Title: CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS AND ADAPTATION: Strategies from a Business Perspective APEGGA Professional Development Stream Climate Change and Opportunities 22
1CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS AND
ADAPTATIONStrategies from a Business
Perspective APEGGA Professional Development
StreamClimate Change and Opportunities22 23
April, 2004ByPaul D. HuntVice
PresidentClimate Change Central
2CLIMATE CHANGE CENTRAL (C3)Background
- Incorporated in early 2000
- A not-for-profit private-public partnership
- Multi-stakeholder board
- Core staff of 18
- Offices in Calgary and Edmonton.
C3s website www.climatechangecentral.com
3CLIMATE CHANGE CENTRALS Role
- Providing Leadership
- Providing Strategic Intelligence
- Providing Outreach
C3s focus is on reducing greenhouse gases in
Alberta
4CLIMATE CHANGE CENTRAL Priorities
- Energy Efficiency Conservation
- Technology and Market Innovation
- Climate Change Impacts Adaptation
- Emission Offset Development
- Socio-Economic Implications
5.. Canada will continue to experience the
impacts of climate change regardless of any
actions it takes to reduce its own emissions.
It will therefore be important to provide
adequate resources for adaptation actions that
can assist communities and regions that are
likely to suffer the negative impacts of a
changing climate.The Conference Board of Canada
6 DEVELOPMENT ADAPTATION
- Adaptation is critical to survival and long-term
success for all living species - Humans throughout history have been Adapting to
the terrain, to the local resources, and to local
food species - Adaptation is not new for us. We evolved from
being nomadic to agrarian by culturing crops that
were adapted to specific local conditions - Successful organisations are adapting constantly
to new and changing conditions
7 CC IMPACTS ADAPTATION
- Climate Change is speeding-up
- Adaptation efforts have not been well
co-ordinated - Partnerships, Strategic Studies, Projects,
Leadership required - Virtually all Climate Change-related impacts in
Alberta will be overwhelmingly negative - - Weather extremes - Increased wildfires
- - Drought, - More energy use for cooling
- - Water shortages - Health effects disease
vectors - Impacts and associated vulnerabilities need to be
identified before adaptation capacities can be
assessed
8 OVERVIEW OF CC IMPACTSHeat
9OVERVIEW OF CC VULNERABILITIESHeat
Heat-Stress
10OVERVIEW OF CC IMPACTSStorm Events
11 OVERVIEW OF CC VULNERABILITIES Storm Events
12 OVERVIEW OF CC IMPACTS Wind
13 OVERVIEW OF CC VULNERABILITIES Wind
14 OVERVIEW OF CC IMPACTSDroughts
15 OVERVIEW OF CC VULNERABILITIES Droughts
16 OVERVIEW OF CC VULNERABILITIES Fires
17 OVERVIEW OF CC VULNERABILITIES Land
Subsidence Erosion
18OVERVIEW OF CC IMPACTSMelting Permafrost
19 OVERVIEW OF CC VULNERABILITIES Melting
Permafrost
20DETERMINING IMPACTADAPTATION MEASURES
- The Questions to Ask
- What are the expected Changes to Climate ?
- What are the predicted Impacts ?
- What are the sectoral and regional
Vulnerabilities ? - What are the Adaptive Capacities ?
- Possible Actions for Sectors, Regions and
Ecosystems.. - Immediate Adaptation Measures
- Implement Adaptation Research
- Longer-term Adaptation Measures (Following
research)
21ADAPTATION APPROACHES AND MEASURES
- Selection, Adoption, Implementation
- requires a number of considerations
- Using estimates
- Choosing options that make sense regardless
- Encouraging desired changes
- Using low risk / low-tech options
- Focussing on issues that have immediacy and
relevance - Pursuing proactive planning
- Increasing awareness
- Acknowledging successes
22ALBERTAs ADAPTATION STRATEGY
- Sound Science with adaptation research and
collaboration - Climate Extremes and effects to be addressed
- Adaptation to long-term changes in collaboration
with the affected Sectors - Engagement of Albertans, requiring public
education and outreach
23NO-REGRETS ADAPTATION MEASURES
- Benefits could be realised by implementing
selected measures today to - Reduce vulnerability to floods and droughts
- Improve energy and water efficiency
- Conserve energy and water
- Protect water resources and biodiversity
24BENEFITS OF IMPEMENTING ADAPTATION MEASURES
- Early Adaptation often more effective and less
costly - Climate change may be more than expected
- Immediate benefits from Adaptation to climate
currently being experienced - Immediate benefits from new policies and
practices - Opportunities should be captured
25TIMING OF ADAPTATION MEASURES
- Adaptation measures can be implemented
-
- Before the impacts
- During the impacts
- After the impacts
26TEMPERATURE TRENDS IN ALBERTA
27TEMPERATURE TRENDS IN ALBERTA
28IMPACT ADAPTATION FOCUS
- In Northern Alberta
- Forestry (fires, diseases, insect infestations)
- Permafrost (thawing threat to new and existing
structures) - Ice-roads (limited use)
- Traditional Land-uses (trapping, hunting,
fishing) -
- In South / South-Central Alberta
- Agriculture (response to droughts)
- Water Resources (quality and quantity)
-
- Alberta generally
- Human Health (West Nile Virus)
- Urban Infrastructures (emergency response,
capacity)
29ADAPTATION MEASURESCooling
30ADAPTATION MEASURES
31ADAPTATION MEASURES
32ADAPTATION MEASURES
33ADAPTATION MEASURES
34ADAPTATION MEASURES
35ADAPTATION MEASURES
36ADAPTATION MEASURES
37ADAPTATION MEASURES
38HUMAN CAPACITY TO ADAPT
- Our adaptive capacity can be large
- Adaptation would be easier if the pace of climate
change was slowed - Economic dependence on susceptible activities
- Wealth Will are the most important factors
39