Policy

The switch from climate change mitigation to the adaptation to its impacts or effects initially appears to be a promising strategy. Academics and practitioners, however, confront limits and barriers to the adaptation both in theory and practice. Despite the extensive efforts in understanding limits and barriers, little is still known about political and institutional barriers, more specifically political challenges in Indigenous communities that typically nullify the effect of adaptation strategies.

Increasing urban temperatures pose a public health threat and, in many cities, there is a disparity among neighborhoods with respect to access to cooling benefits. Residents may be unable to afford to operate cooling systems, and underserved communities are less likely and/or able to advocate for heat-reducing solutions. There is also a significant gap between adaptation theory and practice. This gap could be diminished by better understanding the barriers and limits to adaptation processes.

This is a recording of Session Two of the virtual National Adaptation Forum Heat Stress Series, brought to you by EcoAdapt. 

This report synthesizes and presents the results of a planning process designed to help the Pala Band of Mission Indians more proactively prepare for and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Prior to this report, Pala assessed its vulnerability to climate change, which was summarized in its Vulnerability Assessment. The Vulnerability Assessment concluded thatelevated temperature, wildfire, storms and flooding, and drought present high-risk climate change exposures for Pala.

Resilience underpins the sustainability of both ecological and social systems. Extensive loss of reef corals following recent mass bleaching events have challenged the notion that support of system resilience is a viable reef management strategy. While resilience-based management (RBM) cannot prevent the damaging effects of major disturbances, such as mass bleaching events, it can support natural processes that promote resistance and recovery. Here, we review the potential of RBM to help sustain coral reefs in the 21st century.

Project Purpose and Background

In 2016, the Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO) began an effort to identify a suite of indicators that can be used to track and analyze trends, impacts, and progress towards advancing “climate resiliency.” The chief aim of this initiative is to track progress toward the climate resiliency goal and outcomes in the 2014 Watershed Agreement:

Coral reefs are among the world’s most endangered ecosystems. Coral mortality can result from ocean warming or other climate-related events such as coral bleaching and intense hurricanes. While resilient coral reefs can recover from these impacts as has been documented in coral reefs throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, no similar reef-wide recovery has ever been reported for the Caribbean.

Coral reefs have emerged as one of the ecosystems most vulnerable to climate variation and change. While the contribution of a warming climate to the loss of live coral cover has been well documented across large spatial and temporal scales, the associated effects on fish have not. Here, we respond to recent and repeated calls to assess the importance of local management in conserving coral reefs in the context of global climate change.

Resilient Atlanta includes a comprehensive and actionable set of Visions, Targets, and Actions that addresses the region’s most pressing stresses and seeks to build capacity among residents and city systems alike to better withstand future shocks. The Strategy is organized into four leading Visions which reflect residents’ and stakeholders’ aspirations for Atlanta’s future. We have set Targets supported by Actions that detail specific programs and policies to realize each Vision: