Preparedness

Assessment of Impact

In order to prepare for climate change, assessments must be completed and available for decision-making processes. On the international level, the International [Page 826]Governmental Panel on Climate Change encourages collaboration among scientists, allied professionals, and policymakers, providing a forum for the collection of research material and posing questions to spur planning. The take-away message is evaluation to determine global policy toward a common goal while addressing implications and increasing cooperation between governments.

On the national and local levels, any assessment of the extent of impact climate changes (higher temperatures, rising sea levels, changing weather patterns will have on human health, ecosystem diversity and productivity, agricultural production, water supply, sanitation, infrastructure) must factor in the associated costs and benefits in developing sustainabil-ity plans, preparation for emergency situations, and adaptive measures.

Each area is different, with varying susceptibilities, policies, institutions, and social/cultural structures. National and local assessments to be most effective must evaluate the capacity to handle emergency measures associated with natural disasters and identifying susceptible areas of the environment and resources including agriculture, fisheries, forestry, fauna, human health, water supply and sanitation, infrastructure and construction, land use in hazard-prone areas (flood plain, islands), and disaster management.

Challenges to assessment for impact include factors not related to climate change that will impact the areas being considered at risk because of climate change include the dynamics of society and economy (demographic trends, agricultural management, improving and new technologies, cultural preferences, opportunities for employment, availability, and changes in transportation). Complex dynamics in human relationships with the environment, self-reliance, growing population, and increased urbanization may produce very different impacts between urban and rural areas.

Impacts to Consider

When making assessments, a variety of elements need to be considered that cross boundaries of social structures and practices as well as environmental conditions. Severe weather destruction has highlighted areas that lack preparedness. The current global situation for preparedness is still lacking. Severe weather causes great devastation. Even in a highly developed country, as seen in the aftermath of the 2005 Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans and other areas on the U.S. Gulf Coast, problems were experienced with infrastructure, the failure of levees to hold back storm surge water, and mobilizing emergency supplies.

Planning for impacts from rising global temperatures must take into account a wide range of factors including the impact on human health, comfort, lifestyle, food production, economic activity, and residential and migration patterns including tourism.

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