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Veronique Lee’s recent post Changing the Climate Dialogue discusses the necessity for the United States to be proactive in seeking alternative solutions to climate change, rather than waiting until a new international conference or round table discussion.

This approach applies not only to rethinking the dialogue on emissions reduction, mitigation, but also further emphasizing climate adaptation, or making changes to prepare US cities for the potential effects of climate change. Adaptation is paramount for the US because it allows for contingency plans that can reduce potential harm and even save lives.

Climate change is an incredibly complex, long-term issue which requires thinking past the short to medium-term time frame. Long-term thinking must include plans for climate adaptation. Unfortunately, a recent report by Local Governments for Sustainability USA (ICLEI) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that US cities are far behind many cities globally in climate adaptation measures. These results were taken from a survey conducted last spring of 468 cities globally, including cities in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

The report notes that 79% of respondents have noticed a “change in temperature, precipitation, sea level, or natural hazards they attribute to climate change.” Furthermore, at least half of the respondents report impacts to these changes, such as property damage and even the loss of lives. With the effects of climate change already apparent, many cities have begun planning for the future. The report’s authors write:

Many cities around the world report that they are planning for climate adaptation. Cities were asked if they are working on some form of adaptation planning, including being engaged in even the earliest stages of planning. In total, 68% of cities worldwide report initiating some form of adaptation planning. Latin American and Canadian cities lead with the highest rates of engagement in adaptation planning, at 95% and 92% respectively. These two regions are followed by Australia and New Zealand (86%), Europe (84%), Africa (80%), and Asia (67%). The lowest rate of adaptation planning is seen in the U.S. (59%). When the average is calculated without the U.S., the worldwide average of cities engaged in some form of adaptation planning jumps to 84%.

 In a recent article, Julia Pyper discussed the US’ low climate adaptation ranking with JoAnn Carmin, survey author and associate professor of environmental policy and planning at MIT. Carmin notes that climate change has become such a politically charged and divisive issue at the national level that local governments are unwilling to address it. She says, “I think that’s hampering cities from taking the bigger view and separating out the debate over the cause of global warming from dealing with the fact that something is changing and it needs to be addressed.” Unlike cities in Asia and Africa where adaptation is necessary to meet the needs of the poor and to secure future growth and prosperity, the US is faulted by its own wealth, Carmin says. Climate change is not seen as an immediate security concern, therefore, other problems often take precedence.

Although cities such as Tuscon, AZ, New York and Chicago are leading the US in adaptation, Pyper writes that, “Thirty-six percent of U.S. cities — the greatest proportion globally — report that the federal government does not understand their needs and concerns with respect to climate adaptation.” Though adaptation measures can be undertaken in individual cities, local governments seek federal support in an already tight economy.

As the government thinks in short-term 2 to 4 year election cycles, the effects of climate change are becoming more apparent and other international cities are preparing for worsening storms, pressures on infrastructure and agricultural difficulties. In order for the US to keep up with these growing changes, a comprehensive regional response strategy is necessary to prepare our cities.

The online version of the ICLEI/MIT report can be found here.

Carmin, JoAnn, Nikhil Nadkarni, and Christopher Rhie. 2012. Progress and Challenges in Urban Climate Adaptation Planning: Results of a Global Survey. Cambridge, MA: MIT.

Pyper, Julia. “U.S. Local Governments Lag Behind Other Cities in Addressing Climate

Adaption.” Climate Wire. E&E Publishing, LLC, 06 June 2012.

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