Climate Change Adaptation - Increasing Resiliency

Adaptation efforts focus on proactively preparing for and adapting to changes we can’t prevent.

The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources is developing a comprehensive adaptation strategy that will effectively identify and address potential impacts to the environment and natural resources that our department is charged with protecting.

Activities that are currently underway:

The Division of Coastal Management hosted a public science forum Jan. 14-15, 2010, and has released a Coastal Resources Commission report on current and projected rates of sea level rise in North Carolina through 2100. This may be used for adaptation planning. This information will intersect with the Sea Level Rise Risk Management Study being conducted by the Division of Emergency Management.

The Coastal Habitat Protection Plan has been updated to address climate change impacts on each habitat type. Through the EPA Climate Ready Estuaries program, DENR is working with communities in the Albemarle-Pamlico region to improve the area’s resilience and adaptation capacity.

The Natural Heritage Program, with input from other conservation agencies, is evaluating the likely effects of climate change on North Carolina’s ecosystems and species.The N.C. Climate Change Ecosystem Assessment has defined 42 groups of ecosystems that share certain ecological characteristics and are likely to respond to climate change in similar ways.The draft reports are being reviewed by experts, whose input may be incorporated to improve the assessments. We expect to continue making improvements to our assessments and recommendations as new predictions about the effects of climate change become available or as empirical evidence of the effects begins to accumulate.

As a member of the North Carolina Interagency Leadership Team, DENR co-hosted a statewide Climate Change Adaptation Workshop March 2-3, 2010, called “Planning for North Carolina’s Future: Ask the Climate Question.” Presentations by experts explaining projected climate change impacts and adaptation strategies are archived online.

Through the N.C. Interagency Leadership Team, NCDENR is coordinating with other state and federal agencies, and with other agencies that have recognized the need to collaborate on an integrated climate response. DENR is the lead state agency as we develop strategies to address climate-related issues, and Federal agencies are providing support and guidance. The Departments of Transportation, Commerce, Cultural Resources, and the Wildlife Resources Commission have also committed to work on this effort, with support of our partners in emergency management, agriculture, insurance and public health.

NOAA’S NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, along with USDA Forest Service and the Renaissance Computing Institute, is providing significant funding to UNC Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC) to support our climate change response planning and provide down-scaled climate assessments. Customized decision support tools will inform climate strategy development and help decision makers at all levels to visualize possible future scenarios.