Responding to Climate Change in New York State

Cynthia Rosenzweig, William Solecki, Arthur DeGaetano, Susan Hassol, Paul Grabhorn
Posted on: 11/17/2011 - Updated on: 3/06/2020

Posted by

Hannah Robinson

Published

Abstract

Climate change is already beginning to affect the people and resources of New York State, and these impacts are projected to grow. At the same time, the state has the potential capacity to address many climate-related risks, thereby reducing negative impacts and taking advantage of possible opportunities.

ClimAID: the Integrated Assessment for Effective Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in New York State was undertaken to provide decision-makers with cutting-edge information on the state's vulnerability to climate change and to facilitate the development of adaptation strategies informed by both local experience and scientific knowledge.

This state-level assessment of climate change impacts is specifically geared to assist in the development of adaptation strategies. It acknowledges the need to plan for and adapt to climate change impacts in a range of sectors: Water Resources, Coastal Zones, Ecosystems, Agriculture, Energy, Transportation, Telecommunications, and Public Health.

The author team for this report is composed of university and research scientists who are specialists in climate change science, impacts, and adaptation. To ensure that the information provided would be relevant to decisions made by public and private sector practitioners, stakeholders from state and local agencies, non-profit organizations, and the business community participated in the process as well.

This document provides a general synthesis of highlights from a larger technical report that includes much more detail, case studies, and references. The larger report provides useful information to decision-makers, such as state officials, city planners, water and energy managers, farmers, business owners, and others as they begin responding to climate change in New York State.

Citation

Rosenzweig, C., Solecki, W., DeGaetano, A., O'Grady, M., Hassol, S., & Grabhorn, P. (Eds.). (2011). Responding to climate change in New York State: The ClimAID integrated assessment for effective climate change adaptation. Synthesis Report. New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Albany, New York. Retrieved from CAKE: http://www.cakex.org/virtual-library/responding-climate-change-new-york…

Affiliated Organizations

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is a public benefit corporation created in 1975 under Article 8, Title 9 of the State Public Authorities Law through the reconstitution of the New York State Atomic and Space Development Authority. NYSERDA’s earliest efforts focused solely on research and development with the goal of reducing the State’s petroleum consumption. Today, NYSERDA’s aim is to help New York meet its energy goals: reducing energy consumption, promoting the use of renewable energy sources, and protecting the environment.