1. Capacity Building
Climate change adaptation is a developing field that requires a significant amount of capacity in order to move from theory to action. Practitioners are rarely trained to integrate climate change into their work through formal mechanisms, which has created both great need and opportunity. Building capacity of organizations, practitioners, and the public can increase the ability to plan, develop, and implement adaptation actions. Example strategies within this category include designing or reforming institutions to support resilience, conducting impacts and vulnerability assessments, investing in training and outreach efforts, and developing new tools and resources, among others. The majority of projects uncovered in our survey are focused on building capacity to address climate change.
Strategies
Case Studies by Strategy
- A Roadmap for Action: The Chicago Climate Action Plan
- Addressing Climate Change in the International Upper Great Lakes Study
- Building Capacity for Climate-Resilient Communities and Water Conservation in the Huron River Watershed
- Canada’s Regional Adaptation Collaboratives Climate Change Program
- ClimAID: Developing a Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Assessment for New York State
- Climate Adaptation in the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Climate Change Adaptation Planning at the State Level in Minnesota
- Climate Change Adaptation Planning at the State Level in Pennsylvania
- Climate Consortium for Research Action and Integration (CC-RAI)
- Creating a National Adaptation Strategy for the United States: The Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force
- Developing a National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy for the United States
- Developing Ontario’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan
- Fostering a Climate-Informed Community Perspective in the Great Lakes: The Great Lakes Community Climate Program
- Great Lakes Adaptation Assessment for Cities
- Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
- Helping Michigan’s Farmers Understand and Adapt to the Impacts of Climate Change
- Integrating Climate Change into the Planning and Operations of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin
- Ontario Regional Adaptation Collaborative
- Planning for Climate Change in the Province of Quebec
- Preparing for Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region
- Quebec Regional Adaptation Collaborative
- The Chicago Wilderness Climate Action Plan for Nature
- The Climate Change Response Framework: Supporting Climate-Smart Conservation and Forest Management in the Great Lakes Region
- The Michigan Climate Coalition: Enhancing Networking and Collaboration, Communication and Action Around Climate Change in Michigan
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Climate Initiatives
- The Ontario Centre for Climate Impacts and Adaptation Resources’ Climate Adaptation Initiatives
- U.S. Global Change Research Program
- Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts: A Bottom-Up Approach to Developing Climate Change Adaptation Strategies
- A Roadmap for Action: The Chicago Climate Action Plan
- Adapting to Climate Change in Ontario Parks
- Addressing Climate Change in the International Upper Great Lakes Study
- Assessing the Relative Coastal Vulnerability of National Park Units to Sea Level Rise and Lake Level Changes
- Building Capacity for Climate-Resilient Communities and Water Conservation in the Huron River Watershed
- Canada’s Regional Adaptation Collaboratives Climate Change Program
- ClimAID: Developing a Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Assessment for New York State
- Climate Change Adaptation Planning at the State Level in Minnesota
- Climate Change Adaptation Planning at the State Level in Pennsylvania
- Climate Change and Coastal Adaptation Options for the Great Lakes
- Climate Change, the Great Lakes, and Mining
- Climate Consortium for Research Action and Integration (CC-RAI)
- Creating a National Adaptation Strategy for the United States: The Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force
- Developing a Climate Change Adaptation Plan for Forest and Water Resources in Alger County, Michigan
- Developing a National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy for the United States
- Developing Ontario’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan
- Fish, Fisheries, and Water Resources: Adapting to Ontario’s Changing Climate
- Great Lakes Adaptation Assessment for Cities
- Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Communities: Vulnerabilities to Climate Change and Adaptation Strategies
- Helping Michigan’s Farmers Understand and Adapt to the Impacts of Climate Change
- Identifying Climate Refugia for Moose Populations in Voyageurs National Park (VOYA) Using GPS Telemetry
- Integrating Climate Change into Municipal Watershed Management in Ontario
- Integrating Climate Change into Water Quality Monitoring on the Fond du Lac Reservation in Minnesota
- Investigating the Impact of Climate Change on Combined and Separate Sewer Overflows in Milwaukee Watersheds
- London, Ontario’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy
- Ontario Regional Adaptation Collaborative
- Pennsylvania Sea Grant’s Climate Change Outreach and Research Projects
- Quebec City’s Environmental Services Adaptation Plan
- Quebec Regional Adaptation Collaborative
- Rein in the Runoff: Michigan’s Spring Lake Stormwater Management Project
- Sustaining Lakes in a Changing Environment (SLICE): A Long-term Monitoring and Evaluation Program
- The City of Toronto’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy: From Development to Implementation
- The Climate Change Response Framework: Supporting Climate-Smart Conservation and Forest Management in the Great Lakes Region
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Climate Initiatives
- The Ontario Centre for Climate Impacts and Adaptation Resources’ Climate Adaptation Initiatives
- U.S. Global Change Research Program
- Understanding and Modeling the Impacts of Human Behavior and Climate Change on the Maumee River Watershed, Ohio
- Water Supply Planning for Illinois
- Weather – Extreme Trends (WET): The Minnehaha Creek Watershed Stormwater Adaptation Study
- Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts: A Bottom-Up Approach to Developing Climate Change Adaptation Strategies
- Adapting to Climate Change in Ontario Parks
- Addressing Climate Change in the International Upper Great Lakes Study
- Building Capacity for Climate-Resilient Communities and Water Conservation in the Huron River Watershed
- ClimAID: Developing a Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Assessment for New York State
- Climate Adaptation in the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Climate Change Adaptation Planning at the State Level in Minnesota
- Climate Change and Coastal Adaptation Options for the Great Lakes
- Climate Consortium for Research Action and Integration (CC-RAI)
- Developing a Climate Change Adaptation Plan for Forest and Water Resources in Alger County, Michigan
- Developing a National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy for the United States
- Developing Ontario’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan
- Enhancing Climate Change Education and Outreach for Wisconsin’s Coastal Communities
- Fish, Fisheries, and Water Resources: Adapting to Ontario’s Changing Climate
- Fostering a Climate-Informed Community Perspective in the Great Lakes: The Great Lakes Community Climate Program
- Great Lakes Adaptation Assessment for Cities
- Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Communities: Vulnerabilities to Climate Change and Adaptation Strategies
- Helping Michigan’s Farmers Understand and Adapt to the Impacts of Climate Change
- Pennsylvania Sea Grant’s Climate Change Outreach and Research Projects
- Preparing for Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region
- Quebec City’s Environmental Services Adaptation Plan
- The City of Toronto’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy: From Development to Implementation
- The Climate Change Response Framework: Supporting Climate-Smart Conservation and Forest Management in the Great Lakes Region
- The Michigan Climate Coalition: Enhancing Networking and Collaboration, Communication and Action Around Climate Change in Michigan
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Climate Initiatives
- The National Wildlife Federation’s Climate-Smart Restoration Partnership in the Great Lakes
- The Ontario Centre for Climate Impacts and Adaptation Resources’ Climate Adaptation Initiatives
- Understanding and Modeling the Impacts of Human Behavior and Climate Change on the Maumee River Watershed, Ohio
- Using Green Infrastructure to Prevent Sewage Overflows in Detroit
- Weather – Extreme Trends (WET): The Minnehaha Creek Watershed Stormwater Adaptation Study
- Building Capacity for Climate-Resilient Communities and Water Conservation in the Huron River Watershed
- ClimAID: Developing a Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Assessment for New York State
- Climate Change Adaptation Planning at the State Level in Minnesota
- Climate Change and Coastal Adaptation Options for the Great Lakes
- Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Planning in Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan Coastal Communities
- Climate Change, the Great Lakes, and Mining
- Climate Consortium for Research Action and Integration (CC-RAI)
- Creating a National Adaptation Strategy for the United States: The Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force
- Developing a National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy for the United States
- Developing Ontario’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan
- Enhancing Climate Change Education and Outreach for Wisconsin’s Coastal Communities
- Fish, Fisheries, and Water Resources: Adapting to Ontario’s Changing Climate
- Fostering a Climate-Informed Community Perspective in the Great Lakes: The Great Lakes Community Climate Program
- Great Lakes Adaptation Assessment for Cities
- Great Lakes Observing System
- Helping Michigan’s Farmers Understand and Adapt to the Impacts of Climate Change
- Integrating Climate Change into Municipal Watershed Management in Ontario
- Integrating Climate Change into the Planning and Operations of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin
- Investigating the Impact of Climate Change on Combined and Separate Sewer Overflows in Milwaukee Watersheds
- New York’s Climate Smart Communities Program
- Pennsylvania Sea Grant’s Climate Change Outreach and Research Projects
- Preparing for Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region
- Rein in the Runoff: Michigan’s Spring Lake Stormwater Management Project
- The Chicago Wilderness Climate Action Plan for Nature
- The Michigan Climate Coalition: Enhancing Networking and Collaboration, Communication and Action Around Climate Change in Michigan
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Climate Initiatives
- The National Wildlife Federation’s Climate-Smart Restoration Partnership in the Great Lakes
- The Ontario Centre for Climate Impacts and Adaptation Resources’ Climate Adaptation Initiatives
- U.S. Global Change Research Program
- Understanding and Modeling the Impacts of Human Behavior and Climate Change on the Maumee River Watershed, Ohio
- Using Green Infrastructure to Prevent Sewage Overflows in Detroit
- Water Supply Planning for Illinois
- Weather – Extreme Trends (WET): The Minnehaha Creek Watershed Stormwater Adaptation Study
- Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts: A Bottom-Up Approach to Developing Climate Change Adaptation Strategies
- Assessing the Relative Coastal Vulnerability of National Park Units to Sea Level Rise and Lake Level Changes
- Climate Change Adaptation Planning at the State Level in Minnesota
- Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Planning in Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan Coastal Communities
- Climate Consortium for Research Action and Integration (CC-RAI)
- Developing Ontario’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan
- Enhancing Climate Change Education and Outreach for Wisconsin’s Coastal Communities
- Great Lakes Adaptation Assessment for Cities
- Great Lakes Observing System
- Helping Michigan’s Farmers Understand and Adapt to the Impacts of Climate Change
- Integrating Climate Change into Municipal Watershed Management in Ontario
- Integrating Climate Change into the Planning and Operations of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin
- Investigating the Impact of Climate Change on Combined and Separate Sewer Overflows in Milwaukee Watersheds
- New York’s Climate Smart Communities Program
- Rein in the Runoff: Michigan’s Spring Lake Stormwater Management Project
- The Climate Change Response Framework: Supporting Climate-Smart Conservation and Forest Management in the Great Lakes Region
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Climate Initiatives
- The National Wildlife Federation’s Climate-Smart Restoration Partnership in the Great Lakes
- The Ontario Centre for Climate Impacts and Adaptation Resources’ Climate Adaptation Initiatives
- Understanding and Modeling the Impacts of Human Behavior and Climate Change on the Maumee River Watershed, Ohio
- Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts: A Bottom-Up Approach to Developing Climate Change Adaptation Strategies
- Addressing Climate Change in the International Upper Great Lakes Study
- Climate Change Adaptation Planning at the State Level in Minnesota
- Developing Ontario’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan
- Identifying Climate Refugia for Moose Populations in Voyageurs National Park (VOYA) Using GPS Telemetry
- Integrating Climate Change into Water Quality Monitoring on the Fond du Lac Reservation in Minnesota
- Planning for Climate Change in the Province of Quebec
- Sustaining Lakes in a Changing Environment (SLICE): A Long-term Monitoring and Evaluation Program