Abstract
Scientists and managers of natural resources have recognized an urgent need for improved methods and tools to enable effective adaptation of management measures in the face of climate change. This paper presents an Adaptation Design Tool that uses a structured approach to break down an otherwise overwhelming and complex process into tractable steps. The tool contains worksheets that guide users through a series of design considerations for adapting their planned management actions to be more climate-smart given changing environmental stressors. Also provided with other worksheets is a framework for brainstorming new adaptation options in response to climate threats not yet addressed in the current plan. Developed and tested in collaboration with practitioners in Hawai’i and Puerto Rico using coral reefs as a pilot ecosystem, the tool and associated reference materials consist of worksheets, instructions and lessons-learned from real-world examples. On the basis of stakeholder feedback from expert consultations during tool development, we present insights and recommendations regarding how to maximize tool efficiency, gain the greatest value from the thought process, and deal with issues of scale and uncertainty. We conclude by reflecting on how the tool advances the theory and practice of assessment and decision-making science, informs higher level strategic planning, and serves as a platform for a systematic, transparent and inclusive process to tackle the practical implications of climate change for management of natural resources.
Highlights
As the diverse effects of climate change have become increasingly apparent, natural resource management has grown to include adaptation to current and future climate change stressors in addition to traditional management of local stressors
The goal of the expert consultations was to solicit feedback on the use and relevance of the tool in incorporating information on climate change vulnerability into coral reef management using specific case studies. These consultations were conducted in Guánica Bay, Puerto Rico (November 2015) and West Maui, Hawaii (January 2016), areas identified as priority coral reef watersheds by the U.S Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF)
Using Worksheet 1A (Table 2), participants examined the impacts of climate change on stressors addressed by or accounted for in the selected management actions
Summary
As the diverse effects of climate change have become increasingly apparent, natural resource management has grown to include adaptation to current and future climate change stressors in addition to traditional management of local stressors. This facilitates accounting for climate change effects in everything from defining goals and objectives; to assessing vulnerabilities from interacting climate and non-climate stressors; to identifying, selecting and implementing climate-smart management responses; to monitoring effectiveness. While this paper will primarily focus on Step 4, we will touch on Step 6 as well as implications of results for other steps where appropriate This applicability to multiple steps is consistent with the iterative nature of management planning, where adjustments may become necessary at any step—leading to potential changes in other steps in response--as new and improved information becomes available. In order to make a generic adaptation idea truly climate-smart for a specific reef system in a particular location, it is necessary to apply two categories of design considerations (Box 2)
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