Identifying Climate Vulnerabilities Photo Credit: Jim Scurlock Photo Credit: AP Photo/Brian Kersey Planning for Climate Impacts in the Western Lake Superior Region September 22, 2011, Duluth Michael Davidson, Midwest Regional Director ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability USA

More on Climate Resilient Communities Visit: www.icleiusa.org/adaptation Resources Adaptation Database and Planning Tool (ADAPT) Adaptation e-newsletter Adaptation blog posts Webinar series on adaptation (e.g., public health) Adaptation talking points Link to climate adaptation resources from around the nation Adaptation Resource Toolbox (coming soon) Updated vulnerability assessment methodology (coming soon) Fact sheets Mitigation-adaptation connection: milestones, synergies and contradictions Financing climate change adaptation Preserving Assets in At-Risk Municipalities: Financial Strategies for Climate Change Adaptation

Components of Effective Planning Framework: The Five Milestones methodology for an “actionable” plan Process: The framework in action Strategy: Eight Tenets for Success Application: Case studies of adaptation planning in action

Framework: Five Milestones for Adaptation Planning An intuitive, common-sense planning framework to achieve an outcome

Process: Framework in Action

Conducting a Climate Resiliency Study Resilience: The ability of a system to absorb disturbances while retaining the same basic structure and ways of functioning; the capacity to self-organize and rebound from stress and change. Step 1: Research climate change projections Step 2: Identify climate change impacts

Conducting a Climate Resiliency Study Step 3: Conduct vulnerability assessment Step 4: Identify key vulnerabilities

aggressive but achievable inclusive & transparent institutionalization Strategy: Eight Tenets for Success buy – in central management research & analysis aggressive but achievable guidance inclusive & transparent accountability institutionalization Buy-in from the chief elected official Central management & coordination Guidance from an external advisory board Inclusive & transparent planning process Research & analysis to create a fact-driven plan Aggressive but achievable initiatives Accountability to the public “Institutionalization” of the plan and updating process

aggressive but achievable inclusive & transparent institutionalization Case Study: Homer, AK buy – in central management research & analysis aggressive but achievable guidance inclusive & transparent accountability institutionalization Photo credit: REUTERS/Lou Dematteis Risk assessment approach: Used reliable science, then extrapolated Conducted by local task force Moved forward with a reasonable amount of uncertainty

aggressive but achievable inclusive & transparent institutionalization Case Study: Miami-Dade County, FL buy – in central management research & analysis aggressive but achievable guidance inclusive & transparent accountability institutionalization Photo credit: Justin Falango; Transit Miami.com Risk assessment approach: Sought unity on climate data Started with biggest impacts (sea level rise) Leveraged regional partnership

aggressive but achievable inclusive & transparent institutionalization Case Study: Chicago buy – in central management research & analysis aggressive but achievable guidance inclusive & transparent accountability institutionalization /www.treehugger.com/files/2008/02/ecocities_gary.php Risk assessment approach: Used reliable science, then extrapolated Analyzed risk of not adapting Prioritized adaptation efforts Cross-departmental participation

Questions? Michael Davidson, Midwest Regional Director Credit: Joel Pett; USA Today Michael Davidson, Midwest Regional Director michael.davidson@iclei.org 312-848-3041