Integrating Climate Change Adaptation Research Articles

Climate change adaptation in the Schleswig-Holstein sector of the Wadden Sea: an integrated state governmental strategy

Anthropogenic climate change constitutes a main challenge for the Wadden Sea. Accelerated sea level rise, increasing temperatures and changing wind climate may strongly alter present structures and functions of the ecosystem with negative consequences both for nature conservation and for coastal risk management. Being aware of these challenges, Schleswig-Holstein State Government decided to establish an integrated climate change adaptation strategy for the Schleswig-Holstein sector of the Wadden Sea. The strategy was adopted in June 2015. It aims at the long-term maintenance of present functions and structures as well as the integrity of the Wadden Sea ecosystem in a changing climate. The strategy was prepared by a project group consisting of representatives from State authorities as well as from nature conservation organisations and local institutions. First outcome of the strategy is that extra adaptation measures will not be necessary in the coming decades. However, pending on the future rate of sea level rise, shoreline erosion and sediment deficits in the Wadden Sea will increase and sooner or later drowning of tidal flats and terrestrial habitats like beaches, primary dunes and salt marshes will start. At the time when management measures to counteract the negative developments become expedient from a nature conservation viewpoint as well as for coastal risk management, adequate actions with minimized ecological interferences are possible. It is assumed that balancing the sediment deficits as the main adaptation measure may be implemented most efficiently by concentrating sediment suppletion at locations where natural forces organize redistribution in the Wadden Sea. Local technical coastal risk management measures like the strengthening of sea defences will, nevertheless, remain necessary as well.

From vision to action: roadmapping as a strategic method and tool to implement climate change adaptation - the example of the roadmap 'water sensitive urban design 2020'.

As the central product of the BMBF-KLIMZUG-funded Joint Network and Research Project (JNRP) 'dynaklim - Dynamic adaptation of regional planning and development processes to the effects of climate change in the Emscher-Lippe region (North Rhine Westphalia, Germany)', the Roadmap 2020 'Regional Climate Adaptation' has been developed by the various regional stakeholders and institutions containing specific regional scenarios, strategies and adaptation measures applicable throughout the region. This paper presents the method, elements and main results of this regional roadmap process by using the example of the thematic sub-roadmap 'Water Sensitive Urban Design 2020'. With a focus on the process support tool 'KlimaFLEX', one of the main adaptation measures of the WSUD 2020 roadmap, typical challenges for integrated climate change adaptation like scattered knowledge, knowledge gaps and divided responsibilities but also potential solutions and promising chances for urban development and urban water management are discussed. With the roadmap and the related tool, the relevant stakeholders of the Emscher-Lippe region have jointly developed important prerequisites to integrate their knowledge, to clarify vulnerabilities, adaptation goals, responsibilities and interests, and to foresightedly coordinate measures, resources, priorities and schedules for an efficient joint urban planning, well-grounded decision-making in times of continued uncertainties and step-by-step implementation of adaptation measures from now on.

Human ecological effects of tropical storms in the coastal area of Ky Anh (Ha Tinh, Vietnam)

Vietnam is prone to tropical storms. Climate change effects contribute to sea level rise, floods, progression of the low water line and coastal erosion. This paper inventories the perception of local people, assesses and values main aspects of the livelihood damage caused by the tropical storms of the period 2008–2013 in three coastal communes of the Ky Anh District of the Ha Tinh Province in Central Vietnam. The communes were selected because the location of their coastal line is perpendicular to the storm itself, which made them prone to damage. The effects of increasingly extreme weather conditions on three communities in an area most affected by storms and floods on the local residents and their responses to these changing environmental conditions are analyzed and assessed. The results of questionnaires completed by randomly selected local inhabitants of these communes show that storms and related hazards such as flood, sea level rise and heavy rain are perceived as the most impacting climate change intensified phenomena on agriculture and aquaculture, livestock, household property and income. Opinions and measured data provided by the commune and district authorities allow estimating the total direct cost of the tropical storm at 1.56 million $US (The used conversion rate VND/$US is 21,730 when the research was conducted in 2014) during the period 2008–2013. The long-term costs of adaptation and social impact measures will be significantly higher. Details of the monetary figures allow identifying the physical and natural capital of the area as being most affected by the storm. Trend and cost analysis show that the total financial support for hazard prevention and management during 2014–2019 is estimated at 1.19 up to 1.32 million $US. Local stakeholders indicate that climate change adaptation should not be limited to technical measures such as strengthening dikes, but also should target planting protection forests and mangroves and land use planning. Financial support for the relocation policy, stakeholder involvement and integrating climate change adaptation in both the socioeconomic development master plan and local land use planning are also of importance.

Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation in the BS Agriculture Curriculum in Selected Commission on Higher Education Centers of Excellence in Agriculture

The agriculture sector is one of the major areas much affected by the current climate change risk. The Higher Education Institution (HEIs) specifically the SUCs centers of excellence in agriculture plays significant role to limit or lessen the impacts of climate change by promoting leadership in developing effective climate change adaptation strategies and creating public awareness. This study was conducted to assess the level of integration of climate change adaptation (CCA) in teaching courses under the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (BSA) curriculum; determine the extent of influence of individual, organizational, external factors in the integration; and develop strategies how to mainstream CCA in the BSA curriculum program. Descriptive research utilizing survey and key informants interview (KII) of the deans and administrators were used to gather necessary data. A total of 103 faculties and 8 college administrators including deans from the four selected university became the respondents. The overall perceived knowledge, student needs to mainstream CCA in BSA is high. Majority of the respondents agreed that climate change adaptation principle is reflected to their organization mission. Minimal level of (CCA) integration observed among the agricultural colleges CHED Centers of Excellence. There is minimum integration of CCA in fundamental agriculture courses offered under BSA curriculum across the participating SUC-CA. Since there are existing legal basis such as; RA 9512 or the National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008, section (3) which focus integration of environmental education in school curricula at all levels, whether public or private. RA 9729 or Climate Change ACT 2010. The respondents of this study from participating SUC–CA centers of excellence in agriculture believed that the specific policy from CHED through a circular memorandum order CMO mandating the SUC’s to re-examine the existing BSA curriculum under CMO#14 and develop strategies on how CCA will be integrated /mainstream on the course program is effective approach in support to the result of this study.

Review of the current EU framework on adaptation to climate change and assessment of the relative adaptation framework in Cyprus

The aim of this paper was to review the progress made so far at European level in establishing a European framework on adaptation to climate change and integrating climate change and adaptation considerations into existing and new European policies in the sectors of water resources, biodiversity and agriculture. Furthermore, the advances made in Cyprus up to this point with respect to mainstreaming European policy on adaptation in its national policy, strategies, plans and legislation are assessed. The analysis begins with the overall framework on adaptation and continues with the sectors of water resources, biodiversity and agriculture. The study revealed that a solid framework for promoting and enhancing climate change adaptation action is being systematically built during the last decade in the EU. Action on adaptation has been promoted in the EU through a number of policy-making tools (preparatory acts), such as green papers, white papers, communications, working documents, guidelines and legislative proposals. These tools, although not binding in nature, set the pathway for the integration of climate change adaptation into existing and new legislation. With respect to the actual mainstreaming of adaptation into sectoral policies, this has started to take place during the last 1–2 years. However, the framework has not yet been sufficiently transformed into legally binding goals. As for the progress made so far in Cyprus for integrating adaptation into its policies, plans and strategies, it is recognized that several such documents have been developed and proposed, but until now, none of them have actually been put into practice.

Fragmentation in disaster risk management systems: A barrier for integrated planning

The need to integrate climate change adaptation (CCA) considerations into disaster risk management (DRM) systems is widely recognised. However, successful integration, and thus the implementation of integrated planning measures, is difficult in practice. To understand and reduce the problems encountered, it is important to investigate systemic challenges. These challenges are rooted in the interaction between various stakeholders that affect DRM and the integration of CCA, directly or indirectly. This study explores the degree of integration in on-the-ground measures by studying systemic challenges, using the Nicaraguan DRM system as a case study. A theoretical framework for investigating systemic challenges in DRM systems was developed. It was then used in a retrospective analysis of the different functions of the systems in order to identify fragmentation in knowledge, information and coordination flows at local and national levels of governance. The results revealed several fragmented processes and functions in the Nicaraguan DRM system. These lead to difficulties in consolidating relevant information produced by multiple governmental authorities at different levels, and transferring this information to the local level. Fragmentation also leads, in turn, to little integration of CCA aspects into DRM in both local planning and practice.

Climate change effects in the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem

Evidences are accumulating on the long-term changes in seawater temperature, acidity, deoxygenation, cyclones and sea level in the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem. These changes have impacts on ocean productivity, habitats and biological processes. Distributional and phenological changes in fish species, and increase in frequency and intensity of coral bleaching are becoming evident. Fisheries, particularly traditional fisheries, will be the most vulnerable to climate change. Climate warming will also affect the inland and coastal aquaculture sectors of the Bay of Bengal LME countries. Impacts will include changes in hydrology and therefore availability of water, physical threats to aquaculture facilities, and prevalence or spread of known and new diseases of aquatic organisms. The most important and critical adaptation measures will be to develop human resources capacity to increase understanding of the marine resources, and implement measures to sustainably manage fisheries. Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem project's two main directions taken for climate change response are contribution to the understanding of large-scale processes and climate change effects on one hand, and contributions to adaptation by addressing habitat degradation, pollution and fisheries management, as well as developing capacity and resilience of coastal populations on the other. Recognizing that current problems in weak fisheries management make the sector vulnerable to climate change, BOBLME supports adaptation and increases resilience by strengthening fisheries management and providing assistance to improve fisheries assessments. By strengthening governance, BOBLME also contributes to the integration of climate change adaptation into decision-making and response initiatives, e.g. disaster risk management plans.

Adaptation to climate change in industry: improving resource efficiency through sustainable production applications.

The objective of this study was to investigate the climate change adaptation opportunities of six companies from different sectors through resource efficiency and sustainable production. A total of 77 sustainable production options were developed for the companies based on the audits conducted. After screening these opportunities with each company's staff, 19 options were selected and implemented. Significant water savings (849,668 m3/year) were achieved as a result of the applications that targeted reduction of water use. In addition to water savings, the energy consumption was reduced by 3,607 MWh, which decreased the CO2 emissions by 904.1 tons/year. Moreover, the consumption of 278.4 tons/year of chemicals (e.g., NaCl, CdO, NaCN) was avoided, thus the corresponding pollution load to the wastewater treatment plant was reduced. Besides the tangible improvements, other gains were achieved, such as improved product quality, improved health and safety conditions, reduced maintenance requirements, and ensured compliance with national and EU regulations. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first ever activity in Turkey devoted to climate change adaptation in the private sector. This study may serve as a building block in Turkey for the integration of climate change adaptation and mitigation approach in the industry, since water efficiency (adaptation) and carbon reduction (mitigation) are achieved simultaneously.

Integrating Adaptation to Climate Change Within Risk Management? The Case of Insurance System Signals and Policy Responses in Hawaii

Climate change is a stress requiring the integration of long‐term risks into planning systems at local, regional, and national levels. In policy‐making processes, however, climate change competes against other political priorities for funding resulting in the insufficient integration of long‐term risks into adaptation strategies. This study reviews the development of policies in relation to insurance programs relevant to climate change‐related risks in Hawaii and its county Kauai. The study shows that the integration of climate change adaptation into policy‐making processes at different administrative levels is limited by limited disclosure and competing priorities, affecting insurance coverage and resulting in the increase of exposure of local communities to climate change‐related risks.

Assessing the impacts of climate and land use and land cover change on the freshwater availability in the Brahmaputra River basin

Abstract Study Region: Brahmaputra River basin in South Asia. Study Focus: The Soil and Water Assessment Tool was used to evaluate sensitivities and patterns in freshwater availability due to projected climate and land use changes in the Brahmaputra basin. The daily observed discharge at Bahadurabad station in Bangladesh was used to calibrate and validate the model and analyze uncertainties with a sequential uncertainty fitting algorithm. The sensitivities and impacts of projected climate and land use changes on basin hydrological components were simulated for the A1B and A2 scenarios and analyzed relative to a baseline scenario of 1988–2004. New hydrological insights for the region: Basin average annual ET was found to be sensitive to changes in CO2 concentration and temperature, while total water yield, streamflow, and groundwater recharge were sensitive to changes in precipitation. The basin hydrological components were predicted to increase with seasonal variability in response to climate and land use change scenarios. Strong increasing trends were predicted for total water yield, streamflow, and groundwater recharge, indicating exacerbation of flooding potential during August–October, but strong decreasing trends were predicted, indicating exacerbation of drought potential during May–July of the 21st century. The model has potential to facilitate strategic decision making through scenario generation integrating climate change adaptation and hazard mitigation policies to ensure optimized allocation of water resources under a variable and changing climate.

An Analysis of Climate Change, Poverty and Human Security in South Africa

In South Africa, climate change mitigation poses significant challenges to the South African Government because it has to juggle the climate change imperatives , with the critical issues of poverty and human security, as well as a host of daunting development challenges inherited from the Apartheid regime. This paper utilizes a qualitative methodology to collect and analyse data on climate change, poverty and human security nexus in South Africa. It outlines the development challenges and development policy responses targeting poverty and human security. The analysis of the causes and effects, as well as the impact of climate change, is followed by a discussion of the delivery of basic social services and the resultant public disaffection leading to violent service protests. A significant proportion of South Africans, especially the poor, have to contend with poverty, a lack of basic social services and unemployment which are being compounded by climate change. The final section of the paper argues that despite significant service delivery milestones, little progress has been made on the central objective of reducing poverty and inequality. Consequently, although a lot has been achieved in terms of the legislation, policies, programmes, and provision of basic services for the poor, the challenge facing the South African Government is how to link the objectives of poverty alleviation policy with those of climate change and human security priorities within a sustainable development framework. The paper recommends that in order to reduce poverty and increase the poor people's capacity to adapt or respond to climate change the government will need to: firstly , mainstream or integrate climate change adaptation with sustainable development policies; and secondly, improve the capacity of local authorities to effectively deliver services to their communities . This paper has been motivated by the explosion of service delivery protests around the country, which have become violent and increasingly xenophobic resulting in attacks on African nationals and foreign -owned small businesses in the townships and informal settlements.

Improving Forest-Based Livelihoods through Integrated Climate Change Adaptation Planning

Forest-based livelihoods are ruthlessly affected by climate change and other non-climatic stressors. Forests as one of the precious natural assets available in the Chitwan Annapurna area is an appropriate sector to address community and ecosystem vulnerability through adaptation works like plantation, protecting biophysical environment against hazards like landslide, floods, and water scarcity. In Nepal, Community Forest Users Groups with legal entity serves as grassroot organizations in preparation of community based adaptation plan of action (CAPA). Hariyo Ban Program, have facilitated in preparation of community based adaptation plans in remote, vulnerable and marginalized communities of different places of Gandaki river basin. The result shows community perception towards climatic and non climatic stresses and its impacts in forest based livelihoods. Climate change, its variability and extreme events have mystified people’s livelihood and forced them to further suffering. Preparation and implementation of adaptation plans has provided a ray of hope towards addressing adverse impact of climate change. Till date, 142 community adaptation plans are prepared following a methodology on integrated community adaptation planning. Adaptation planning has let community know about the prevailing threats and vulnerabilities in their communities and helped to identify adaptation measures to reduce those threats and vulnerabilities, resulting in improved livelihoods. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ctbijis.v2i1.10819 Crossing the Border: International Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies Vol.2(1) 2014: 135-146

Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Disaster Risk Reduction in Urban Contexts: Perceptions and Practice

This paper analyses the perceptions of disaster risk reduction (DRR) practitioners concerning the on-going integration of climate change adaptation (CCA) into their practices in urban contexts in Nicaragua. Understanding their perceptions is important as this will provide information on how this integration can be improved. Exploring the perceptions of practitioners in Nicaragua is important as the country has a long history of disasters, and practitioners have been developing the current DRR planning framework for more than a decade. The analysis is based on semi-structured interviews designed to collect information about practitioners’ understanding of: (a) CCA, (b) the current level of integration of CCA into DRR and urban planning, (c) the opportunities and constraints of this integration, and (d) the potential to adapt cities to climate change. The results revealed that practitioners’ perception is that the integration of CCA into their practice is at an early stage, and that they need to improve their understanding of CCA in terms of a development issue. Three main constraints on improved integration were identified: (a) a recognized lack of understanding of CCA, (b) insufficient guidance on how to integrate it, and (c) the limited opportunities to integrate it into urban planning due to a lack of instruments and capacity in this field. Three opportunities were also identified: (a) practitioners’ awareness of the need to integrate CCA into their practices, (b) the robust structure of the DRR planning framework in the country, which provides a suitable channel for facilitating integration, and (c) the fact that CCA is receiving more attention and financial and technical support from the international community.

Perceptions of Teachers towards the Integration of Adaptation Strategy Topics on Climate Change into Secondary School Agriculture Syllabus in Machakos County, Kenya

Secondary school agriculture syllabus was introduced in Kenya to equip learners with knowledge on the basic principles of farming. In the wake of the last quarter of the 20 th Century, climate change became the single most challenge to the Worlds agriculture sector, the developing countries being the most vulnerable. To tackle the phenomena, each country ought to find appropriate solutions to secure its own agricultural production. In Kenya, lack of knowledge on climate change adaptations affects the agriculture syllabus in meeting its objectives, which in turn translates to a shortfall in response to the farmers needs. The problem that the study sought to investigate therefore is lack of empirical data on the perceptions of teachers towards integration of adaptation strategy topics on climate change into secondary school agriculture syllabus. The purpose of the study, therefore, was to investigate the perceptions of teachers towards the integration of adaptation strategy topics on climate change into secondary school agriculture syllabus. The design of the study was descriptive survey research design. The target population was three hundred and fifty (350) agriculture teachers in public secondary schools in Machakos County. A sample of a hundred (100) agriculture teachers was selected through proportionate stratified random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. The objectives of the study were analyzed using frequencies and percentages. The major findings of the study indicated that, an overwhelming majority of the respondents supported the suggestion to integrate relevant adaptation strategy topics on climate change into secondary school agriculture syllabus. The major conclusions of the study were that, most agriculture teachers endorsed the suggestion to integrate climate change adaptation strategy topics into secondary school agriculture syllabus authenticating the validity and reliability of the usual agriculture instructional resources and methodologies to facilitate them. The study therefore, recommends that, the Ministry of Education and teacher training institutions ought to improve the agriculture teachers' capacity to plan and implement the teaching of agriculture to respond to the changing climate. This may be done through provision of in-service training and workshops for the serving teachers' by inculcating climate change topics into the agriculture syllabus as projected.

Integrating climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and urban planning: A review of Nicaraguan policies and regulations

The integration of risk reduction and climate change adaptation has become an urgent task in addressing increasing urban risk more effectively and efficiently. This paper analyses the extent to which climate change adaptation is integrated into the policies and regulatory frameworks that guide urban risk reduction in Nicaragua, and discusses related progress. The results reveal significant progress in integrating climate change adaptation into the policy and regulatory frameworks of the three relatively new fields of (a) disaster risk reduction, (b) environmental management and (c) urban planning. They show that differences in the degree of integration relate to the development and updates to policy instruments in each field, and the extent to which they are related to the implementation of international climate change agreements. Although initially climate change adaptation integration was focused on the protection of natural resources in general, and food production in particular, since 2008 authorities have shown increasing interest in a more comprehensive and integrated approach. Nevertheless, the integration of climate change adaptation into disaster risk reduction and urban planning still lags behind the advances made in the environmental management field. It is concluded that in order to achieve greater and more coherent integration of CCA and, ultimately, improve the way climate-related risks is dealt with, urban authorities need to systematically review current policies and regulations to assess the synergies and gaps. This requires inter-sectoral and participative work with the actors concerned at national and local level, as well as the establishment of related monitoring and learning mechanisms.

Integrating Climate Change Adaptation with Local Development: Exploring Institutional Options

As the effects of climate change become increasingly evident in Nepal, development agencies and policy actors are experimenting with different ways to facilitate climate adaptive development at the local level. This paper analyses the current approaches to local-level adaptation planning and identifies the challenges to and opportunities for integrating climate change adaptation and local development in Nepal. Drawing on field research carried out in two districts of central Terai and two of western hills and supplemented by a review of adaptation plans and national climate change-related policies, this paper demonstrates that the current approach to mainstreaming adaptation in local development is institutionally fragmented and politically naive. There are attempts to involve some community groups, with weak links to local governments, and without enough thinking on how local development vision can be realised in the face of increasing climate risks. We argue that such approach is institutionally misplaced, as there is a tendency to focus certain aspects of adaptation and certain forms of institutions while ignoring others. More importantly, as most efforts are driven by non-state development agencies, there is little political ownership and accountable mechanism to integrate adaptation with local development. It shows that local governments are either ignored or at most marginally involved in the process of local-level adaptation planning. This paper concludes that the current approach—characterized by institutional fragmentation and token involvement of communities and local governments—could paradoxically lead to unaccountable climate governance at the local level. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jfl.v11i1.8606 Journal of Forestry and Livelihood Vol.11(1) 2013 1-13

Post-Sandy Preparedness Policies Lag as Sea Levels Rise

In “The Long Road to Recovery: Environmental Health Impacts of Hurricane Sandy” in the May 2013 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, Manuel (2013) provided critical insight from the frontlines about ongoing environmental health threats from Hurricane Sandy. While health risks rise along with the sea levels, policies to help prepare coastal communities for future threats are lagging. Without new policies that reflect the lessons of Hurricane Sandy and a changing climate, this opportunity to improve preparedness will be lost and the health of coastal residents will continue to be threatened. The storm surge accompanying Hurricane Sandy caused an all-time record-breaking flood height of 13.88 ft, which included effects of an estimated 9.23-ft flood surge (Freedman 2012). Before Sandy, flood projections based on global climate change did not include this level of storm surge until the 2050s, when it was expected to result from a 100-year storm event (New York City Panel on Climate Change 2009). We don’t have as much time to prepare as we thought we did. The tools we use to plan for storm flooding, especially floodplain maps, need to be quickly updated to fully reflect the new realities of climate change. Many parts of New York City that were inundated during Sandy were not within Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) flood zones and thus were not prepared for flooding. Half of all the affected residences and half of affected buildings of all types were outside of FEMA’s then-mapped 100-year floodplain (New York City Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency 2013). Policy gaps are hampering preparations for the storms that we can expect with climate change. In early 2013, FEMA updated the flood risk maps for much of the New York–New Jersey region, some of which had not been updated since 1983 (FEMA 2013). The new flood maps of New York City and Westchester County showed 35,000 more structures at risk of flooding, doubling the numbers of at-risk structures (Buckley 2013). Unfortunately, the updated maps do not include future vulnerability from climate change (Bagley 2013). FEMA has a policy prioritizing agency-wide integration of climate change adaptation in planning and actions (FEMA 2012), but it failed to move forward on directives to evaluate climate change implications on disaster planning and on the National Flood Insurance Program. Now in the aftermath of Sandy, FEMA must take action. The agency can make a difference in coastal communities by requiring states to account for climate change in their hazard mitigation planning. The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act, signed into law in July 2012, further aims to improve floodplain maps (National Association of Realtors 2013). However, FEMA has not yet committed to a timeline for producing new maps that incorporate the latest climate vulnerability projections, and in the meantime, communities are at risk from rising sea levels and storm surges influenced by climate change. Hurricane Sandy is a stark example of the cost of inaction and not being prepared. Recent estimates are that Sandy cost at least $70 billion in damages, with only half of that insured (SwissRe 2013). Research shows that the short-term damages are the tip of the iceberg. For example, long-term mental health distress and disability were pervasive post-storm effects among people displaced after Hurricane Katrina, > 2 years after the storm (Abramson et al. 2008). Factoring in the health impacts from hurricanes can raise cost estimates by hundreds of millions of dollars—billions when mortality valuation is included (Knowlton et al. 2011). Preparedness for flood events has been shown to be cost effective, with benefits of efforts to reduce losses from natural hazards outweighing the costs by a factor of 5 to 1 for flooding (Rose et al. 2007). Hurricane Sandy was a wake-up call not limited to the Northeast: An estimated 53% of Americans live in coastal counties now, and that is excpected to reach 75% by 2025 (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 2009). Because of climate change, hurricane storm surges are worse than in the past, and hundreds of millions of people must be prepared. The public health concerns highlighted by Manuel (2013) must be translated into actionable, up-to-date preparedness policies at the federal, state, and local levels. Climate change is a matter of health, fueling extreme weather events that can challenge even strong, resilient people. By taking the climate-preparedness challenge seriously, we stand to save lives, save dollars, and create healthier, more secure communities. Let’s not squander Sandy’s call to get ready while we still can.

Managing the Health Effects of Temperature in Response to Climate Change: Challenges Ahead

Background: Although many studies have shown that high temperatures are associated with an increased risk of mortality and morbidity, there has been little research on managing the process of planned adaptation to alleviate the health effects of heat events and climate change. In particular, economic evaluation of public health adaptation strategies has been largely absent from both the scientific literature and public policy discussion.Objectives: We examined how public health organizations should implement adaptation strategies and, second, how to improve the evidence base required to make an economic case for policies that will protect the public’s health from heat events and climate change.Discussion: Public health adaptation strategies to cope with heat events and climate change fall into two categories: reducing the heat exposure and managing the health risks. Strategies require a range of actions, including timely public health and medical advice, improvements to housing and urban planning, early warning systems, and assurance that health care and social systems are ready to act. Some of these actions are costly, and given scarce financial resources the implementation should be based on the cost-effectiveness analysis. Therefore, research is required not only on the temperature-related health costs, but also on the costs and benefits of adaptation options. The scientific community must ensure that the health co-benefits of climate change policies are recognized, understood, and quantified.Conclusions: The integration of climate change adaptation into current public health practice is needed to ensure the adaptation strategies increase future resilience. The economic evaluation of temperature-related health costs and public health adaptation strategies are particularly important for policy decisions.

A decision framework for considering climate change adaptation in biodiversity conservation planning

Summary General principles of climate change adaptation for biodiversity have been formulated, but do not help prioritize actions. This is inhibiting their integration into conservation planning. We address this need with a decision framework that identifies and prioritizes actions to increase the adaptive capacity of species. The framework classifies species according to their current distribution and projected future climate space, as a basis for selecting appropriate decision trees. Decisions rely primarily on expert opinion, with additional information from quantitative models, where data are available. The framework considers in‐situ management, followed by interventions at the landscape scale and finally translocation or ex‐situ conservation. Synthesis and applications: From eight case studies, the key interventions identified for integrating climate change adaptation into conservation planning were local management and expansion of sites. We anticipate that, in combination with consideration of socio‐economic and local factors, the decision framework will be a useful tool for conservation and natural resource managers to integrate adaptation measures into conservation plans.

Integrating climate change adaptation into civil protection: comparative lessons from Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands

Integrating policy on climate change adaptation into civil protection is explored through studies of extreme weather management at the national level in Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands, and through local case studies of the three coastal cities of Bergen, Malmö and Rotterdam. The research issues addressed have been the extent to which, and in what form, climate change adaptation policy has been integrated into civil protection, how the observed policy integration can be explained and how such integration can be improved. Different degrees of policy integration may stem from perceived vulnerabilities and varying needs for renewed legitimacy within the civil protection system following the end of the Cold War. A set of socio-historic characteristics of the “environment” and “civil protection” policy domains illuminate conditions for an improved outcome of the policy integration process.