Transcript Document

Adaptation in the United States:
Surging Ahead or Sputtering Along?
Joel B. Smith
Stratus Consulting
Boulder CO
2nd National Conference on Climate Change
UNAM
Mexico City
October 18, 2011
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Review Different Levels of
Government Adaptation in US
• Federal government
is at the top
– Smallest part of
pyramid
• States are in the
middle
• Localities at the
bottom
– Largest part of
pyramid
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Review Different Levels of
Government Adaptation in US
• Start at Bottom
• Adaptation at Local
Level
• Adaptation at State
Level
• Adaptation in
Federal Government
• Selective Examples
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Local Level Adaptation
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New York City
• Strong Executive
Leadership
• Involve researchers and
practitioners
• Apply risk management
principles
– Plan for low probability
high consequence
outcomes
• Identify specific and
quantifiable outcomes
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NYC Organization
• Mayor Bloomberg has been driving force
behind the plan
– What happens when his term ends?
• Funding from Rockefeller Foundation
• Convened New York Panel on Climate
Change (NYPCC)
– Experts who advise on science and adaptation
• Developed sustainability plan (PlaNYC)
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NYC Water Resources
• Supplies
– Protect Watershed
– Invest in pipelines for
redundancy
• Water Quality
– Bluebelt wetlands
– Improve Combined
Sewer Overflow retention
– Improve storm sewers
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Other NYC Initiatives
• Plan for disasters
– Heat waves, heavy rains, storm surges, high
winds…
• Improve air quality (contributes to 6% of
deaths)
– Use of more fuel efficient vehicles and cleaning
– Phase out dirtiest heating oils
• Plant 1 million trees
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Chicago
• Preparing for heat
waves
– 1995 hundreds dead
– Heat watch warning
system
– Cooling centers
• Protect air quality
• Reduce stormwater
risks
• Use green urban design
– Green infrastructure
becoming more popular
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Small Cities: Keene NH and
Spartanburg SC
• Keene now plans for
200-year flood to
address greater
variability
– Hurricane Irene
• Spartanburg built on
knowledge of
climate change
impacts to improve
resilience
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Regional Cooperation: Southeast Florida
Regional Climate Change Compact
• Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm
Beach and Monroe
• Signed compact in 2009 to
coordinate mitigation and
adaptation
• Develop regional action plan
• Seek federal funding for
modeling and plan preparation
• Propose state policies
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Water Resources Adaptation
Leadership by Water Utilities
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Water Utility Climate Alliance
(WUCA)
• 10 major water utilities across the US e.g.,
– SF, NYC, Seattle, MWD…
• Common voice on climate change adaptation
matters
• Sponsor research to support adaptation
– Use of climate and water
models
– Decision making
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Seattle
• Approach: Invest in actions that mitigate uncertainty and
enhance flexibility and resiliency so that system managers can
continue to meet their responsibilities.
• Adjust operations to test
system flexibility
• Enhance information networks
• Engage in ongoing research
• Maintain portfolio of response
options
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Seattle Climate Change Scenario
Analysis
Source: City of Seattle
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State Government Adaptations
Source: Pew Center on Global Climate Change
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State Governments
• Several have taken a leadership role
• Some have done statewide priority
setting with stakeholders
– Maryland, Alaska, Florida
• Others have emphasized sector
adaptation
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California
• Extensive research
effort on impacts and
adaptation
• Statewide adaptation
strategy
– Coordinated DNR
• Water Resources
– Dept Water Resources
• Coastal Resources
– Cal Coastal Commission
• Forests
– DNR
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California Adaptation Objectives
• Reduce per capita
water use by 20%
by 2020
• Avoid significant
new building in
areas vulnerable to
– Erosion
– Flooding
– Fire
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Maryland
• Initially focused on sea
level
– Detailed level of planning
• Expanding planning to a
number of sectors
– Human health
– Agriculture
– Chesapeake Bay and
aquatic ecosystems
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One Key Issue: Leadership
• Florida demonstrates that attention to
adaptation can change with leadership
• Gov. Christ was very committed to action on
climate change
– Stakeholder process to set priorities
– Florida Energy and Climate Commission
• Work has for the most part been stopped by
Gov. Scott and Legislature
– FLECC abolished
• Demonstrates need to institutionalize
adaptation
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Federal Action on Adaptation
• Adaptation planning
at agency level
• Coordinating
committees by
sector
• National sector
plans
• No integrated
national strategy
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Executive Order 13514
• Signed Oct 5, 2009
• Require each agency
write Strategic
Sustainability
Performance Plan
• Manage effects of
climate change on each
agency’s operation and
mission
• Each agency just
completed a
vulnerability analysis
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Agency Adaptation Planning
• Some started under Bush
Administration
• Some undertaking coordinating role
• Some supporting adaptation by
stakeholders
• Some focusing on vulnerability of their
facilities
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Department of Interior
• Most ambitious
adaptation efforts
• Landscape
Conservation
Cooperatives
– Coordinate activities
at ecosystem level
• Regional Science
Centers
– USGS
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Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
• Strategic Plan on
Adaptation
– Manage impacts of climate
change on water resources
• Climate Ready Water
Utilities
– Support water utilities on
adaptation
• Climate Resilience and
Evaluation Awareness Tool
– Tool to help utilities analyze
vulnerability and adaptation
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Other Agency Efforts
• Department of Transportation
– Supporting Adaptation Planning in States and Fish
and Wildlife Refuges
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
– Updating flood zone maps
• Defense Department
– Analyzing risks of climate change to US facilities
• NASA
– Analyzing risks to its facilities
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Federal Agency Adaptations
• Some agencies focusing on their own
assets and missions, e.g., Defense
• Others taking on a coordinating role,
e.g., Interior
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Concluding Thoughts
Where is the US on Adaptation?
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Is the US Surging Ahead or
Sputtering Along?
• We’re not The Leader in adaptation
– Other countries such as the UK more organized
• Action has mainly been self-motivated
– No requirement to adapt
• CA requiring adaptation by localities
• Adaptation is not required for all nor is it
coordinated
– For example, no minimum standards
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Is the US Surging Ahead or
Sputtering Along?
• Many state and local governments have
shown leadership and developed
adaptation plans
– Are good models
• The federal government is starting to
address adaptation
– In early stage
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Is the US Surging Ahead or
Sputtering Along?
• Is a voluntary effort good enough?
• It allows for experimentation, which is
good
• Will not create the comprehensiveness
needed to address adaptation
• The glass is half full, but needs more
water!
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Some Lessons Learned
• Importance of Executive leadership
– Strong signal needed from the top
• Importance of central coordination
– Out of office of Chief Executive or
Department/Agency/Ministry
• Vulnerability assessments needed
• Yet, most adaptations are “no regrets”
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Some Lessons Learned
• Adaptation is not solved overnight
– It takes persistence
– Effective governance on adaptation can take a
decade to build
• Adaptation is a process, not a single decision
– Must be revisited and revisited
• Networks are critical
– Need to have groups, sectors that will affect each
other work together
• Agriculture and Water Resources
• Involve key stakeholders
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Thank you!
[email protected]
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