1. 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

2. More on Climate Resilient Communities
Visit:
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

3. 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

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

5. Process: Framework in Action

6. 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

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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

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

12. Questions? Michael Davidson, Midwest Regional Director
Credit: Joel Pett; USA Today
Michael Davidson, Midwest Regional Director