Climate 101 Adaptation Jan09

8/14/2019 Climate 101 Adaptation Jan09

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Te Earths climate is rapidly changing. In the United States and other nations,

people are seeing how the impacts o rising global temperatures afect their

communities, their livelihoods, and the natural environment. Substantially

reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential to avoid the worst impacts o climate change. But

mitigation alone is not enough. Even with emission reductions, some warming will still occur.

Adaptation planning at the local, state, and national levels can limit the damage caused by climate

change, as well as the long-term costs o responding to climate-related impacts that are expected to

grow in number and intensity in the decades to come.

Climate Change 101Adaptation

This brief is part of a series called Climate Change 101: Understanding and Responding to Global Climate Change, published by the Pew Ceter

o Global Climate Chage ad the Pew Ceter o the States.

Climate Change impaCts in the U.s.

For more tha 50 years, the Earths climate has bee chag-

ig because of icreasig greehouse gas emissios from

the burig of fossil fuels such as coal ad oil, as well as

deforestatio ad other huma activities.1 The warmig of

the Earths atmosphere ad waters, loss of lad ad sea ice,

ad risig global sea levels are ot ew pheomea. However,

these global chages have bee occurrig at icreasig rates

i the last 30 years, particularly i the last decade. Sciece

shows that climate chage will cotiue, ad accelerate, i

the years ahead, with sigificat impacts o everythig from

our coastlies ad our health to water supplies, ecosystems,

ad other atural resources.

Warming and impacts vary by location. If greehouse gas emis-

sios cotiue uabated, the cotietal Uited States is

expected to warm oe-third more tha global averages,2 meaig

that Americas ca expect a icrease of 37C (5.412.6F),

depedig o where they live. For Alaska ad the Arctic regio

as a whole, warmig projectios of 411C (7.219.8F) are

at least doublethe mea icrease for the world.3 Already, the

Arctic regio is experiecig a array of impacts, icludig:

severe witer storm surges ad floodig; ifrastructure dam-

age ad loss; lad erosio; species loss; ad the displacemet

of people ad commuities (see Figure 1).4

I geeral, scietists expect the Uited States to see over-

all icreases i precipitatio (alog with decreases i some

areas, such as the Southwest), icludig icreases i the

itesity of hurricaes ad more itese heavy raifalls.

Projectios also idicate declies i sowpack, earlier

sow ad ice melt i areas icludig the West ad Great

Lakes regios, ad more lad areas affected by drought ad

wildfires (see Table 1).5 Sea-level rise will affect the U.S.

coastlie to varyig degrees, with the most severe impacts

projected alog the Gulf of Mexico ad Atlatic coastlies,

Figure 1. Shishmaref, AK. Erosion from winter storm surges required the village

to be relocated. Source: Shishmaref Erosion & Relocation Coalition

Jauary 200


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2 CLIMATE CHAnGE 101: ADAPTATION

icludig potetially sigificat losses of coastal wetlads.6

All of these impacts will affect food ad water supplies,

atural resources, ecosystems, ad huma life ad property

(see Table 2). Especially hard hit will be plats ad aimals,

as they will have more difficulty adaptig to large-scale,

rapid chages i climate, compared to huma societies.

Where the climate chages at a rate or to a level beyod

their ability to adapt, may species will ot survive.7 While

models ca project levels of drought, precipitatio ad

severe weather evets withi very large regios, these mod-

els typically do ot yet provide reliable projectios at smaller

scales, such as for idividual tows or local ecosystems. As

a result, the exact locatio ad timig of these evets ca-

ot be forecasted with certaity.

the Case for adaptation planning

Limits on emissions will not be enough, or happen soon enough,

to avoid all impacts of climate change. Reducig emissios will

Table 1. Sample of Projected U.S. Regional Climate Impacts3,5

Impacts Region

Coastal floodig/erosio8 South, Southeast, Mid-Atlatic, northeast, northwest, Alaska

Hurricaes Atlatic ad Gulf of Mexico coastal areas

Decreased sow cover ad ice, more itese witer

storms

Alaska, West, Great Lakes, northeast

Floodig/itese precipitatio All regios, icreasig with higher orther latitude

Sea-level rise Atlatic ad Gulf of Mexico coastal areas, Sa Fracisco Bay/

Sacrameto Delta regio, Puget Soud, Alaska, Guam,

Puerto Rico

Decreased precipitatio ad stream-flow Southwest

Drought Portios of the Southeast, Southwest (see Figure 2)

Wildfires8 West, Alaska

Itese heat waves8 All regios

Table 2. Sample of U.S. Sectors and Projected Impacts

Sector Impacts

Freshwater resource

maagemet7,9,10,11

Saliatio of freshwater; water table/aquifer depletio; icreased ruoff ad

pollutio of freshwater sources; earlier ruoff i sowpack-domiated areas.

Agriculture7,9,10,11 Chages i yields due to precipitatio ad temperature extremes; icreases i pests

ad disease; saliatio of irrigatio water; chages i timig of biological evets.

Coastal resources7,9,10,11 Iudatio of low-lyig areas from storm surges, sea level rise, stroger hurricaes

ad tropical storms; ifrastructure damage; wetlad loss; saltwater itrusio; loss

of habitat; huma displacemet.

Forestry7,9,10,11 Forest loss to drought, wildfires, ifestatio, diseases, species migratio ad loss.

Tourism ad recreatio10 Shorter witer recreatio seaso due to reduced sowcover; loger summer seaso;

loss of beaches to tropical storms, storm surges; loss of forest to wildfires.

Public health/health services7,9,10 Icreased levels of heat stress, respiratory illess, chroic disease, huma

displacemet (short-term ad log-term), ifectious disease, ad premature death.

Trasportatio ifrastructure10 Damage from sea-level rise, erosio, floodig ad temperature extremes.


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3CLIMATE CHAnGE 101: ADAPTATION

Adaptation: Actios by idividuals or systems to avoid, with-

stad, or take advatage of curret ad projected climate

chages ad impacts. Adaptatio decreases a systems

vulerability, or icreases its resiliece to impacts.

Adaptive Capacity: A systems iheret ability to adapt to

climate chage impacts.

Impact: A effect of climate chage o the structure or

fuctio of a system.

Mitigation: Actios to reduce greehouse gas emissios.

Resilience: The ability of a system to withstad egative

impacts without losig its basic fuctios.

System: A populatio or ecosystem; or a groupig of atu-

ral resources, species, ifrastructure, or other assets.

Vulnerability: The potetial for a system to be harmed

by climate chage, cosiderig the impacts of climate

chage o the system as well as its capacity to adapt.

Glossary of Termsdecrease the magitude of global warmig ad its related

impacts. But carbo dioxide ad other greehouse gases ca

remai i the atmosphere for decades or ceturies after they

are produced. This meas that todays emissios will affect

the climate for years to come, just as the warmig we are

experiecig ow is the result of emissios produced i the

past. Because of this time lag, the Earth is committed to

some additioal warmig o matter what happes ow to re-

duce emissios. As a result, there are uavoidable impacts

already built ito the climate system. With worldwide emis-

sios cotiuig to rise, adaptatio efforts are ecessary to

reduce both the cost ad severity of both mitigatio ad cli-

mate chage impacts for decades to come.

Model projections have underestimated actual rates of climatic

changes and impacts. Recet scietific research demostrates

that may aspects of climate chage are happeig earlier or

more rapidly tha climate models ad experts projected.12 The

rate of chage projected for global surface temperatures, ad

related impacts such as ice melt ad sea-level rise, is uprec-

edeted i moder huma history. We ow have early two

decades of observatios that overlap with model projectios.

Comparig the model projectios to the observatios shows

the models uderestimated the amout of chage that has ac-

tually occurred. For istace, sea-level rise has occurred 50

percet faster tha the projected rate, ad the area of summer

Arctic sea ice has decreased at three times the projected rate,

while several other aspects of climate chage have also bee

Abnormally Dry

Legend: Drought Intensity

Drought Moderate

Drought Severe

Drought Extreme

Source: NOAA, USDA, National

Drought Mitigation Center

Figure 2

U.S. Drought Monitor for the week of October 16, 2007

Drought Exceptional

uderestimated.13,14 Adaptig to climate chage will become

that much harder, ad that much more expesive, to the ex-

tet that the chages happe faster, or o a larger scale, tha

we expect goig forward.15


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Acting now to limit the potential damage from climate change is often

smarterand costs less in the long runthan acting later. There is

a huma tedecy to address curret or ear-term climate im-

pacts i a just-i-time fashio (for example, water coservatio

measures to prevet droughts i some southeaster U.S. cities

were started oly after a severe shortage was evidet).

This approach may work whe: the impacts are predict-

able or slow i developig; solutios are available ad ca

be implemeted i time to save lives, property, or atural

resources; ad there is low risk of irreparable harm. Eve

uder these coditios, however, people ofte overlook or

delay solutios that reduce the ultimate risk of harm. Proac-

tive adaptatio requires assessig the vulerability of atural

ad ma-made systems (see Glossary of Terms), as well as

the costs ad beefits of actio versus iactio, ad pla-

ig alteratives accordigly. This approach recogizes the

eed to factor climate chage ito decisios that affect the

log-term susceptibility of systems to the impacts of climate

chage.From the methods for buildig or repairig bridges,

dams, ad other ifrastructure, to the rules ad regulatios

goverig coastal developmet ad wetlad protectio, the

decisio whether to cosider climate chage ow will have

implicatios dow the lie.

Some systems and societies are more vulnerable to the impacts

of climate change than others. Climate chage will affect a wide

array of systems icludig coastal settlemets, agriculture,

wetlads, crops, forests, water supply ad treatmet systems,

ad roads ad bridges. The vulerability of differet systems

varies widely. For example, the ability of atural systems to

adapt to icreasig rates of climate chage is geerally more

limited tha built systems.16 Similarly, some coutries or re-

gios, such as the Uited States, may be better able to adapt

to climate chage, or have a greater adaptive capacity, tha

others. By cotrast, the adaptive capacity of may developig

coutries is ofte limited by a umber of vital factors, such

as ecoomic or techological resources (See Table 3). Eve

withi developed coutries such as the Uited States, some

areas have lower adaptive capacity tha others. Smart pla-

ig esures that govermets ad commuities are payig

attetio to those systems that are most vulerable, while lay-

ig the groudwork for actios to reduce the risk to huma life,

ecosystems, ifrastructure, ad the ecoomy.

sUCCessfUl approaChes to adaptation

Adaptatio services are emergig as govermets, busi-

esses, ad commuities worldwide are recogizig the

eed to address curret ad potetial climate chage

impacts (see Box 3: Adaptation Planning Resources for U.S.

State and Local Action). Discussed below are several com-

mo elemets i the methodology for cofrotig climate

chage impacts.

Recognize that adaptation must happen at local and regional lev-

els. Climate chages ad their associated impacts vary greatly

from locatio to locatio. Although atioal ad iteratioal

actio is essetial, may importat decisios about how best

to maage systems affected by climate chage are made at lo-

cal ad regioal levels. For example, states ad localities have

authority over lad use plaig decisios, icludig zoig

ad buildig codes, as well as trasportatio ifrastructure. I

some cases, state authority is extedig to provide isurace

coverage where the private market is retreatig, exposig these

states to larger fiacial risks. I exercisig these authorities,

maagers, plaers, ad policy makers eed to accout for the

potetial outcomes of climate chage. Yet systems such as wa-

ter resources ad species spa city, couty, ad state lies. As a

result, adaptatio also requires plaers from govermet, the

private sector, ad others to coordiate their activities across

jurisdictios. Those egaged i plaig eed to share ifor-

matio, pla together, ad collaboratively modify existig poli-

cies ad procedures to esure efficiet ad effective solutios.

The exchage of iformatio, resources, best practices, ad

lessos leared across jurisdictioal lies ad amog differ-

et groups of stakeholders is a key elemet of successful

adaptatio plaig.

Identify key vulnerabilities. Adaptatio plaig requires a u-

derstadig of those systems that are most at riskad why.

That meas fidig aswers to questios i three key areas:

Exposure: What types of climate chages ad impacts

ca we expect, ad which systems will be exposed?

What is the plausible rage of severity of exposure,

icludig the duratio, frequecy, ad magitude of

chages i average climate ad extremes?

Sensitivity: To what extet is the system (or systems)

likely to be affected as a result of projected climate


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Table 3. Key Factors for Adaptive Capacity17

Factors Examples

Ecoomic resources Wealth of idividuals ad localities.

Techology Localized climate ad impact modelig to predict climate chage ad variability;

efficiet irrigatio systems to reduce water demad.

Iformatio/awareess Species, sector, ad geographic-based climate research; populatio educatio ad

awareess programs.

Skills/huma resources Traiig ad skill developmet i sectors ad populatios; kowledge-sharig tools

ad support.

natural resources Abudat levels of varied ad resiliet atural resources that ca recover from

climate chage impacts; healthy ad iter-coected ecosystems that support

migratio patters, species developmet ad sustaiability.

Ifrastructure Systems that provide sufficiet protectio ad eable efficiet respose (e.g.,

wireless commuicatio, health systems, air-coditioed shelter).

Istitutioal support/goverace Govermetal ad o-govermetal policies ad resources to support climate

chage adaptatio measures locally ad atioally.

chages? For istace, will the impacts be irrevers-

ible (such as death, species extictio or ecosystem

loss)? What other substatial impacts ca be expected

(such as extesive property damage or food or water

shortages)?

Adaptive Capacity: To what extet ca the system adapt

to plausible scearios of climate chage ad/or cope

with projected impacts?18 What is feasible i terms

of repair, relocatio, or restoratio of the system? Ca

the system be made less vulerable or more resiliet?

Involve all key stakeholders. Successful adaptatio plaig

relies o iput from, ad the aligmet of, all key stakehold-

ers. This meas broadeig the participats ivolved i ideti-

fyig problems ad solutios. Because the impacts of climate

chage spa etire regios, adaptatio plaig should ivolve

represetatives from federal, state, ad local govermet; sci-

ece ad academia; the private sector (see Box 1: Industry

Adaptation Planning); ad local commuities. Successful

plaig will require creativity, compromise, ad collabora-

tio across agecies, sectors, ad traditioal geographic ad

jurisdictioal boudaries. It also requires the ivolvemet of

experts who ca help participats uderstad historical ad

curret climate ad other treds affectig various sectors, ad

who ca provide completed impact assessmets for other loca-

tios with similar sectors ad/or projected impacts.19

Set priorities for action based on projected and observed im-

pacts. For vulerable systems, prioritizig adaptive measures

based o the ature of the projected or observed impacts is vi-

tal. The Itergovermetal Pael o Climate Chage published

a list of criteria to aid i idetifyig key vulerabilities. Some

of these criteria iclude:

Magnitude: Impacts are of large scale (high umber of

people or species affected) ad/or high-itesity (cata-

strophic degree of damage caused such as loss of life,

loss of biodiversity).

Timing: Impacts are expected i the short term ad/or are

uavoidable i the log term if ot addressed. Cosider also

those impacts with variable ad upredictable timig.

Persistence/Reversibility: Impacts result i persistet dam-

age (e.g., ear-permaet water shortage) or irreversible

damage (e.g., disitegratio of major ice sheets, species

extictio).

Likelihood/Certainty: Projected impacts or outcomes are

likely, with a high degree of cofidece (e.g., damage or

harm that is clearly caused by risig temperatures or sea-

level). The higher the likelihood, the more urget the eed

for adaptatio.

Importance: Systems at risk are of great importace or

value to society, such as a city or a major cultural or atu-

ral resource.


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Equity: The poor ad vulerable will likely be hurt the most

by climate chage, ad are the least likely to be able to

adapt. Pay special attetio to those systems that lack the

capacity ad resources to adapt.

Choose adaptation options based on a careful assessment of

efficacy, risks, and costs. Due to ucertaities i projected

climate chages ad i how systems will respod to those

chages, adaptatio optios carry varyig degrees of ucer-

taity, or risk, as well. Timig, priority settig, ecoomic ad

political costs, availability of resources ad skills, ad the

efficacy of various solutios all should be a part of the discus-

sio. The rage of optios icludes but is ot limited to:

No-regret: Actios that make sese or are worthwhile

regardless of additioal or exacerbated impacts from

climate chage. Example: protectig/restorig systems

that are already vulerable or of urget cocer for other

reasos.20

Profit/opportunity: Actios that capitalize o observed or

projected climatic chages. Example: a farmer is able to

shift to differet crops that are better suited to chagig

climatic coditios.

Win-win: Actios that provide adaptatio beefits

while meetig other social, evirometal, or ecoomic

objectives, icludig climate chage mitigatio.

Example: improvig the coolig capacity of buildigs

through improved shadig or other low-eergy coolig

solutios.21

Low-regret: Measures with relatively low costs for which

beefits uder climate chage scearios are high.22,23

Example: icorporatig climate chage ito forestry,

water, ad other public lad maagemet practices ad

policies, or log-term capital ivestmet plaig.

To date, busiess actio o climate chage has primarily focused o maagig the risks ad opportuities associated

with emergig regulatios ad chagig market demads. But as recogitio grows that some climate impacts are

already occurrig, ad may more are likely ievitable, compaies are begiig to develop adaptatio plas to comple-

met existig climate strategies.

May of the projected impacts of climate chage, such as sea level rise, icreased icidece ad severity of extreme

weather evets, ad prologed heat waves ad droughts, could have serious cosequeces for busiesses. Disruptios

may iclude: damage to core operatios, such as factories ad office buildigs; dimiished quality ad quatity of

key iputs, such as water resources ad forestry products; restricted access to the broader supply ad demad ifra-

structure, such as electric utilities ad trasport etworks; ad sudde (or gradual) chages i demad for products

ad services.

Specific impacts will likely vary by sector. For example, higher demad for air coditioig durig prologed heat waves

could stress ad possibly overwhelm the electric grid. Loger ad more itese rais could restrict access to costruc-

tio sites ad slow productivity i the buildigs sector. Meawhile, the agriculture idustry is at risk of extreme drought

that could reder large swaths of previously arable lad uusable.

Compaies are begiig to recogize ad act o these risks. Etergy, the new Orleas-based utility, which suffered

$2 billio i losses from Hurricaes Katria ad Rita, has begu relocatig importat busiess operatios to areas

less vulerable to severe weather evets. Miig giat Rio Tito is usig high-resolutio climate modelig to coduct

detailed site assessmets ad gauge risks to high-priority assets. Additioally, Travelers, a major isurace compay, is

explorig ew pricig strategies to ecourage adaptive actios from its commercial ad persoal customers.

For more iformatio o busiess approaches to adaptatio, see Fraces Sussma ad J. Radall Freed. Forthcomig. Adapting to Climate

Change: A Business Approach. Pew Ceter o Global Climate Chage: Arligto, VA.

Box 1. Industry Adaptation Planning


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Avoiding unsustainable investments: Policies or other mea-

sures that prevet ew ivestmet i areas already at

high risk from curret climatic evets, where climate

chage is projected to exacerbate the impacts.24 Exam-

ple: prohibitig ew developmet i flood-proe areas

where sea-level rise is icreasig ad protective mea-

sures are ot cost effective.

Averting catastrophic risk: Policies or measures iteded

to avert potetial or evetual catastrophic evetsi.e.,

evets so severe or itolerable that they require actio

i advace based o available risk assessmet iforma-

tio. Example: relocatig Alaska villages i areas at or

ear sea-level with projected sea-level rise ad icreas-

ig severe weather evets.

U.s. states and Cities are Beginning

adaptation efforts

Comprehesive, proactive adaptatio plaig is still i the

early stages i the Uited States. As of november 2008, more

tha 75 bills had bee itroduced i Cogress that addressed

some aspect of adaptatio. May of the bills address mitigat-

ig impacts to fish ad wildlife, atural resources, oceas

or marie life. Others provide research or support to states

o vital issues such as water resources or coastal impacts.

A umber call for both atioal ad regioal adaptatio cost

assessmets. Oe bill focuses o potetial coflicts over

resources ad evirometal refugee cocers stemmig

from climate chage. Take together, these bills recogize

the eed for a comprehesive approach to idetifyig or

assessig at-risk systems, ad the eed to address the scope

of fudig ad resposibility that will be required at both

atioal ad state levels to prepare for the full breadth of

climate chage. I the absece of curret federal legislatio

o adaptatio, ad recogizig the importace of state ad

local actio, states ad localities are begiig to pla ad

act to address the uavoidable impacts that will occur i the

decades to come.

State Actions. State govermets are recogizig the eed

for broad-scale adaptatio plaig, ad have started tak-

ig steps toward this goal. Seve statesArizoa, Arkasas,

Colorado, north Carolia, South Carolia, Utah, ad

Vermotackowledge adaptatio withi their climate actio

plas addressig greehouse gas mitigatio, recommedig

that comprehesive state adaptatio plas be created. Eight

other states have already started their adaptatio plaig

efforts, i parallel with their mitigatio activities; these states

iclude Alaska, Califoria, Florida, Marylad, Massachusetts,

new Hampshire, Orego, ad Washigto (see Figure 3).

I Califoria, political leaders recogize that climate chage

is havig a wide rage of impacts o the states atural

resources, ecosystems, ifrastructure, health systems ad

ecoomy. As climate chage cotiues ad accelerates, it

will stress these ad other sectors furtherbrigig hot-

ter, drier summers; icreased risk of drought ad wild-

fires; ad expaded water resource eeds. I Jue 2005,

Califoria Goveror Arold Schwarzeegger siged a exec-

utive order callig for biaual updates from the Califoria

Evirometal Protectio Agecy o global warmig

impacts, mitigatio strategies, ad adaptatio plas for the

state. I november 2008, he siged aother executive order

callig o the state Climate Actio Team to coordiate with

other state agecies to create a Sea Level Rise Assessmet

Report ad develop a Climate Adaptatio Strategy. Research

is uder way i the state to idetify effective adaptatio

methods for biodiversity ad habitat, ifrastructure, oceas

ad coastal resources, public health, water, ad workig

ladscapes icludig forestry ad agriculture.25

As climate adaptatio gais greater attetio ad resources,

states will have much to lear from each other, as well as from

other coutries ad localities where adaptatio is already

occurrig. Additioal resources to assist states ad localities

are available at the ed of this brief (see Box 3: Adaptation

Planning Resources for U.S. State and Local Action).

Local Actions. Hudreds of cities have created climate actio

plas, with more cities completig their plas every week.

Although most plas are pricipally focused o achiev-

ig reductios i greehouse gas emissios, commui-

ties across the Uited States are already takig actio to

address specific climate impacts. These city actios

iclude: desaliatig freshwater sources; protectig ifra-

structure ad commuities from floodig, erosio ad

more severe weather evets; ad preparig for more severe

water shortages ad droughts. These iitiatives ad others

may be privately fuded or maaged, or they may be the


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resposibility of muicipal, emergecy respose or other

agecies. Curretly, there is o formal process for shar-

ig iformatio across jurisdictios about their adaptatio

activities.

I additio to addressig specific impacts ow, more locali-

ties are recogizig the eed for comprehesive adaptatio

plaig. For example, Seattles climate actio pla calls

for a iter-departmetal team to prioritize climate chage-

related issues ad to make recommedatios o adaptive

measures ad timig. The pla calls for the evaluatio of

impacts i several areas, icludig: sea-level rise, storm

water maagemet, urba forestry, buildig codes, ad

heat waves. At the same time, Seattle already is egaged i

water-supply plaig based o projected climate chage

impacts. I April 2007, new York Mayor Michael Bloomberg

released his PLAnYC: A Greeer, Greater new York. I this

pla, the mayor addresses adaptatio, recogizig that the

results of climate modelig idicate that new York faces

sigificat ecoomic ad huma health risks from storm

surges, hurricaes ad floodig, i additio to heat waves,

wid storms ad water cotamiatio. While adaptatio

actios are already beig take to protect the citys water

supply ad sewage ad wastewater treatmet systems, i

PLAnYC, the Mayor calls for the city to coduct adaptatio

plaig to protect critical ifrastructure ad specific com-

muities at high risk from climate chage. The pla also

calls for a overall adaptatio plaig process.

A adaptatio plaig leader i the Uited States is

Kig Couty, Washigto, home to the city of Seattle. I

2006, this couty formed its ow iter-departmetal cli-

mate chage adaptatio team, buildig scietific expertise

withi couty departmets to esure that climate chage

factors were cosidered i policy, plaig, ad capital

ivestmet decisios. The couty has cosidered climate i

the developmet of emergecy respose plas, water sup-

ply plaig processes, ad all couty plas (e.g., river ad

floodplai maagemet plas). Most recetly, Kig Couty

ad the Uiversity of Washigtos Climate Impact Group

co-authored a guidebook, Preparing for Climate Change: A

Guidebook for Local, Regional, and State Governments, i

associatio with the Iteratioal Coucil for Local Eviro-

metal Iitiatives: Local Govermets for Sustaiability.26

the federal role

Much ivestmet is eeded to help state ad local govermets,

muicipalities, private busiesses, ad idividuals maage the

impacts of climate chage. At the momet, resources are lack-

ig for adaptatio plaig ad related activities, eve though

State Adaptation Plans in Progress

or Completed

Adaptation Plan recommended in

Climate Action Plan

Figure 3

State-level Adaptation Planning


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proactive approaches to reducig risks ad limitig impacts

ca result i sigificat cost savigs i the decades ahead,

while protectig critical systems ad huma life.

Just as the federal govermet must act to reduce U.S.

emissios ad take other steps to mitigate climate chage,

it must also take actio o adaptatio. Although ot a

exhaustive list, ways i which the federal govermet ca

eable efficiet ad effective adaptatio strategies across

the U.S. iclude:

Intellectual leadership, research and development

Provide ogoig climate sciece research, with a focus o

impacts, sesitivity, ad adaptive capacity.

Provide improved modelig to project climatic chages at

smaller scales ad better forecast state ad local impacts.

Policy and regulation

Require states to iclude climate chage impact projec-

tios i ifrastructure projects requestig federal fudig.

Require climate chage adaptatio screeig i Eviro-

metal Impact Assessmets.

Update Federal Emergecy Preparedess Plas to iclude

potetial climate chage impacts ad set guidelies for

state preparedess plas.

Review ad update federal agecy regulatios ad

procedures where climate chage impacts ad adapta-

tio are relevat, such as i the Departmets of Iterior

ad Agriculture, EPA ad FEMA.

Coordination

Support coordiatio ad collaboratio amog state ad

local agecies, govermets, ad private-sector etities,

Adaptatio to climate chage is a challege for all coutries. Some other idustrialized coutries, such as the Uited Kigdom,

netherlads, Germay, Australia, ad Caada, are ahead of the Uited States i plaig for climate chage impacts, ad

their experieces provide valuable lessos for U.S. policymakers (see Box 3: Adaptation Planning Resources for State and Local

Action at the ed of this brief).

From a global perspective, the adaptatio challege is probably greatest for developig coutries. They are geerally more

vulerable to climate chage by virtue of beig at lower latitudes, where impacts such as icreased disease ad extreme heat

ad drought will be more proouced, ad because their ecoomies are more depedet o climate-sesitive sectors such as

agriculture, fishig, ad tourism. Whats more, with lower per capita icomes, weaker istitutios, ad limited access to techol-

ogy, developig coutries have less adaptive capacity.

I the 1992 Un Framework Covetio o Climate Chage, the Uited States ad other developed coutries committed geer-

ally to help particularly vulerable coutries adapt to climate chage. I comig decades, adaptatio i developig coutries

is estimated to require tes of billios of dollars aually.27 To date, $279 millio i multilateral support has bee pledged.

Additioal fuds are ow beig geerated through a levy o emissios credits geerated through the Kyoto Protocols Clea

Developmet Mechaism (CDM). Uder the Bali Roadmap, which lauched talks o a post-2012 iteratioal climate agree-

met, stroger adaptatio support is oe of the core issues to be egotiated.

Effective iteratioal support will likely require stroger efforts both withi ad outside the Un climate chage regime. Withi

the regime, optios iclude support for comprehesive atioal adaptatio strategies ad for implemetatio of high-priority

projects. Other support ca be provided through multilateral ad bilateral assistace programs to better itegrate climate adapta-

tio ito the developmet process.

For more iformatio o iteratioal adaptatio, see Burto, I., Diriger, E., Smith, J. Adaptation to Climate Change: International Policy

Options. The Pew Ceter o Global Climate Chage, Arligto, VA, november 2006.

Box 2. Adaptation: A Global Perspective


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particularly for cross-state or cross-jurisdictioal impacts

ad adaptatio plas (e.g., itegrated or cosistet

respose plas, iterstate stakeholder agreemets, spe-

cies or resource maagemet).

Develop policies to mitigate iterstate impact ad adapta-

tio issues.

Help esure efficiecy i adaptatio resource plaig

ad implemetatio.

Sharing of best practices

Acquire kowledge from atios that are ahead i adapta-

tio plaig ad actio.

Leverage kowledge, skills, resources, ad techologies that

are available i other coutries to help state ad local gover-

mets efficietly implemet solutios as cost-effectively as

possible (See Box 2: AdaptationA Global Perspective).

Support cataloguig of state ad global solutios ad

other forms of kowledge sharig, ad oversee atiowide

commuicatio ad iformatio systems for efficiet dis-

semiatio of kowledge across locales ad jurisdictios.

Models and planning tools

Provide affordable modelig ad adaptatio plaig

tools to states, muicipalities, private sector etities, ad

commuities without sufficiet fudig, to help idetify

sectors at risk ad assess vulerable systems.

Education and awareness

Help citizes, commuities, ad idustries uderstad the

risks of climate chage impacts ad their role i local ad

regioal adaptatio efforts, icorporate climate chage

adaptatio ito their way of operatig, ad icrease par-

ticipatio ad support for ecessary actios.

Fud educatio, traiig, ad awareess programs to

esure citizes are fully iformed ad participatig i

viable adaptatio solutios.

Funding

Provide additioal resources to states ad localities lack-

ig sufficiet fudig for proactive adaptatio plaig, i

order to avert more costly reactive resposes i the future.

Provide support for updated impact assessmets at state

ad regioal levels.

Provide bilateral ad multilateral assistace for adapta-

tio plaig ad measures i developig coutries.

Federal Lands

Cosider the impacts of climate chage o federal ladhold-

igs (e.g., natioal Parks, Forest Service, Bureau of Lad

Maagemet lads) ad ifrastructure (e.g., aval facilities).

preparing for the fUtUre

While govermets at all levels must begi actig to reduce

greehouse gas emissios, some degree of climate chage

is already ievitable. Climatic chages are happeig ow

ad are projected to icrease i both frequecy ad severity

before the beefits of emissio reductios will be realized.

Although mitigatio is critical i addressig climate chage,

the eed for both adaptatio plaig ad actio is also

critical. The federal, state, ad local govermets, as well

as resource maagers, idustry, ad commuity leaders, all

have a role to play i assessig the climate vulerability of

both atural ad ma-made systems, ad takig actio to

help these systems adapt. Citizes ad public ad private

etities ca all cotribute toward a commo goal of avertig

dagerous climate risk ad adequately preparig for those

chages that are already uavoidable.

Additional Adaptation reports available from the Pew Center

on Global Climate Change (www.pewclimate.org) include:

Coping with Climate ChangeThe Role of Adaptation in

the United States(2004)This report provides a i-depth

aalysis of the eed for adaptatio actio ad strategies i

the Uited States, with implicatios ad recommedatios

for both atural ad ma-made systems.

Adaptation to Climate Change: International Policy Options

(2006)This report examies optios for future iteratioal

efforts to help vulerable coutries adapt to the impacts of cli-

mate chage both withi ad outside the climate framework.

AdaptationWhat U.S. States and Localities are Doing

(2008)This report provides a accout of states ad locali-

ties that have begu adaptatio plaig, as well as a state level

ivetory of adaptatio plaig i state climate actio plas.


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U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP): The Climate Chage Sciece Program itegrates federal research o climate

ad global chage from agecies such as the Departmets of Agriculture, Eergy, Iterior, ad Trasportatio. Two CCSP

adaptatio reports curretly available for review iclude:

The Impacts of Climate Variability and Change on Transportation Systems and Infrastructure This study looks at how

climate chage could affect roads, airports, rail, trasit systems, pipelies, ports, ad waterways for a regio of the

U.S. Cetral Gulf Coast, ad ways to support trasportatio plaig processes. http://www.climatesciece.gov/Library/

sap/sap4-7/sap4-7-draft3.pdf

Synthesis Assessment Product 4.4: Adaptation for Climate Sensitive Ecosystems and Resources focuses o federally

owed ad maaged lads ad water, icludig atioal parks, forests, wildlife refuges, rivers, estuaries ad marie

protected areas. This report provides resource maagers with adaptatio optios ad processes for idetifyig vuler-

abilities, ad offers recommedatios for federal roles ad policies. http://www.climatesciece.gov/Library/sap/sap4-4/

public-review-draft/default.htm

The Convention on Biological Diversity: The Covetio has created a Adaptatio Plaig Database ad liks to scietific

studies ad other resources, specifically for biodiversity-related climate chage adaptatio. The database icludes data

for idetifyig vulerable systems, assessig threats ad impacts, idetifyig ad evaluatig optios, ad implemetigadaptive measures. http://adaptatio.cbd.it/

EldisCommunity-Based Adaptation Exchange Program: Eldis is a global services orgaizatio specializig i adaptatio

services i high-risk coutries. It offers a database of doors, implemetig agecies, academia, ad policy orgaizatios

ivolved i adaptatio. http://www.cba-exchage.org

ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability: ICLEI is a global services orgaizatio specializig i both mitigatio ad adap-

tatio support to local govermets i the U.S. ad globally. Through their Sustaiable Cities program, ICLEI works with

local govermets to build resiliecy to climate impacts. http://www.iclei.org

Queensland Climate Change Center of Excellence (QCCCE): Based i Australia, the QCCCE is a ew uit withi the states

Office of Climate Chage, providig policy advice, iformatio, ad scietific data o climate chage ad impacts. Cli-

mateSmart Adaptation 2007-12is the govermets actio pla to icrease resiliece to climate chage impacts i key

sectors icludig: water plaig, agriculture, emergecy services, huma health, tourism, fiace, ad isurace. http://

www.climatechage.qld.gov.au/

University of Washingtons Center for Science in the Earth System, Climate Impacts Group (CIG): CIG is a iterdiscipliary

research group studyig the impacts of atural climate variability ad global climate chage o the U.S. Pacific north-

west. Its research focuses o four key sectors: water resources, aquatic ecosystems, forests, ad coasts. CIG performs

fudametal research o climate impacts ad works with plaers ad policy makers to apply this iformatio to regioal

decisio-makig processes. http://www.cses.washigto.edu/cig/

UK Climate Impact Program (UKCIP): UKCIP provides tools ad data to support climate chage risk assessmets ad develop

adaptatio strategies. The program offers climate chage ad socio-ecoomic scearios, a framework for makig decisios

i the face of climate risk ad ucertaity, ad a methodology for costig the impacts of climate chage. Although specific

to the Uited Kigdom, UKCIPs tools ad databases of climate chage adaptatio case studies ad adaptatio optios

are relevat ad useful for the U.S. http://www.ukcip.org.uk/

USAID: Through their Global Climate Chage Program, USAID helps developig coutries ad coutries i trasitio

address climate-related cocers. I 2007, USAID published a guidace maual for developmet plaig, Adapting to

Climate Variability and Change. This maual provides guidace o how to assess vulerability to climate variability ad

chage, as well as how to desig or adapt projects so that they are more resiliet to a rage of climatic coditios. Specific

cases o water, flood, ad agricultural maagemet impacts ad adaptatio optios are icluded. http://www.usaid.gov/

our_work/eviromet/climate/docs/reports/cc_vamaual.pdf

Box 3. Adaptation Planning Resources for U.S. State and Local Action


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12. Egelhaupt, E. 2007. Models uderestimate global warmig

impacts. Environmental Science & Technology, 41, 4488-4489.

13. Rahmstorf, S., et al. 2007. Recet Climate Observatios Com-

pared to Projectios. Science, Vol 316, 709.

14. Stroeve, J., et al. 2007. Arctic sea ice declie: Faster tha fore-

cast. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol 34, L09501, doi:

10.1029/2007GL029703.

15. Easterlig, W., et al. 2004. op cit.

16. Ibid.

17. IPCC. 2007. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vul-

nerability. op cit.

18. C. West ad M. Gawaith. 2005. UK Climate Impacts Programme.

Measurig Progress: Preparig for climate chage through the

UK Climate Impacts Programme. UKCIP Technical Report.

19. Ceter for Sciece i the Earth System. 2007. op cit.

20. UKCIP. 2007. UKCIP Adaptatio Tools, Idetifyig Adaptatio

Optios. http://www.ukcip.org.uk/resources/tools/adaptatio

optios.asp.

21. UKCIP. 2007. op cit.

22. Ibid.

23. Smith, J. 1997. Settig priorities for adaptig to climate

chage. Global Environmental Change, Vol 7, no 3, p251-264.

24. Easterlig, W., et al. 2004. op cit.

25. Califoria EPA ad Califoria Climate Actio Team. 2008 Califoria

Climate Chage Portal. Califoria Climate Adaptatio Strategy.

http://www.climatechage.ca.gov/adaptatio/idex.html.

26. Ceter for Sciece i the Earth System. 2007. op cit.

27. Three recet estimates for adaptatio fiacig required bydevelopig coutries are available at:

Watkis, K., et al. 2007. Uited natios Developmet Pro-

gramme. Huma Developmet Report 2007/2008. http://hdr.

udp.org/e/UnFCCC. 2007. Ivestmet ad Fiacial Flows to

Address Climate Chage. http://ufccc.it/cooperatio_ad_

support/fiacial_mechaism/items/4053.php

World Bak ad Iteratioal Moetary Fud. 2006. Clea

Eergy ad Developmet: Towards ad Ivestmet Framework.

DC2006-0002. http://siteresources.worldbak.org/DEVCOMMInT/

Documetatio/20890696/DC2006-0002(E)-CleaEergy.pdf

Pew Center on Global Climate Change

2101 Wilso Blvd., Suite 550

Arligto, VA 22201

Phoe (703) 516-4146

www.pewclimate.org

The Pew Ceter o Global Climate

Chage is a o-profit, o-partisa,

idepedet orgaizatio dedicated

to providig credible iformatio,

straight aswers, ad iovative

solutios i the effort to address

global climate chage.

Pew Center on the States

1025 F Street nW, 9th Floor

Washigto, DC 20004-1409

Phoe (202) 552-2000

www.pewceterothestates.org

The Pew Ceter o the State

a divisio of the Pew Charita

Trusts, idetifies critical issu

facig states, examies diver

policy approaches, ad shie

a spotlight o opartisa,

pragmatic solutios.

endnotes

1. IPCC. 2007. Summary for Policymakers. I: Climate Change

2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group

I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel

on Climate Change. Cambridge Uiversity Press, Cambridge,

Uited Kigdom ad new York, nY, USA, 996 pp.

2. Wigley, T.M.L. 1999. The Pew Ceter o Global Climate Chage.

The Science of Climate Change: Global and U.S. Perspectives.

3. IPCC. 2007. Regioal Climate Projectios. I: Climate Change

2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group

I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel

on Climate Change. Cambridge Uiversity Press, Cambridge,

Uited Kigdom ad new York, nY, USA.

4. State of Alaska, Alaska Climate Chage Strategy. Joit Alaska Cli-

mate Impact Assessmet. http://www.climatechage.alaska.gov/

cc-ak.htm.

5. IPCC. 2007. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation, and

Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assess-

ment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Cambridge Uiversity Press, UK, 976pp.

6. Ibid.

7. Ibid.

8. Ebi, K. Meehl, G., Bachelet, D., et al. 2007. Regional Impacts of

Climate Change: Four Case Studies in the United States. The Pew

Ceter o Global Climate Chage, Arligto Virgiia.

9. Easterlig, W., Hurd, B., Smith, J. 2004. Coping with Global Cli-

mate Change: The Role of Adaptation in the United States. The

Pew Ceter o Global Climate Chage, Arligto, Virgiia.

10. Ceter for Sciece i the Earth System at the Uiversity of Wash-

igto, Kig Couty, Washigto. 2007. Preparing for ClimateChange: A Guidebook for Local, Regional and State Governments.

11. Covetio o Biological Diversity. 2008. Climate Chage Adap-

tatio Database, Adaptatio Plaig: Assessig Threats ad

Impacts. http://adaptatio.cbd.it/threats.shtml#sec1.

More iformatio o climate chage solutios is available

at www.pewclimate.org.

Pew Center on Global Climate Change

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