Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

An architecture for government action on adaptation to climate change. An editorial comment

  • Published:
Climatic Change Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An architecture of government adaptation programs is presented. Components include leadership, institutional organization, stakeholder involvement, climate change information, appropriate use of decision analysis techniques, explicit consideration of barriers to adaptation, funding for adaptation, technology development and diffusion, and adaptation research. This architecture is a useful heuristic for identifying, evaluating, and reevaluating the needs of decision makers as they improve management of climate-sensitive resources in a changing environment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adger WN, Agrawala S, Mirza MMQ, Conde C, O’Brien K, Pulhin J, Pulwarty R, Smit B, Takahashi K (2007) Assessment of adaptation practices, options, constraints and capacity. In: Parry ML, Canziani OF, Palutikof JP, van der Linden PJ, Hanson CE (eds) Climate change 2007: impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of working group II to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Bloomberg MD (2007) plaNYC: a greener, greater New York, April. Available http://www.nyc.gov/html/planyc2030/downloads/pdf/full_report.pdf. Accessed 29 May 2009

  • Broadleaf and MJA (2006) Climate change impacts & risk management: a guide for business and government. Broadleaf Capital International and Marsden Jacob Associates. Australian Greenhouse Office, Department of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra

    Google Scholar 

  • Burton I, Malone E, Huq S, Lim B, Spanger-Siegfried E (eds) (2004) Adaptation policy frameworks for climate change: developing strategies, policies and measures. Cambridge University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Council of Australian Governments (2007) National Climate Change Adaptation Framework. Available http://www.coag.gov.au/coag_meeting_outcomes/2007–04–13/docs/national_climate_change_adaption_framework.pdf. Accessed 29 May 2009

  • de Bruin K, Dellink RB, Ruijs A, Bolwidt L, van Buuren A, Graveland J, de Groot RA, Kuikman PJ, Reinhard S, Roetter RP, Tassone VC, Verhagen A, van Ierland EC (2009) Adapting to climate change in the Netherlands: an inventory of climate adaptation options and ranking of alternatives. Climatic Change. doi:10.1007/s10584-009-9576-4

    Google Scholar 

  • Governors Action Team on Energy and Climate Change (2008) Florida’s energy and climate change action plan. Available http://www.dep.state.fl.us/climatechange/team/file/phase2report08.pdf. Accessed 29 May 2009

  • Groves DG, Lempert RJ, Knopman D, Berry SH (2008) Preparing for an uncertain future in the Inland Empire: identifying robust water management strategies. The Rand Corporation, Santa Monica

    Google Scholar 

  • King County (2007) King County 2007 climate plan. Available http://your.kingcounty.gov/exec/news/2007/pdf/ClimatePlan.pdf. Accessed 29 May 2009

  • Leggett J (2007) Climate change: federal expenditures. Report RL33817. Congressional Research Service, Washington, DC

  • McNie E (2007) Reconciling the supply of scientific information with user demands: an analysis of the problem and review of the literature. Environ Sci Policy 10:17–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nordhaus W (2008) A question of balance: weighing the options on global warming policies. Yale University Press, New Haven, 233 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Pielke RA Jr (2005) Misdefining “climate change”: consequences for science and action. Environ Sci Policy 8:548–561

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Popper SW, Lempert RJ, Bankes SC (2005) Shaping the future. Sci Am 292(4):66–71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarewitz D (2004) How science makes environmental controversies worse. Environ Sci Policy 7:385–403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarewitz D, Pielke RA Jr (2007) The neglected heart of science policy: reconciling supply of and demand for science. Environ Sci Policy 10:5–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarewitz D, Pielke RA Jr, Byerly R Jr (eds) (2000) Prediction: science, decision making, and the future of nature. Island Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern N, Peters S, Bakhshi V, Bowen A, Cameron C, Catovsky S, Crane D, Cruickshank S, Dietz S, Edmonson N, Garbett S-L, Hamid L, Hoffman G, Ingram D, Jones B, Patmore N, Radcliffe H, Sathiyarajah R, Stock M, Taylor C, Vernon T, Wanjie H, Zenghelis D (2006) Stern review report: the economics of climate change. Her Majesty’s Treasury, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Stokes DE (1997) Pasteur’s Quadrant: basic science and technological innovation. Brookings Institution Press, Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Tol RSJ (2008) The social cost of carbon: trends, outliers and catastrophes. Economics: the open-access, open-assessment E-journal 2(2008–25). Available http://www.economics-ejournal.org/economics/journalarticles/2008–25. Accessed 18 April 2009

  • U.S. DOI (2008) Report of the subcommittee on law and policy. Task force on climate change. Available http://www.usgs.gov/global_change/docs/law_policy.pdf. Accessed 18 April 2009

  • UNDP (2007) Human development report 2007/2008. Fighting climate change: human solidarity in a divided world. United Nations Development Programme, NY. Available http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2007–2008/. Accessed 18 April 2009

    Google Scholar 

  • UNFCCC (2007) Investment and financial flows to address climate change. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat, Bonn. Available http://unfccc.int/files/cooperation_and_support/financial_mechanism/application/pdf/background_paper.pdf. Accessed 18 April 2009

    Google Scholar 

  • Whetmore F, Bernstein G, Conrad D, DiVincenti C, Larson L, Plasencia D, Riggs R, Monday J, Robinson MF, Shapiro M (2006) An evaluation of the National Flood Insurance Program: final report. American Institutes for Research, Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Willows R, Connell R (eds) (2003) Climate adaptation: risk, uncertainty and decision-making. UKCIP technical report. United Kingdom Climate Impacts Program, Oxford

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joel B. Smith.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Smith, J.B., Vogel, J.M. & III, J.E.C. An architecture for government action on adaptation to climate change. An editorial comment. Climatic Change 95, 53–61 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-009-9623-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-009-9623-1

Keywords

Navigation