Climate Change Adaptation

Excuse the lack of posts as of late. The semester is winding down and I have been nose-deep in climate change reports for my Environmental Management course.

Although this is school-related stuff, the material is progressive and noteworthy in a planning sense.

Adaptive capacity Indicators include:

• economic resources
• availablitiy of and access to technology
• information
• skills
• degree of prepardness of infrastructure and institutions

Simply put, the more developed an area, the better they stand against the effects of climate change. These indicators differ in adaptive capacity based on subregions and sectors and the speed of reaction to these changes, as climate change can happen faster than our adaptation.

The multidisciplinary collection of experts behind the IPCC AR4 report point out that the role of institutions (ie. universities, government, etc.) is important in enhancing long-term adaptive capacity with the goal of making adaptation mainstream by including it in all forms of policy for planning processes. This must be informed by taking into consideration current vulnerabilities and future changes.

With that said, climate change is currently incorporated into long-term planning and decision making processes within conservation authorities (such as stormwater management) and public health departments (in the form of smog alerts). North America has historically been "reactive," to cope with these changes instead of being focused on preventative measures.

Using Global Circulation Models, coupled with several different emission scenarios, the IPCC researchers predict a future that will boast temperatures exceeding 30°C, with most of the warming happening in the winter season.

With ageing urban infrastructure found in all cities around the world, modifications required for adaptation involve retrofits to update and enhance how we live in urban centres.

The implications carried through the various related reports recommend climate change be factored into all long-term plans as it is hailed as a reality by this Nobel Prize-winning intergovernmental panel of experts.

More literature on adapatation and Ontario municipalities can be found here.