Document Actions
Climate Adaptation
Planning for the Worst, Preparing for the Best
Scientists say that even if we could freeze greenhouse gas emissions today, the world would still experience impacts for decades to come from the climate change we have already set in motion. Many of these impacts – drought, flooding, ---- will be felt most directly at the local level, which is also where we have the best ability to prepare for these changes. For that reason, many local governments are now embracing climate “adaptation” as a sister strategy to climate “mitigation.”
Ft. Collins, Colorado; Homer, Alaska; Keene, New Hampshire; and Miami-Dade, Florida were the pilot participants in ICLEI's Climate Resilient Communities program.
The city of Santa Cruz, California, has a program to study ways to buffer the river levee and counter coastal erosion and remapping flood zones to deal with any climate-related sea level rise.
Miami-Dade County, Florida, formed a Climate Change Advisory Task Force task force that is developing new standards for buildings, roads, ports, airports and bridges to deal with sea level rise, saltwater intrusion and severe weather.
In an effort to prepare for rising sea levels, temperatures and air pollution associated with climate change, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission now factors in climate change impacts when considering developments in the region.
New York City is planning to create an inventory of tunnels, airports, subways and other at-risk infrastructure.
Alaska is figuring out how to protect or relocate villages at risk from erosion caused by melting permafrost, wave surges or flooding associated with climate change. Newtok, Shismaref, Kivalina, and Shaktoolik are just some of the Native Alaskan villages at risk.
Homer, Alaska, one of the pilot communities for ICLEI’s Climate Resilient Communities program, released a plan in December 2007 that recommends increased firefighting capacity, diversifying its fishing economy and preparing for climate refugees.
At least five states – Alaska, California, Maryland, Oregon and Washington – are working on statewide climate preparedness plans.
