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B O STO N CL I MATE AC T I O N P LAN
UPDATE 2011
adaptation
Preparing for Change: Climate Adaptation Adaptation is preparation for the evolving local environmental conditions that are the consequences of global climate change. For Boston, the most serious consequences are sea-level rise, increased frequency and intensity of heat waves, and increased intensity of storms. The first imperative of climate change adaptation is mitigation, the reduction in the emission of the greenhouse gases so that the effects can be kept as small as possible. However, even as Boston reduces its emissions, the built-up momentum in the Earth’s climate system guarantees that change will continue for some time. For this reason, more specific preparation for the foreseeable effects of climate change is necessary. City Government’s work on adaptation is based on a three-part framework:
• Development of a sustained and comprehensive adaptation program
• Acquisition and analysis of new information • Incorporation of adaptation into all planning and project review processes
The responsibilities for developing and implementing adaptation measures are spread throughout municipal government. The Office of Environmental and Energy Services is taking the lead in coordinating these efforts.
Comprehensive Adaptation Program Mayor Menino included City Government’s fundamental commitment to climate adaptation in his 2007 executive order on climate action, and municipal offices increased efforts to assess potential vulnerabilities and potential responses. The Boston climate adaptation plan is now being built up out of separate measures, many of them still in initial stages, growing out of existing programs in individual departments. The first steps, in general, focus on the near term, where the magnitudes of changes are smaller and more certain.
Adaptation Management A working group of eight city agencies and departments, under the leadership of the Office of Environmental and Energy Services, coordinates municipal adaptation efforts. The adaptation program looks beyond the basic physical phenomena—sea-level rise, flooding, heat waves, and so on—to address their health, economic, and social consequences. The working group will look for opportunities for departments and agencies to work together, and will identify areas that require additional research, broad coordination, or fundamental policy decisions. Individual departments and agencies are responsible for applying climate concerns to their own missions, and concern for the most vulnerable—those most likely to be affected by climate change and those with the fewest resources for taking action—is one of the basic starting points. This reflects the general principle of equity that applies to all parts of the climate action plan: Implementation of the climate action recommendations should not exacerbate existing social and economic inequalities and should, whenever possible, contribute to reducing those inequalities.
Community Outreach and intergovernmental Cooperation Effective climate adaptation will often require action that reaches beyond political boundaries. For example, sea-level rise in Boston Harbor will involve many property owners and businesses, a dozen communities, and municipal, state, and federal authorities. Similarly, possible adaptation strategies could require financial and other resources that exceed municipal capabilities. Climate adaptation will require action by and support from Boston residents, businesses, and institutions. Adaptation is a central concern of the community engagement process that Boston City Government is developing around climate action. City Government is participating in many events specifically addressing adaptation, for example, The Boston Harbor Association’s Sea-Level Rise Forum and two follow-up neighborhood presentations in East Boston and Dorchester in fall 2010.