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Adapting to a Changing Climate: Adapting to a Changing Climate: Challenges & OpportunitiesChallenges & Opportunities
Adapting to a Changing Climate: Adapting to a Changing Climate: Challenges & OpportunitiesChallenges & Opportunities
Glen Gerberg Weather and Climate Summit
January 12, 2012Breckenridge, CO
Eileen L. SheaChief, Climate Services &Monitoring Div., NOAA/NCDC
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• Mitigation and adaptation are both essential parts of a climate change response strategy.
• No matter how aggressively heat-trapping emissions are reduced, the world will continue to experience some continued climate change and resulting impacts.
• Prudent risk management demands advanced planning
Adaptation as Response Option
Climate Changenot the only challengeto be juggled (Dr. Lynne Carter)
We can anticipate, plan, act … be proactive
or we can remain reactive.Some photos: courtesy Joel Scheraga, EPA
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So, What is Adaptation?• Measures to improve our ability to cope with
or avoid harmful impacts and take advantage of beneficial ones, now and in the future (Global Climate Change Impacts in the U.S., 2009)
• Preparing for the impacts of projected local and regional impacts before they occur” (America’s Climate Choices, 2011)
• Iterative risk management…by increasing the Nation’s resilience to both gradual changes and the possibility of abrupt disaster events”(America’s Climate Choices, 2011)
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Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force
What Is Adaptation?
• Responsible risk management
• Actions that reduce vulnerability & enhance preparedness for climate & extreme weather-related impacts
• Common-sense planning to protect our health, safety & prosperity
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Deer Island Sewage TreatmentPlant, Boston
Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force
Federal Action to Build Climate Resilience
•Core Federal Policy Goals for Climate Change Adaptation ▫Build resilience to climate change in communities.▫Make science more accessible to communities
and decision-makers.▫Integrate climate risk management into Federal
agency planning.▫Develop strategies to safeguard natural
resources.▫Enhance efforts to lead and support international
climate adaptation
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• Protect: build hard structures-levees and dikes
• Accommodate: elevate roads, buildings, and facilities; improve flood control structure design; enhance wetlands (Deer Island)
• Retreat: accommodate inland
movement through planned retreat
From: USGCRP, 2009
Adaptation Example: Responding to Sea-Level Rise and Storm Surge
Courtesy of Jack Pellette, NWS
9Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States 9
• Declining water resources Increase public awareness Encourage water conservation Fix water distribution systems to minimize leakage Increase freshwater storage capacity Explore alternative sources including importing water, – desalinating seawater, and using treated wastewater
• Unmanaged ecosystems Establish baselines for ecosystems and their services Identify thresholds Monitor for continued change Restore ecosystems that have been adversely affected Identify refuge areas that might be unaffected by climate
change and can be preserved Relocate species to areas where favorable conditions are expected to exist in the future
Adaptation Examples
©iStockphotos.com/Stephen Muskie
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In the islands, “water is gold.”
Effective adaptation to climate-related changes in the availability of freshwater is thus a high priority and can
help reduce damage even if island communities cannot completely counter climate-related threats to water supplies.
Adaptation: Securing Water Resources
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Communities, Businesses and Governments All Have:
• Much to lose from adverse climate impacts
• Much to gain from opportunities • Limited resources and tight
budgets• Relevant authorities and
planning structures • Opportunity to learn from and
work with others
Some Lessons Being Learned
• No (single) “top 10” Adaptation Actions• Adaptations are location and issue specific:
– Impacts differ from place-to-place and adaptive capacity is uneven
– Understand regional context (culture, history, demographics, economics, natural resources)
• Address today’s challenges while planning for the future:– Variability, Extremes and long-term trends
• Collaborative, public-private partnership
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Some Lessons Being Learned
• Climate in Context:Decisions rarely only because of changing
climateThink of the “Climate-Society System” (Glantz)
• Trusted information brokers are key:• Broadcast meteorologists, community leaders,
businesses, local experts, educators, NGOs, etc.• Leverage existing institutions & relationships
• Changing Climate - a moving target:Requires an iterative risk management processShared learning & joint problem-solving
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Characteristics of a Characteristics of a Resilient CommunityResilient Community
AWAREAWARE ENGAGEDENGAGED
INFORMEDINFORMED EMPOWEREDEMPOWERED
RESPONSIVERESPONSIVE PREPAREDPREPARED
ADAPTIVEADAPTIVESUSTAINABLESUSTAINABLE 14
Some Resources at your disposal:
Eileen.Shea@noaa.gov
www.globalchange.gov
www.climate.gov
www.ncdc.noaa.gov
(www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/inventories/2012psguide_hires19MBpdf)
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