State & Local

AASHTO Resources

Adapting Infrastructure to Extreme Weather Events: Best Practices and Key Challenges
Workshop Summary Report, AASHTO (May 2012). This report provides an overview of a workshop on adaptation to extreme weather events held on May 20th, during the 2012 AASHTO spring meeting. Other resources from the workshop include: Adapting Infrastructure to Extreme Weather Events: Best Practices and Key Challenges: AASHTO Workshop Background Paper, which describes anticipated climate change effects on infrastructure and on operations and maintenance and discusses how some states are considering these impacts on their systems and operations. It also describes recent extreme weather events across the nation and examples of how states responded. A June 27, 2012, AASHTO webinar also outlined the results of the workshop. Link to Webinar Power Point Presentations.

Alaska

Climate Change Impact Assessment for Surface Transportation in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, Washington State Department of Transportation (February 2012). This report synthesizes data on the region’s climate, including current conditions and projects for climate change, identifies potential impacts and critical infrastructure, and includes recommendations for future research. The report is intended as a resource for transportation professionals and policymakers on regional climate change impacts, understanding transportation system vulnerabilities, and creating more quantitative risk assessment models.

Estimating Future Costs for Alaska Public Infrastructure at Risk from Climate Change, University of Alaska Foundation (June 2007). This report discusses new model developed to estimate costs associated with climate change adaptation of public infrastructure in Alaska. The report provides information about how the researchers estimate costs and the difficulties of creating an accurate inventory of public infrastructure throughout the state. According to this site, Eunkyoung Hong is currently refining the model by conducting sensitivity analysis and testing model assumptions with a case study in the Fairbanks Northstar Borough and engineering life-cycle analysis

Alaska's Climate Change Strategy: Addressing Impacts in Alaska, Alaskan Adaptation Advisory Group (January 2010). This report includes the recommendations of the Alaskan Adaptation Advisory Group, which was charged with evaluating and developing options to adapt to climate change. The report also provides additional background on projected climate impacts for Alaska.

Decision-Making for At-Risk Communities in a Changing Climate. Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (March 2009). This report is intended to inform decision-makers relating to climate change and uncertainty, risk management, and relocation planning. The report is not intended as a one size fits all plan for relocating at-risk communities.

California

State of California Extreme Heat Adaptation Interim Guidance Document, California Climate Action Team (Aug. 2012). This draft guidance document provides recommendations to help California government agencies respond to extreme heat, including promoting heat resilient communities, improving heat preparedness and emergency response, and expanding research on extreme heat. The guidance was developed by the California Climate Action Team, a coalition of 14 agencies that coordinates statewide efforts to address global warming, with input from state agencies including Caltrans. Within the draft plan's recommendations, energy, buildings, and land use were pinpointed as areas where state and local agencies, as well as industry, could better protect the public from extreme heat conditions.

Adapting to Rising Tides: Transportation Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Pilot Project, San Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission (November 2011). The San Francisco region’s MPO was one of five transportation agencies selected by FHWA in 2011 for a pilot project to test a draft vulnerability and risk assessment conceptual model for transportation infrastructure. The model is intended to serve as a framework to help transportation agencies assess the risk to infrastructure of projected climate change impacts. The Bay Area project inventoried potentially vulnerable transportation assets along a section of the Alameda County shoreline and measured their relative importance to the health of the broader transportation network. Additional information on the pilot projects is available on FHWA’s webpage, Adaptation Conceptual Model Pilots.

California Governor Hosts Conference on Climate Risk to State’s Future, Office of Gov. Edmund G. Brown (Dec. 15, 2011). California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) convened a conference to discuss ways in which the state can prepare for and protect itself from the risks of climate change. The Governor’s Conference on Extreme Climate Risks and California’s Future brought together representatives from government, business, and environmental groups in response to the findings of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s final report issued in November 2011. Additional complementary events are scheduled through the first half of 2012. Recordings and conference materials are available on the conference website.

Caltrans Issues Guidance on Incorporating Sea-Level Rise in Programming and Design of Projects, California Department of Transportation (June 9, 2011) – This guidance document addresses the consideration of sea-level rise in the design and programming of transportation projects in California. The guidance calls for an analysis of whether the potential exists for a project to be impacted by rising sea levels and whether to incorporate sea level rise adaptation measures into the project, with the results documented in the Project Initiation Document.

First Progress Report on California Climate Adaptation Strategy Released, California Natural Resources Agency (Nov. 15, 2010). This report tracks the state's progress in implementing the state’s multi-sector climate adaptation strategy finalized in 2009. Released at the Governors' Global Climate Summit at the University of California, Davis, the document describes the working and/or stakeholder groups that have been formed to develop plans and strategies for seven sectors: public health, biodiversity and habitat, oceans and coastal resources, water management, agriculture, forestry, and transportation and energy infrastructure.

California Climate Adaptation Strategy (2009). Multiple state agencies were involved in developing this multi-sector strategy to guide California in adapting to climate change impacts. The strategy summarizes the science on climate change impacts in seven sectors, including Transportation and Energy Infrastructure, and provides recommendations on how to manage against those threats. The strategy is in response to Gov. Schwarzenegger's Executive Order S-13-08 requiring state agencies to identify how they can respond to rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, sea level rise, and extreme natural events. The state's adaptation strategy will be updated as new data become available.

Preliminary Assessment of Vulnerability of Transportation Systems to Sea Level Rise (February 2009). This preliminary assessment is based upon the assumption that California could see a 55-inch sea level rise by the year 2100. This assessment specifically addresses sea level rise and storm surge. It has been determined that the probability of occurrence of sea level rise and storm surge has a virtual certainty greater than 99 percent.

Connecticut

Connecticut Adaptation Resource Toolkit (CART), Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (Oct. 10, 2012). This toolkit for local government staff and other stakeholders provides ideas and methods regarding climate change adaptation planning and action. The toolkit contains educational materials on the climate adaptation planning process, including the conducting of a vulnerability assessment and the setting of preparedness goals. The toolkit also contains information specific to areas of focus such as agriculture, urban environments, and public health and safety. The toolkit was jointly developed with ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability.

Adapting to Connecticut's Changing Climate, State of Connecticut (March 2009). These fact sheets detail current observations and provide some cursory recommendations for alternative approaches to foster adaptation at the local and regional levels.

Delaware

Preparing for Tomorrow's High Tide: Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment for the State of Delaware, Delaware Sea Level Rise Advisory Committee (July 2012). This final report of an advisory committee established by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control finds that all three of the state’s counties and 31 of its 57 cities would be directly affected by rising sea level. The report forecasts the impacts of several potential sea level rise scenarios on 79 statewide resources, and identifies 16 resources of highest concern for the state, such as roads and bridges, railroad lines, and tidal wetlands. The report will be used by the committee to develop a sea level rise adaptation plan for the state.

Florida

Development of a Methodology for the Assessment of Sea Level Rise Impacts on Florida's Transportation Modes and Infrastructure, Florida Department of Transportation (March 2, 2012). This report addresses the assessment of impacts from sea level rise (SLR) on Florida’s transportation infrastructure for planning purposes. The research included a literature review and analysis of SLR projections, studies, models, and methodologies used in the state. The report specifies a recommended methodology for forecasting SLR in Florida and identifies potentially vulnerable infrastructure, summarizes potential SLR impacts on Florida’s coastal and low-lying transportation infrastructure, and lists currently available tools for infrastructure protection and adaptation of transportation networks and systems. The report also provides short-term and long-term recommended actions for incorporating SLR into the FDOT planning process.

Hawaii

Transportation Asset Climate Change Risk Assessment Report, Island of Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (November 2011). This report documents work conducted by the Oahu MPO as part of a pilot project to test FHWA’s draft vulnerability and risk assessment conceptual model for transportation infrastructure. The model is intended to serve as a framework to help transportation agencies assess the risk to infrastructure of projected climate change impacts. The Oaho MPO project conducted a stakeholder workshop to identify the most critical areas of transportation vulnerability on the island. Additional information on the pilot projects is available on FHWA’s webpage, Adaptation Conceptual Model Pilots.

A Framework for Climate Change Adaptation in Hawaii, Hawaii's Ocean Resources Management Plan Working Group (November 2009). This is a collaborative framework for adaptation planning in Hawaii, containing six elements: (a) Climate Change Adaptation Team; (b) Long-Term Vision; (c) Planning Areas and Opportunities; (d) Scoping for Climate Change Impacts to Major Sectors; (e) Vulnerability Assessment; and (f) Risk Assessment.

Iowa

Missouri River Flood of 2011: Transportation Impacts, Iowa Department of Transportation (May 30, 2012). Iowa DOT has released a web-based “Storify” project chronicling the 2011 Missouri River flooding and its impacts on the state’s transportation system. The flood covered 150 miles of western Iowa, causing extensive damage to roadways. The webpage features links to photos, video, news articles, and a narrative describing the events of the flooding and the efforts to rebuild.

Iowa Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Report, Environmental Protection Agency (Oct. 26, 2011). EPA has released a report on ways to better incorporate the effects of climate change into land use and natural hazard planning. The report was developed as part of a pilot program in partnership with state and local agencies in Iowa, including the Rebuild Iowa Office. Iowa has suffered multiple catastrophic flooding and severe weather events in recent years and is rebuilding using smart growth principles to adapt to climate change impacts on housing, infrastructure, and transportation.

Louisiana

Recommendations for Anticipating Sea-Level Rise Impacts on Louisiana Coastal Resources during Project Planning and Design (Draft), Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (Feb. 6, 2012). This draft technical report includes recommendations for state coastal planners and managers to incorporate sea-level rise (SLR) into planning and engineering for future habitat restoration and storm protection projects. The report recommends that planners and designers anticipate an average SLR on Louisiana’s coast of 3.3 feet by the year 2100.

Maine

Climate Change and Transportation in Maine, Maine Department of Transportation (Oct. 14, 2009). This report from the Maine Department of Transportation describes the projected effects of climate change on transportation infrastructure in Maine. The report also discusses appropriate strategies to address the impacts. The report was issued in response to state legislation directing state agencies, businesses, industry, and other stakeholders to convene a workgroup, under the direction of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, to address the challenges of climate change. The report also serves as a commitment to action on climate change, thus allowing MDOT access to planning funds from the Federal Highway Administration.

Maryland

State of Maryland Executive Order on Climate Change and “Coast Smart” Construction, Executive Department, State of Maryland (Dec. 28, 2012). Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed this executive order mandating that state agencies proposing new, reconstructed, or rehabilitated structures consider the risks associated with coastal flooding and risks from rising sea levels. The order, Climate Change and “Coast Smart” Construction, also requires several departments and commissions to establish construction guidelines that minimize risks from rising sea levels and coastal flooding.

Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Maryland's Vulnerability to Climate Change, Phase II, Building Societal, Economic, and Ecological Resilience, Maryland Commission on Climate Change (Jan. 24, 2011). This report outlines adaptation strategies to reduce the state’s vulnerability to climate change impacts, including sea level rise, increased temperature, and changes in precipitation. The strategy covers the following sectors: human health; agriculture; forest and terrestrial ecosystems; bay and aquatic environments; water resources; and population growth and infrastructure. Key recommendations include enhancing the preparedness of the transportation system for extreme weather events.

A Sea Level Rise Response Strategy for the State of Maryland. (October 2000). This sea level response strategy was developed through an extensive review of related technology, data, and research, along with an assessment of Maryland's vulnerability based on the range of magnitude of impact, the physical characteristics of the coastline, and population growth patterns. This report contains specific recommendations for reducing the State's overall vulnerability to sea level rise.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Report, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (Sept. 27, 2011). This report offers a blueprint for addressing climate change impacts in Massachusetts, including effects on natural resources and habitat, infrastructure, human health and welfare, local economies and governments, and coastal zones and oceans. The report stresses the importance of protecting infrastructure and development from inundation, especially along coasts and in floodplains, and the importance of including climate change predictions in development and design practices. The report also reviews potential strategies to enhance emergency response, to protect natural habitats and watersheds, to establish redundant supply routes, and to incorporate climate change projections into municipal planning.

Midwest States

Midwest Adaptation Peer Exchange Report: Minimizing the Impacts of Climate Change on Transportation Systems in the Midwest, Federal Highway Administration (Sept. 27, 2011). This report summarizes an April 2011 peer exchange hosted by FHWA on climate adaptation concerns for Midwest state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations. Key topics addressed included criticality and vulnerability of transportation assets, hazard mitigation planning, asset management, and operational strategies. Participants discussed opportunities for climate adaptation, barriers to adaptation, challenges to defining critical assets for planning purposes, and opportunities for future collaboration.

Multiple States

Climate Change Adaptation Peer Exchanges Summary Report, Federal Highway Administration (Oct. 2012). This report summarizes a series of peer exchanges held between June 2011 and May 2012 on the role of state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations in climate change adaptation. The peer exchanges included discussion of strategies to assess and reduce the vulnerability of transportation assets and services to projected changes in climate. The report synthesizes the key themes and lessons from the peer exchanges, including examples of effective practices presented by participants.

New Jersey

Climate Change Vulnerability and Risk Assessment of Transportation Infrastructure, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (November 2011). NJTPA was one of five transportation agencies selected by FHWA in 2011 for a pilot project to test a draft vulnerability and risk assessment conceptual model for transportation infrastructure. The model is intended to serve as a framework to help transportation agencies assess the risk to infrastructure of projected climate change impacts. The NJTPA project involved an inventory of transportation assets using available climate change/weather models and a risk assessment of the vulnerable transportation infrastructure. Additional information on the pilot projects is available on FHWA’s webpage, Adaptation Conceptual Model Pilots.

New York

Recommendations to Improve the Strength and Resilience of the Empire State’s Infrastructure, NYS 2100 Commission (1-11-13). This is the preliminary report of a commission appointed by New York Governor Cuomo in November 2012 to recommend actions to improve the strength and resiliency of the state’s infrastructure in response to Hurricane Sandy other recent extreme weather events. The NYS 2100 Commission’s report provides nine cross-cutting recommendations for improving the state’s overall resilience in addition to recommendations targeted at specific sectors, including transportation. For transportation, the recommendations focus on risk assessment; strengthening existing transportation networks; expanding existing networks to created redundancies; and enhancing guidelines, standards, and policies.

Transportation During and After Hurricane Sandy, New York University Rudin Center for Transportation (Dec. 3, 2012). This report examines the impact of Hurricane Sandy on transportation infrastructure throughout New York City. The report describes actions by the city and local transportation agencies to prepare for the October 2012 storm, key transportation-related impacts, and post-Sandy infrastructure cleanup efforts. The report also includes recommendations for transportation-related infrastructure upgrades, such as the use of porous pavement streets in flood-prone areas.

Oklahoma

Making Decisions: An Assessment of the Climate-Related Needs for Oklahoma Decision Makers, Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (February 2012). This document provides a climate needs assessment for the State of Oklahoma. The assessment finds that Oklahoma will be subject to rain events that are less frequent but more intense, increasing the risk of drought and floods. The assessment also identifies the types of information that long-range planners, including transportation planners, will need to effectively address climate impacts. The SCIPP is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration regional integrated sciences and assessment team. Findings resulted from interviews with state decision makers conducted by the University of Oklahoma and Louisiana State University.

Oregon

Research Leads to Improved Method to Detect, Prevent Landslides, Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC) (March 4, 2013). Research sponsored by OTREC has devised an innovative remote sensing method to help the Oregon Department of Transportation better monitor potential landslide hazard areas along its coastal highways. ODOT previously has used aerial-based remote sensing technology (LiDAR) to detect potential landslide sites, but this method is unable to survey landslide-prone cliffs. The researchers developed a method that supplements aerial LiDAR with terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to better “see” vertical cliffsides. They also developed an algorithm that allows for real-time analysis of data while in the field.

ODOT’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Report, Oregon Department of Transportation (April 2012). This report from the Oregon Department of Transportation provides an assessment of potential climate change impacts to ODOT; underscores the need for an in-depth vulnerability and risk assessment of ODOT’s assets and systems operations; and highlights potential adaptation strategies and existing adaptive capacity within ODOT.

Identifying Surface Transportation Vulnerabilities and Risk Assessment Opportunities Under Climate Change: Case Study in Portland, Oregon, Lindsay Walker, Miguel A. Figliozzi, Ashley R. Haire, and John MacArthur (2011). This article discusses a method for transportation departments, using geographic information systems, to assess the vulnerability to climate change of various multimodal surface transportation systems. Using Portland, Ore., as a case study, the study outlines how climate change effects can be identified, prioritized, and their impacts assessed. The article is published in the TRB Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2244/2011.

A Framework for Addressing Rapid Climate Change, State of Oregon. (January 2008). This report proposes steps to take Oregon toward developing a framework that will assist individuals, businesses, and governments to incorporate climate change into their planning processes.

Pacific Northwest

Sea-Level Rise for the Coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington: Past, Present, and Future, National Research Council (June 22, 2012). The National Research Council of the National Academies has issued a report on research regarding the factors affecting sea level rise along the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington. The report says that sea level is rising along much of the coastline but is falling south of California’s Cape Mendocino. The report says that global mean sea level rise is modified based on regional factors such as ocean and atmospheric circulation patterns, the geological movement of continental and oceanic plates, and the effects of the loss of glacial ice.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Climate Adaptation Planning Report: Risks and Practical Recommendations, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (Jan. 27, 2011). This report represents the first statewide effort to identify practical strategies for addressing climate change impacts. The report includes the recommendations for climate change adaptation of four sector-specific working groups established by DEP and the state Climate Change Advisory Committee: Infrastructure, Public Health and Safety, Natural Resources, and Tourism and Outdoor Recreation. Recommended actions for the transport sector include reviewing research for materials that have the potential to withstand higher temperatures to prevent buckling of roadways and bridges and performing more intense inspections of transportation infrastructure after high impact events in areas subject to erosion. Cross-cutting recommendations include adopting green infrastructure, walkable communities, and integrating adaptation and mitigation strategies as part of government agency planning and operations.

Pennsylvania Climate Impact Assessment: Report to the Department of Environmental Protection, Environment & Natural Resources Institute (June 2009). This report describes the expected impacts of climate change on Pennsylvania, including temperature and precipitation impacts, as well as implications for water resources, forests and wildlife, aquatic ecosystems and fisheries, agriculture, energy, human health, tourism and outdoor recreation, insurance and economic risk - but not infrastructure.

Rhode Island

Summary: Preliminary Assessment of Rhode Island's Vulnerability to Climate Change and its Options for Adaptation Action, Brown University (February 2010). This report describes the likely impact of climate change on Rhode Island, and the implications for adaptation in Rhode Island.

Vermont

Lessons Learned from Irene: Vermont RPCs Address Transportation System Recovery, National Association of Development Organizations (July 2012). This report describes lessons learned for disaster preparedness and recovery following efforts by Vermont’s 11 regional planning commissions, in partnership with the Vermont Agency of Transportation and local communities, to respond to the impacts of Tropical Storm Irene on transportation infrastructure. Also available are presentation slides and a recording of a related NADO webinar on transportation and disaster recovery of Vermont’s transportation network following the storm.

Lessons from Irene: Building Resiliency as We Rebuild, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (Feb. 13, 2012). The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources’ Climate Change Team has issued a report that examines impacts from the August 2011 Tropical Storm Irene to different sectors in the state, including transportation and buildings and infrastructure. State highway impacts, for instance, included damage to 500 miles of roads and over 200 bridges at an estimated cost of up to $250 million. The report cites Vermont’s vulnerability to similar intense flooding events, with more expected in the future to due to climate change, and poses a series of questions regarding how the state and its communities can begin building flood resiliency.

Virginia

Recurrent Flooding Study for Tidewater Virginia, Virginia Institute of Marine Science (Jan. 14, 2013). This report, which was authorized by the Virginia legislature, makes projections for recurrent flooding due to sea-level rise, storm surge, and heavy rainfall in the state’s coastal areas. The report includes a recommendation that the state and its coastal localities begin comprehensive and coordinated planning efforts to avoid catastrophic flooding related to sea-level rise. The report also discusses various adaptation strategies, identifies current limits on state and local authorities to implement adaptation measures, and suggests legislative approaches to address those limits.

Assessing Vulnerability and Risk of Climate Change Effects on Transportation Infrastructure – Hampton Roads Virginia Pilot, Virginia Department of Transportation (November 2011). VDOT was one of five transportation agencies selected by FHWA in 2011 for a pilot project to test a draft vulnerability and risk assessment conceptual model for transportation infrastructure. The model is intended to serve as a framework to help transportation agencies assess the risk to infrastructure of projected climate change impacts. The Hampton Roads area project focused on developing tools for prioritizing which transportation assets were more vulnerable to climate change or were higher priority under different scenarios. Additional information on the pilot projects is available on FHWA’s webpage, Adaptation Conceptual Model Pilots.

Washington State

Preparing for a Changing Climate: Washington State’s Integrated Climate Change Response Strategy, Washington State Department of Ecology (April 3, 2012). This report, which was developed in collaboration with several other state agencies, is intended to provide a broad framework for decision makers to ensure that consideration of climate change impacts is given a high priority in their day-to-day work. The report calls for reducing risk of damage to infrastructure by identifying vulnerable areas and taking proactive steps to reduce risks, avoiding climate risks when siting new infrastructure and planning for growth, and enhancing capacity to prepare for impacts such as more frequent and severe flooding. The report also identifies seven high-priority adaptive strategies.

Climate Impacts Vulnerability Assessment Report, Washington State Department of Transportation (November 2011). This report documents work conducted by WSDOT as part of a pilot project to test FHWA’s draft vulnerability and risk assessment conceptual model for transportation infrastructure. The model is intended to serve as a framework to help transportation agencies assess the risk to infrastructure of projected climate change impacts. The WSDOT project applied the model using scenario planning in a series of statewide workshops, using local experts, to create a qualitative assessment of climate vulnerability on its assets in each region and mode across the state. Additional information on the project is available in a folio published by WSDOT. Additional information on the pilot projects is available on FHWA’s webpage, Adaptation Conceptual Model Pilots.

Adapting to Climate Change Web Page, Washington State DOT. This web page provides information on Washington State DOT’s adaptation efforts, including WSDOT's Statewide Vulnerability Assessment Fact Sheet, WSDOT's Guidance for Project-Level Climate Change Evaluations (March 2013), and WSDOT Guidance - Project-Level Greenhouse Gas Evaluations under NEPA and SEPA (March 2013).

Climate Change Impacts, Preparation, Adaptation Website, Washington State Department of Ecology. This website provides a range of technical, scientific, and policy-related information about the impacts of climate change on Washington’s communities and natural resources. It also describes actions underway by six state agencies, along with other representatives from across state government, to develop a draft climate change impacts response strategy for the state.

Western States

Adaptation Case Studies in the Western United States, Georgetown Climate Center (Nov. 1, 2011). This report includes two case studies of the potential role of state governments in adapting to climate change impacts to wildlife and water resources the western United States. The first case study examines the state of Wyoming’s management of a species of ground-dwelling bird, the greater sage grouse, and the second case study considers Colorado’s management of water supplies in the Colorado River basin. Both case studies provide an overview of the roles of both the state and federal government and include discussion of the adequacy of existing authorities and mechanisms to facilitate climate adaptation efforts.

Climate Adaptation Priorities for the Western States: Scoping Report, Western Governors' Association (June 2010). This report, which was developed by the Governors' Climate Adaptation Work Group, calls for enhanced coordination between state and federal efforts to identify key scientific needs for western states related to climate change. The report also identifies ways that western states can incorporate "smart" climate adaptation practices into resource management and decisionmaking, addresses currently available climate science that supports adaptation planning, and identifies basic principles of importance to western states that should be considered in any federal legislation addressing climate adaptation.

Tribal

Tribal Climate Change Adaptation Options: A Review of Scientific Literature, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 (June 2009). This White Paper is a review of the scientific literature available and summarizes the physical changes in the climate due to climate change, the vulnerabilities of natural resources to these effects, and adaptation options that may be relevant to tribes in EPA Region 10.

Other Resources

State-Federal Workshop on Building Resiliency to the Effects of Climate Change, Georgetown Climate Center (Feb. 23, 2013). Video recordings are available from a workshop titled “Promoting Low-Carbon Solutions and a Resilient Future Together,” held Feb. 21-22 at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC.. The workshop featured presentations on current climate-related activities at the state and local levels and opportunities for federal policy to support and strengthen these actions. Highlights included state and local policies to advance electric vehicle deployment, multi-state efforts relating to sustainable transportation, and state and local efforts to respond to recent storms and increase resilience to climate change impacts.

Climate Change, Extreme Weather Events and the Highway System: A Practitioner’s Guide (NCHRP 20-83(05), prepublication report), Transportation Research Board (Feb. 12, 2013). This report is a prepublication draft practitioner’s guide to assist transportation agencies in adapting infrastructure and operations to impacts from climate change and extreme weather has been released in prepublication form under the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP 20-83(05)). The guide provides an eight-step diagnostic framework for undertaking an adaptation assessment, including steps that should be taken to determine future climate stresses a transportation system might face; how vulnerable the system will likely be to such stresses; and strategies to avoid, minimize or mitigate potential consequences. It also describes ways to incorporate adaptation concerns into a typical transportation planning process.

Webinar: Bridging the Gap Between Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation, Center for Clean Air Policy (Dec. 18, 2012). CCAP and the Natural Hazard Mitigation Association hosted this webinar to identify overlaps and help bridge gaps between hazard mitigation and climate adaptation. Panelists discussed topics including climate adaptation practice and capacity-building needs and highlighted state and community efforts to integrate hazard mitigation and climate adaptation.

Floodplain Regulation: Challenges and Opportunities in Preparing for Climate Changes, Georgetown Climate Center (Dec. 14, 2012). A video and presentations are available from a December 2012 webinar on how communities can use floodplain regulations to become more resilient to extreme weather and prepare for climate change impacts. The webinar included a discussion of a model sea level rise ordinance and lessons learned by practitioners in enhancing floodplain regulations following extreme weather events.

TR News July-August 2012: Adapting to Climate Change: Building a Network of Solutions, Transportation Research Board (Sept. 5, 2012). The latest edition of TRB’s bimonthly magazine TR News focuses on issues related to climate change adaptation and transportation. The magazine features articles on topics including innovative approaches by state and local transportation agencies to mitigate and adapt to climate change, initiatives by the Michigan Department of Transportation to prepare for altered climate conditions, and Washington State’s Commute Trip Reduction Program.

Water Preparedness Planning, Natural Resources Defense Council (April 5, 2012). This report analyzes how the 50 states and their agencies are preparing for water-related impacts from climate change. According to the report, only nine state governments have taken comprehensive steps to address the effects of climate change on water supplies and resources through efforts such as setting greenhouse gas reduction targets or identifying vulnerabilities. The report also finds that 29 state governments have “done either nothing at all or very little to prepare” to address climate risks to water.

State Wetland Climate Change Adaptation Summaries (2010), Association of State Wetland Managers (August 2011). This webpage summarizes information on wetland-related climate change threats and corresponding adaptation efforts that have been initiated by the states. ASWM identifies five categories of perceived adverse impacts of climate change facing the states: sea level rise, increased drought, water supply and/or water quality, increased weather intensity, and threats to habitats and species. State adaptation activities are listed under seven categories: adaptation planning, adaptation plan complete, adaptation planning includes wetlands, completed plan includes wetlands, engaged in case studies, case studies completed, and ongoing monitoring.

ICLEI Launches Online Library of Resources on Climate Adaptation for Cities, International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (June 1, 2011). ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability has launched a new online compendium of resources on climate change issues relevant to urban regions and cities, including adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and broader resilience building. The resources include ICLEI's global and regional adaptation activities; links to online sources of information; a glossary of key terms used in adaptation and climate change documents; and a resilience library of over 65 publications, tools, and strategies on adaptation and resilience.

CCAP Reports Highlight Local Climate Adaptation, Green Infrastructure Initiatives, Center for Clean Air Policy (Feb. 28, 2011). These reports by the CCAP Urban Leaders Adaptation Initiative document efforts by cities and local governments to implement climate change adaptation and green infrastructure best practices to improve community resilience, public health, and economic performance. The Value of Green Infrastructure for Urban Climate Adaptation evaluates the costs and benefits of using green infrastructure solutions, such as green alleys and streets, to improve local climate adaptation. Lessons Learned on Local Climate Adaptation from the Urban Leaders Adaptation Initiative summarizes the findings of a CCAP project that partnered with large counties and cities to advance local climate adaptation.

Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Workshop, Nov. 17, 2010. This workshop was held in conjunction with the T&DI/ASCE Green Streets & Highways Conference in Denver, Colo. The workshop discussed strategies for public agencies to proactively and retroactively adapt infrastructure to the impacts of global climate change. It includes presentations from several state DOTs. To access the workshop presentations, link to the Products and Programs page on this website.

FHWA/AASHTO Climate Change Adaptation Peer Exchange, Federal Highway Administration (December 2009). This report summarizes the results of peer exchange held on Dec. 8, 2009, on current climate change adaptation activities and strategic needs. The peer exchange included senior officials from state departments of transportation, FHWA headquarters and division offices, and AASHTO. The report summarizes participant presentations and the key issues that emerged during the event and identifies suggestions from participants for potential elements of guidance, research, and policy at the national level.

Adaptation Planning - What U.S. States and Localities are Doing, Pew Center on Global Climate Change (2008). This paper focuses on adaptation plans and actions in progress by state and local governments. In states where adaptation is occurring, comprehensive and proactive adaptation planning is still in its early stages, but as states and localities complete their GHG mitigation plans, adaptation planning is gaining greater attention and resources.

Preparing for Climate Change: A Guidebook for Local, Regional, and State Governments, International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (September 2007). The purpose of this guidance is to help decision-makers in local, regional, or state government prepare for climate change by recommending a detailed, easy-to-understand process for climate change preparedness based on familiar resource tools.