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Managing climate risks in California: the need to engage resource managers for successful adaptation to change

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Abstract

In this paper we propose a framework for evaluating how prepared California resource managers are for risks of continued climate change. The framework presented suggests three critical dimensions of preparedness – awareness of climate-related risks, analytic capacity to translate such climate risks information into specific planning and management activities, and the extent of actions taken to address the risks. We illustrate the application of this framework in this paper through preliminary research of California coastal managers where we identify limited awareness of climate-change related risks, limited analytic capacity, and significant constraints on the abilities of institutions and individuals to take adaptation actions. Our analysis suggests that for California to realize its significant adaptive capacity and be able to manage the unavoidable impacts of climate change, resource managers need to be engaged more effectively in future discussions of managing climate risks in the state.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for the Study of Society and Environment, National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO, 80307, USA

    Susanne C. Moser

  2. Amy Lynd Luers, Google.Org, 345 Spear St., 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA

    Amy Lynd Luers

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  1. Susanne C. Moser
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  2. Amy Lynd Luers
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Correspondence to Susanne C. Moser.

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Moser, S.C., Luers, A.L. Managing climate risks in California: the need to engage resource managers for successful adaptation to change. Climatic Change 87 (Suppl 1), 309–322 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-007-9384-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-007-9384-7

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