: Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate.
| The National Action Plan was released in October 2011, and is designed to ensure adequate water supplies and protect water quality, human health, property, and aquatic ecosystems. The Workgroup is chaired by the Department of the Interior’s (DOI’s) U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and coordinated by CEQ. |
ICCATF Agency Adaptation Planning Workgroup | Established and coordinates the Federal agency adaptation community of practice. | The community of practice provides information and support to Federal agencies working to reduce their climate change-related risks and a forum for collaboration and coordination across agencies. Coordinated by EPA. |
Steering Committee of the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
| Developed the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy.
| Requested by Congress and the ICCATF, this strategy is a collaborative effort of Federal, state, and tribal partners to provide a unified approach for reducing the negative impacts of climate change on these resources. The steering committee is chaired by DOI’s Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), NOAA, and the New York Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources (representing State agencies). |
National Ocean Council (NOC) | Developed a chapter on adaptation and ocean acidification for the National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan.
| This was developed in response to the NOC’s call to strengthen resiliency of coastal communities and marine and Great Lakes environments and their ability to adapt to climate change impacts and ocean acidification, and the ICCATF's recommendation for a cross-cutting look at ocean and coastal adaptation issues. |
U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) | National Climate Assessment, decadal National Global Change Research Plan (2012–2021), and annual report to Congress | Responsible for the development of the National Climate Assessment (NCA) every 4 years, as mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990 (GCRA, P.L. 101–606). Additionally, submits an annual report to Congress called “Our Changing Planet.” In April 2012, the USGCRP released a new decadal National Global Change Research Plan with four new strategic goals, including: advance science, inform decisions, conduct sustained assessments, and communicate and educate. |
USGCRP’s Adaptation Science Workgroup | Identifying critical science information and decision support needs and capabilities in support of adaptation. | Formerly an ICCATF Adaptation Science Workgroup, the Adaptation Science Workgroup was transferred to USGCRP in 2010 as a new program element to improve the Federal government’s capacity to provide science in support of adaptation decisions at all scales for a diversity of users. |
Agency | Component | Action | Description |
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All federal agencies | Developing Adaptation Plans as part of their annual Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans | The 2012 Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans for 50+ Federal agencies will contain a specific section on adaptation. Agencies are required to evaluate climate risks and vulnerabilities to manage both short- and long-term effects on missions and operations. | |
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | Climate-Ready States and Cities Initiative | Through their first climate change cooperative agreements in 2010, CDC awarded $5.25 million to ten state and local health departments to assess risks and develop programs to address climate change-related challenges. |
Department of Agriculture (USDA) | Integrating climate change objectives into plans and networks. | USDA is using existing networks such as the Cooperative Extension Service, the Natural Resource Conservation Districts, and the Forest Service's Climate Change Resource Center to provide climate services to rural and agricultural stakeholders. | |
USDA | Forest Service | Developed a National Roadmap for Responding to Climate Change and a Guidebook for Developing Adaptation Options, among many resources. | The National Roadmap was developed in 2010 to identify short- and long-term actions to reduce climate change risks to the nation's forests and grasslands. The Guidebook (developed in 2011) builds on this previous work and provides science-based strategic and tactical approaches to adaptation. Other resources are available on the Forest Service website. |
Department of Commerce (DOC) | NOAA | Supports research teams and local communities on adaptation-related issues and develops tools and resources. | Supports research teams such as Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISAs) to inform resource management, planning, and policy. Established six regional climate centers (RCCs) to better assess and deliver regionally focused climate science and services. Developed the Digital Coast partnership. |
Department of Defense (DOD) | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) | Developed a USACE climate change adaptation plan, and continues to update guidance for incorporating sea level rise into projects. | The Corps released its climate change adaptation plan in September 2011. The goal of the plan is to reduce vulnerabilities and improve resilience of water resources infrastructure impacted by climate change. The latest update of the guidance on “Incorporating Sea-Level Change Considerations in Civil Works Programs” was released in November 2011. |
DOD | Department of the Navy | Developed road maps for adaptation in the Arctic and across the globe. | The Navy Arctic Roadmap (November 2009) promotes maritime security and naval readiness in a changing Arctic. The Climate Change Roadmap (May 2010) examines broader issues of climate change impacts on Navy missions and capabilities globally. |
Department of Energy (DOE) | Develops higher spatial and temporal scales of climate projections, and is working to integrate adaptation and climate considerations into integrated assessments. | Develops community-based, high-resolution (temporal and spatial) models for climate projections and integrated assessment models that increasingly reflect multi-sectoral processes and interactions, multiple stressors, coupled impacts, and adaptation potential. | |
DOI | FWS | Developed an FWS climate change strategic plan. Established a network of Landscape Conservation Cooperatives. | The FWS climate change strategy plan (September 2010) establishes a basic framework to help ensure the sustainability of fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats in the face of climate change. In 2009, through Secretarial Order 3289, DOI established a network of 22 Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) designed to promote shared conservation goals, approaches, and resource management planning and implementation across the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, and the Caribbean. |
DOI | USGS | Established a network of Climate Science Centers (CSCs). | Operates a National Climate Change and Wildlife Center and eight regional CSCs, which provide scientific information and tools that land, water, wildlife, and cultural resource managers and other stakeholders can apply to anticipate, monitor, and adapt to climate change. |
Department of Transportation (DOT) | Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) | Developed Risk Assessment Model for transportation decisions. | DOT worked with five local and state-level transportation authorities to develop a conceptual Risk Assessment Model to help transportation decision-makers identify which assets are: (a) most exposed to the threats from climate change and/or (b) associated with the most serious potential consequences of climate change threats. Completed in November 2011. |
DOT | Comprehensive study of climate risks to transportation infrastructure in the Gulf Coast Region, followed by an in-depth study for Mobile, Alabama. | Phase 1 of the study (completed in 2008) assessed the vulnerability of transportation infrastructure to climate change impacts across the Gulf region. Phase 2, expected to be completed in 2013, is focused on Mobile, Alabama. The effort is designed to develop transferable tools that will help transportation planners across the country. | |
EPA | Developed Climate Ready Estuaries and Climate Ready Water Utilities Working Group. Developed a draft agency water program adaptation strategy. | The Climate Ready Estuaries program works with coastal managers to: (1) assess vulnerabilities; (2) develop and implement adaptation strategies; (3) engage stakeholders; and (4) share lessons learned. The Climate Ready Water Utilities initiative provides resources and tools to assist the water sector in adapting to climate change. The Draft National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change addresses climate change impacts on water resources and EPA’s water programs. | |
NASA | NASA's Climate Adaptation Science Investigator (CASI) Workgroup engages NASA climate models, missions, scientists, and NASA institutional stewards to explore NASA center-specific climate impacts and adaptation strategies. | The team has engaged in a range of activities since CASI’s launch in the summer of 2010, including: (1) downscaling center-specific climate hazard information and projections; (2) conducting climate research customized to each Center’s needs; (3) building inventories of each Center’s existing climate and impact data and research activities; and (4) co-leading adaptation workshops. |
2.2 States
State | Adaptation action |
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Alaska | Alaska Climate Change Impact Mitigation Program provides funds for hazard impact assessments to evaluate climate change-related impacts, such as coastal erosion and thawing permafrost (Immediate Action Work Group 2008). |
California | Building standards that mandate energy and water efficiency savings, advancing both adaptation and mitigatio n; State Adaptation Plan calls for 20 % reduction in per capita water use (EPA 2012). |
Florida | Law supporting dryland landscaping techniques that focus on conserving water (Salkin 2009). |
Hawaii | Water code that calls for integrated management, preservation, and enhancement of natural systems (Marra et al. 2012). |
Kentucky |
Action Plan to Respond to Climate Change in Kentucky: A Strategy of Resilience, which identifies six goals to protect ecosystems and species in a changing climate. |
Louisiana |
Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast 2012 includes both protection and restoration activities addressing land loss from sea level rise, subsidence, and other factors over the next 50 years (State of Louisiana 2012). |
Maine | The Maine Sand Dune Rules require that structures greater than 2,500 square feet be set back at a distance that is calculated based on the future shoreline position and considers two feet of sea level rise over the next 100 years (Grannis 2011). |
Maryland | Passed Living Shorelines Act to reduce hardened shorelines throughout the state (Feifel 2010); passed “Building Resilience to Climate Change” policy, which establishes practices and procedures related to facility siting and design, new land investments, habitat restoration, government operations, research and monitoring, resource planning, and advocacy. |
Montana | Maintains a statewide climate change website to help stakeholders access relevant and timely climate information, tools, and resources. |
New Mexico | The Active Water Resource Management program allows for temporary water use changes in real time in case of drought (Propst 2012). |
Pennsylvania | Enacted polices to encourage the use of green infrastructure and ecosystem-based approaches for managing stormwater and flooding (Solecki and Rosenzweig 2012). |
Rhode Island | Requires public agencies considering land use applications to accommodate a 3–5-foot rate of sea level rise. |
Texas | Coordinated response to drought through National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS); RISAs [Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP), Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS)]; and state and private sector partners through anticipatory planning and preparedness (e.g., implemented in 2011 drought) (SCIPP 2012). |
2.3 Local/regional and tribal governments
Local/regional government | Adaptation action |
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Satellite Beach, FL | Collaboration with the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program led to the incorporation of sea level rise projections and policies into the city’s comprehensive growth management plan (Gregg et al. 2011). |
Portland, OR | Updated the city code to require on-site stormwater management for new development and re-development, and provides a downspout disconnection program to help promote on-site stormwater management (EPA 2010b). |
Lewes, DE | In partnership with Delaware Sea Grant, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, the University of Delaware, and state and regional partners, the City of Lewes undertook a stakeholder-driven process to understand how climate adaptation could be integrated into the hazard mitigation planning process. Recommendations for integration and operational changes were adopted by the City Council and are currently being implemented (City of Lewes 2011). |
Point Hope, AK | The village of Point Hope, AK created a plan that summarized the effect of climate change on several issues and identified observed changes, health concerns, projected changes, and potential adaptation actions to address each issue (Brubaker et al. 2010). |
Groton, CT | Partnered with Federal, state, regional, local, nongovernmental, and academic partners through the EPA’s Climate Ready Estuaries program to assess vulnerability to, and devise solutions for, sea level rise (Stults and Pagach 2011). |
San Diego Bay, CA | Five municipalities partnered with the port, the airport, and more than 30 organizations with direct interests in the future of the Bay to develop the San Diego Bay Sea Level Rise Adaptation Strategy. The strategy identified key vulnerabilities for the Bay and adaptation actions that can be taken by individual agencies, as well as through regional collaboration (Solecki and Rosenzweig 2012). |
Chicago, IL | Through a number of development projects, the city has added 55 acres of permeable surfaces since 2008 and has more than four million square feet of green roofs planned or completed (City of Chicago 2010). |
Tulalip Tribes | The Tulalip Tribes in Washington State are using traditional knowledge gleaned from elders, stories, and songs and combining this knowledge with downscaled climate data to inform decision-making (Simmonds 2011). |
King County, WA | Created King County Flood Control District in 2007 to address increased impacts from flooding through activities such as maintaining and repairing levees and revetments, acquiring repetitive loss properties, and improving countywide flood warnings (Wolf 2009). |
New York City, NY | Through a partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the city is updating FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps based on more precise elevation data. The new maps will help stakeholders better understand their current and future flood risks, and allow the city to more effectively plan for climate change (City of New York 2012). |
Southeast Florida Climate Compact | Joint commitment among Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Monroe Counties to partner in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate impacts (Southeast Florida Compact 2011). |
Haudenosaunee Confederacy | The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is addressing climate impacts by preserving a native food base through seed-banking (Simmonds 2011). |
Phoenix, AZ; Boston, MA; Philadelphia, PA; and New York, NY | |
Boulder, CO; New York, NY; and Seattle, WA | Water utilities in these communities are using climate information to assess vulnerability and inform decision-making (EPA 2010b). |
Philadelphia, PA | In 2006, the Philadelphia Water Department began a program to develop a green stormwater infrastructure intended to convert more than one-third of the city’s impervious land cover to “Greened Acres”: green facilities, green streets, green open spaces, green homes, etc., along with stream corridor restoration and preservation (ORNL 2012b). |
2.4 Nongovernmental and private sector
Types of adaptation efforts and services | Examples of organizations providing services* |
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Adaptation planning assistance, including creation of guides, tools, and templates | Center for Climate Strategies, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, International Institute for Sustainable Development, The Nature Conservancy, World Resources Institute, World Wildlife Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council |
Networking and best practice exchange | C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Adaptation Network, Center for Clean Air Policy, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, Institute for Sustainable Communities, Urban Sustainability Directors Network, World Business Council for Sustainable Development |
Climate information providers | Union of Concerned Scientists, Urban Climate Change Research Network, Stockholm Environment Institute–U.S. Center |
Policy, legal, and institutional support | Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (formerly Pew Center on Global Climate Change), Georgetown Climate Center |
Aggregation of adaptation-pertinent information | Carbon Disclosure Project, Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange, Georgetown Climate Center |
Company | Sector | Climate risk | Examples of actions undertaken |
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Coca-Cola Company | Consumer Staples | Changes in physical climate parameters; changes in other climate-related developments. | Coca-Cola is working around the world to replenish the water used in finished beverages by participating in locally relevant water projects that support communities and nature. Since 2005, the Coca-Cola system has engaged in more than 320 projects in 86 countries. The range of community projects includes watershed protection; expanding community drinking water and sanitation access; water for productive use, such as agricultural water efficiency; and education and awareness programs. (http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/citizenship/conservation_partnership.html) |
ConAgra Foods, Inc. | Consumer Staples | Company experienced weather-related sourcing challenges, such as delayed tomato harvesting due to unseasonably cool weather and difficulty sourcing other vegetables due to above-normal precipitation. | As part of its business continuity planning, ConAgra Foods has analyzed its supply risk to develop strategic partnerships with suppliers, minimize sole-sourced ingredients, and identify alternate suppliers and contract manufacturers to minimize production disruptions in case of an unexpected disruption in supply. (http://company.conagrafoods.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=202310&p=Policies_Environment) |
Constellation Brands | Consumer Staples | Changes in physical climate parameters; changes in other climate-related developments. | Constellation has already taken adaptation actions, particularly in California, where water availability is an issue, to manage or adapt to these risks. Constellation is working with numerous organizations to help fund industry-based research to determine potential climate change impacts on vineyard production. |
Munich Re | Reinsurance | Changes in regulation; changes in physical climate parameters; changes in other climate-related developments. | Since 2007, a group-wide climate change strategy covering all aspects of climate change—e.g., weather-related impacts, regulatory impacts, litigation and health risks, etc.—has supported their core corporate strategy. The strategy is based on five pillars: mitigation, adaptation, research, in-house carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction, and advocacy. (http://www.munichre.com/en/group/focus/climate_change/default.aspx) |
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) | Utilities | Changes in regulation; changes in physical climate parameters; changes in other climate-related developments. | PG&E’s adaptation strategies for potential increased electricity demand include expanded customer energy efficiency and demand response programs and improvements to its electric grid. PG&E is proactively tracking and evaluating the potential impacts of reductions to Sierra Nevada snowpack on its hydroelectric system, and has developed adaptation strategies to minimize them. Strategies include maintaining higher winter carryover reservoir storage levels, reducing conveyance flows in canals and flumes in response to an increased portion of precipitation falling as rain, and reducing discretionary reservoir water releases during the late spring and summer. PG&E is also working with both the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the California Department of Water Resources to begin using the USGS Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) watershed model to help manage reservoirs on watersheds experiencing mountain snowpack loss. (http://www.pge.com/about/environment/commitment/) |
SC Johnson & Son, Inc. | Household Products | Changes in physical climate parameters. | SC Johnson is adjusting, through a diversified supplier and global manufacturing base, to the various physical risks imposed by climate change. In March 2009, SC Johnson announced a broad ingredient communication program. The company assesses risks along each ingredient’s supply chain to ensure that the company is sourcing from a geographically diverse supplier base. In addition to evaluating product ingredients, SC Johnson has also diversified its operations around the world, allowing it to maintain business continuity in the face of a regional climate-related disruption. (http://www.scjohnson.com/en/commitment/overview.aspx) |
Spectra Energy, Inc. | Energy | Changes in regulation; changes in physical climate parameters; changes in other climate-related developments. | Spectra Energy uses a corporate-wide risk analysis framework to ensure the oversight and management of its four major risk categories: financial, strategic, operational, and legal. Physical risks posed by climate change fall within these categories, and the company uses risk management committees to ensure that all material risks are identified, evaluated, and managed prior to financial approvals of major projects. (http://www.spectraenergy.com/Sustainability/) |
3 Adaptation process
3.1 Identifying and understanding risk, vulnerabilities, and opportunities
3.2 Planning, assessing, and selecting options
3.3 Implementation
3.4 Monitoring and evaluation
3.5 Revise strategies/processes and information sharing
Adaptation Activity
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1. The State of Hawaii Office of Planning, in cooperation with university, private, state, and Federal scientists and others, has drafted a framework for climate change adaptation that identifies sectors affected by climate change, and outlines a process for coordinated statewide adaptation planning. (Adapting to Climate Change: A Planning Guide for State Coastal Managers, NOAA (NOAA 2012), (http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/climate/docs/adaptationguide.pdf) |
2. One of the priorities of the Hawaii State Plan is preserving water sources through conservation of the forests, as indicated in their “Rain Follows The Forest” report. (http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/chair/pio/nr/2011/The-Rain-Follows-the-Forest.pdf) |
3. New England Federal Partners is a multi-agency group formed to support the needs of the states, tribes, and communities of the New England Region and to facilitate and enable informed decision-making on issues pertaining to coastal and marine spatial planning, climate mitigation, and climate adaptation throughout the region. (http://www.epa.gov/region1/eco/energy/adaptation-efforts-epane.html) |
4. The City of Philadelphia is greening their combined sewer infrastructure to protect rivers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and enhance adaptation to a changing climate (http://www.phillywatersheds.org/ltcpu/) |
5. The City of Keene, NH replaced culverts with larger ones that were designed to withstand projected increases in precipitation and population demand. (City of Keene 2010) (http://www.ci.keene.nh.us/sites/default/files/CMPprint-final-1027-fullversion_2.pdf) |
6. New York City has created a Green Infrastructure Plan and is committed to goals that include the construction of enough green infrastructure throughout the city to manage 10 % of the runoff from impervious surfaces by 2030. (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/stormwater/nyc_green_infrastructure_plan.shtml) |
7. The City of Lewes, DE undertook an intensive stakeholder process to integrate climate change into the city’s updated hazard mitigation plan. (http://www.ci.lewes.de.us/Hazard-Mitigation-Climate-Adaptation-Action-Plan/) |
8. Local governments and tribes throughout Alaska, such as those in Homer, are planting native vegetation and changing the coastal surface, moving inland or away from rivers, and building riprap walls, groins, or seawalls. (http://www.cakex.org/virtual-library/2555) |
9. Villages are physically being relocated because of climate impacts such as sea level rise and erosion; these include Newtok, Shishmaref, Kivalina, and dozens of other villages. (http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/planning/npg/Newtok_Planning_Group.htm) |
10. The City of Cedar Falls recently passed legislation that includes a new floodplain ordinance that expands zoning restrictions from the 100-year floodplain to the 500-year floodplain, because this expanded floodplain zone better reflects the flood risks experienced by the city during the 2008 floods. (http://www.epa.gov/dced/pdf/iowa_climate_adaptation_report.pdf) |
11. In January 2011, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) released the Michigan Climate and Health Adaptation Plan, which has a goal of “preparing the Public Health System in Michigan to address the public health consequences of climate change in a coordinated manner.” In September 2010, MDCH received 3 years’ funding to implement this plan as part of the Climate-Ready States and Cities Initiative of CDC. (http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/MDCH_climate_change_strategicPlan_final_1-24-2011__343856_7.pdf) |
12. The City of Chicago was one of the first cities to officially integrate climate adaptation into a citywide Climate Adaptation Plan. Since its release, a number of strategies have been implemented to help the city manage heat, protect forests, and enhance green design, such as their work on green roofs. (http://www.chicagoclimateaction.org/pages/adaptation/11.php) |
13. The City of Grand Rapids, MI recently released a Sustainability Plan that integrates future climate projections to ensure that the economic, environmental, and social strategies embraced are appropriate for today as well as the future. (http://grcity.us/enterprise-services/officeofenergyandsustainability/Pages/default.aspx/) |
14. Tulsa, OK has a three-pronged approach to reducing flooding and managing stormwater: (1) prevent new problems by looking ahead and avoiding future downstream problems from new development (e.g., requiring on-site stormwater detention); (2) correct existing problems and learn from disasters to reduce future disasters (e.g., through watershed management and the acquisition and relocation of buildings in flood-prone areas); and (3) act to enhance the safety, environment, and quality of life of the community through public awareness, an increase in stormwater quality, and emergency management. (http://www.smartcommunities.ncat.org/articles/rooftop/program.shtml) |
15. Firewise Communities USA is a nationwide program of the National Fire Protection Association and is co-sponsored by USDA Forest Service, DOI, and the National Association of State Foresters. According to the Texas Forest Service, there are more than 20 recognized Texas Firewise Communities. The Texas Forest Service works closely with communities to help them to reach Firewise Community status and offers a variety of awareness, educational, informational, and capacity-building efforts, such as Texas Wildscapes, a program that assists in choosing less fire-friendly plants. (http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/main/article.aspx?id=1602) |
16. After the heavy rainfall events of 2004 that resulted in significant erosion on his farms, Dan Gillespie, a farmer with NRCS in Norfolk, NE, began experimenting with adding cover crops to the no-till process. It worked so well in reducing erosion and increasing crop yields that he is now sharing his experience with other farmers (http://www.lenrd.org/projects-programs/; http://www.notill.org/; personal communication, L Carter, June 1, 2012) |
17. Point Reyes National Seashore is preparing for climate change by creating a more resilient ecosystem through restoring connectivity of fresh and salt-water ecosystems for anadromous fish passage by removing two dams that are barriers to water flow and fish migration, thus restoring ecological continuity. (http://www.cakex.org/case-studies/1083) |
18. Western Adaptation Alliance is a group of 10 cities in four states in the Intermountain West that share lessons learned in adaptation planning, develop strategic thinking that can be applied to specific community plans, and join together to generate funds to support capacity building, adaptation planning, and vulnerability assessment. (http://sustainablecommunitiesleadershipacademy.org/workshops/regional-western-adaptation-alliance) |
19. Navajo Nation used information on likely changes in future climate to help inform their drought contingency plan. (Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources 2003) (http://www.frontiernet.net/~nndwr_wmb/PDF/drought/drghtcon_plan2003_final.pdf) |
20. California Department of Health and the Natural Resources Defense Council collaborated to create the Public Health Impacts of Climate Change in California: Community Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Strategies report, which is being used to inform public health preparedness activities in the State. (http://www.ehib.org/papers/Heat_Vulnerability_2007.pdf) (English et al. 2007) |
21. State of Idaho successfully integrated climate adaptation into the State’s Wildlife Management Plan. (USGS 2012) (http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/wildlife/cwcs/) |
22. The Rising Tides Competition was held in 2009 by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission to elicit ideas for how the Bay could respond to sea level rise. (http://www.risingtidescompetition.com/risingtides/Home.html) |
23. The Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park were sites of case studies looking at how to adapt management of Federal lands to climate change. Sensitivity assessments, review of management activities and constraints, and adaptation workshops in the areas of hydrology and roads, fish, vegetation, and wildlife were all components of the case study process. (http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr844.pdf) |
24. King County Flood Control District was reformed to merge multiple flood management zones into a single county entity for funding and policy oversight for projects and programs—partly in anticipation of increased stormwater flows due to climate change. (http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/doc/pdf/training/strategies_king_county.pdf) |
25. The Water Utilities Climate Alliance has been working with member water utilities to ensure that future weather and climate considerations are integrated into short- and long-term water management planning. (Culver et al. 2012) (http://www.wucaonline.org/html/) |
26. Seattle’s RainWatch program uses an early warning precipitation forecasting tool to help inform decisions about issues such as drainage operations. (CEQ 2011a) (http://www.atmos.washington.edu/SPU/) |
27. City of Portland and Multnomah County created a Climate Action Plan that includes indicators to help them gauge progress in planning and implementing adaptation actions. (City of Portland and Multnomah County 2009) (http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/268612) |
28. In 2010, the State of Louisiana launched a $10 million program to assist communities that had been impacted by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in becoming more resilient to future environmental problems. 29 communities from around the State were awarded resiliency development funds. The Coastal Sustainability Studio at Louisiana State University started working in 2012 with all 29 funded communities, as well as many that did not receive funds, to develop peer-learning networks, develop best practices, build capacity to implement plans, and develop planning tools and a user-inspired and useful website to increase community resiliency in the State. (http://lra.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=608 and http://resiliency.lsu.edu/) |
29. FWS and The Nature Conservancy are cooperating in a pilot adaptation project to address erosion and salt water intrusion, among other issues, in the Alligator River Refuge. This project incorporates multiple agencies, native knowledge, community involvement, local economics, and technical precision. (http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/northcarolina/afield-spring-2011.pdf) |
30. North and South Carolina are actively working to revise their state wildlife strategies to include climate adaptation. (Lackstrom et al. 2012) |
31. The Southeast Florida Climate Compact is a collaboration of the four southernmost counties in Florida (Monroe, Broward, Palm Springs, and Miami-Dade) focusing on enhancing regional resilience to climate change and reducing regional greenhouse gas emissions. (Southeast Florida Compact 2011) (http://www.southeastfloridaclimatecompact.org/documents/DraftRCAP.pdf) |
4 Barriers to adaptation
Barrier | Specific examples | References |
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Climate change information and decision- making | Uncertainty about future climate impacts | NRC 2010b; National Climate Adaptation Summit Committee 2010; Hauser and Jadin 2012; NRC National Research Council 2010a; Dilling and Lemos 2011; Barsugli et al. 2012; NRC 2007; OTA 1993; Vose et al. 2012; Horton et al. 2012; Culver et al. 2012; Winkler et al. 2012; McCollum et al. 2012; Lackstrom et al. 2012; Brunner and Nordgren 2012; USGS 2012; Lebow et al. 2012; Needham et al. 2012; Mitchell 2010; White-Newsome et al. 2011; Larsen et al. 2011; Fowler and Wilby 2007; Kerr 2011; Schramm 2012; Marra et al. 2012; Carmin et al. 2011; Kareiva 2008; USGS 2012; McNie 2007
|
Disconnect between information providers and information users | ||
Fragmented, complex, and often confusing information | ||
Lack of climate education for professionals and the public | ||
Lack of usability and accessibility of existing information | ||
Lack of resources to begin and sustain adaptation efforts | Lack of financial resources | |
Limited staffing capacity | ||
Fragmentation of decision- making | Lack of coordination within and across agencies, private companies, and nongovernmental organizations | |
Uncoordinated and fragmented research efforts | ||
Disjointed climate-related information | ||
Fragmented ecosystem and jurisdictional boundaries | ||
Institutional constraints | Lack of institutional flexibility | |
Rigid laws and regulations | ||
No legal mandate to act | ||
Use of historical data to inform future decisions | ||
Restrictive management procedures | ||
Lack of operational control or influence | ||
Lack of Leadership | Lack of political leadership | |
Rigid and entrenched political structures | ||
Polarization | ||
Divergent risk perceptions, cultures, and values | Conflicting values/risk perceptions | |
Little integration of local knowledge, context, and needs with traditional scientific information | ||
Cultural taboos and conflict with cultural beliefs | ||
Resistance to change due to issues such as risk perception |
4.1 Climate change information and decision-making
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Projections: Regular and updated projections of climate change and impacts at appropriate spatial and temporal scales to inform planning horizons (Barsugli et al. 2012);
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Options: Portfolios of adaptation options that can help to build adaptive capacity and resilience despite remaining uncertainties (Kareiva 2008);
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Cost, Benefit, and Effectiveness Analysis: Detail on the relative costs, benefits, and effectiveness of sustainable adaptation options—including, in some cases, no action;
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Adaptation–Mitigation Interface: Information on how choices for adaptation options may interact with mitigation actions;
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Limits: Limits to adaptation (Adger et al. 2009); and
4.2 Lack of resources to begin and sustain adaptation efforts
4.3 Fragmentation of decision-making
4.4 Institutional constraints
4.5 Lack of leadership or champions
4.6 Divergent risk perceptions, cultures, and values
5 Overcoming barriers
5.1 Illustrative case one: adaptive governance in the Colorado River Basin
5.2 Illustrative case two: climate change adaptation in forests
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Define the purpose and scope of the Framework and its components early, but allow for refinement to take advantage of new opportunities;
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Begin projects with a synthesis of existing information to avoid duplicating efforts;
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Plan for the extra time necessary to implement true collaboration;
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Carefully match the skills, commitment, and capacity of people and organizations to project tasks;
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Maintain an atmosphere of trust, positivity, and sense of adventure, rather than dwelling on failures;
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Acknowledge and work with uncertainty, rather than submit to “uncertainty paralysis”;
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Recognize the necessity of effective communication among people with different goals, disciplinary backgrounds, vocabulary, and perspectives on uncertainty;
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Integrate the ecological and socioeconomic dimensions early by emphasizing the many ways that communities value and depend on forests; and
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Use technology to increase efficiency of internal communication and collaboration, as well as outreach.
5.3 Illustrative case three: transportation, land use, and climate change: integrating climate adaptation and mitigation in Cape Cod, Massachusetts
5.4 Illustrative case four: the national integrated drought information system
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Usable Technology and Information for Decision Support: The U.S. Drought Monitor map, which integrates multiple indicators and indices from many data sources, was developed before NIDIS was established and has become a useful visual decision support tool for monitoring and characterizing drought onset, severity, and persistence. NIDIS has engaged regional and local experts in refining the regional details of this national product and in “ground truthing” maps via email discussions and webinars.
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Financial Assistance: Federal funding was NOAA-allocated specifically for NIDIS, but leveraged in kind by other agencies and partners.
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Institutional/Partnerships: Effective collaborations, partnerships, and coordination with NOAA, WGA, USDA, DOI, and USGS, as well as local, regional, state, and tribal partners and with the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, have led to multi-institutional interest.
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Institutional/Policy: The NIDIS Act was oriented toward the improvement of coordination across Federal agencies and with regional organizations, universities, and states. It focused on the application of technology, including the Internet, and on impact assessments for decision support. A key aspect of NIDIS is the development of ongoing regional outlook forums based on the above information to build awareness of the drought hazard and to embed information in planning and practice (in partnership with the National Drought Mitigation Center, the Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISAs), and other research-based boundary organizations) to reduce risks and impacts associated with drought (see Fig. 5).×
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Leadership and Champions: There was leadership at all levels over more than two decades (1990s and 2000s) to establish the NIDIS Act, including political (WGA, Southern Governors’ Association, National Governors Association, U.S. Senators, and congressmen); scientific (Wilhite, Pulwarty, Verdin); and federal agency leadership (NOAA, USDA, DOI).
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Risk Perceptions: Whereas drought had been considered primarily a western issue in previous decades, drought is now regularly impacting the southern, southeastern, and northeastern parts of the country, and response strategies are needed. Because of the 2012 drought, more than 63 % of the area in the contiguous U.S. was classified by the end of July as experiencing moderate to exceptional drought, and more than 3,200 heat records were broken in June 2012 alone (NOAA 2012; Schwalm et al. 2012).
6 Research and development needs in support of adaptation
6.1 Research on the policy-making process (i.e., governance and institutions)
6.2 Research on organizing and delivering usable climate change information
6.3 Research on decision-making in light of uncertainty
6.4 Research on methods to incorporate adaptation
6.5 Other research and development needs
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Costs and Benefits of Adaptation. There is uncertainty about the costs of different adaptation options, as well as the costs of inaction (i.e., benefits of adaptation). This includes analysis of the costs of traditional grey adaptation (i.e., for hard infrastructure) versus green approaches to adaptation (Ingram et al. 2012; Lebow et al. 2012; Sussman et al. 2012; USGS 2012; Winkler et al. 2012).
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Best Adaptation Practices. Research could define and apply criteria that are useful to decision-makers to evaluate adaptation options. The research could involve a comprehensive assessment of adaptation options that are effective under changing climate conditions and are affordable and feasible. It should also examine conditions that affect relative costs and benefits (Doria et al. 2009; Sussman et al. 2012; Ackerman et al. 2009).
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Adaptation and Mitigation Interface. Many mitigation measures affect adaptation, and many adaptation measures have consequences for mitigation. The literature on this topic, however, is limited. Among the topics to be explored through research are the growing and competing demands for land, water, and energy, and how mitigation actions could affect adaptation options, and vice versa (Bloetscher et al. 2011; Ingram et al. 2012; ORNL 2012a; Skaggs et al. 2012).
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Climate Adaptation Science. While major advancements have taken place, there remains a need for basic and applied research on climate adaptation science to help inform decision-making.
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Critical Thresholds. Research is needed to identify critical thresholds beyond which social and/or ecological systems are unable to adapt to climate change. This should include analyzing historical and geological records to develop models of “breakpoints” (NAST 2000; National Climate Adaptation Summit Committee 2010).
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Extreme Events. Research is needed on preparedness for and response to extreme events, such as droughts, floods, intense storms, and heat waves, to protect people, ecosystems, and infrastructure. Increased attention must be paid to how the “tails” of the distribution may change as climate change proceeds, and how that affects adaptation actions (IPCC 2012; Kates et al. 2012).