%0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %E Beatty, Alexandra %T Characterizing Risk in Climate Change Assessments: Proceedings of a Workshop %@ 978-0-309-44551-1 %D 2016 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23569/characterizing-risk-in-climate-change-assessments-proceedings-of-a-workshop %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23569/characterizing-risk-in-climate-change-assessments-proceedings-of-a-workshop %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 100 %X The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) was established in 1990 to "assist the Nation and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change."1 A key responsibility for the program is to conduct National Climate Assessments (NCAs) every 4 years.2 These assessments are intended to inform the nation about "observed changes in climate, the current status of the climate, and anticipated trends for the future." The USGCRP hopes that government entities from federal agencies to small municipalities, citizens, communities, and businesses will rely on these assessments of climate- related risks for planning and decision-making. The third NCA (NCA3) was published in 2014 and work on the fourth is beginning. The USGCRP asked the Board on Environmental Change and Society of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a workshop to explore ways to frame the NCA4 and subsequent NCA reports in terms of risks to society. The workshop was intended to collect experienced views on how to characterize and communicate information about climate-related hazards, risks, and opportunities that will support decision makers in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce vulnerability to likely changes in climate, and increase resilience to those changes. Characterizing Risk in Climate Change Assessments summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Global Change Research Needs and Opportunities for 2022-2031 %@ 978-0-309-26134-0 %D 2021 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26055/global-change-research-needs-and-opportunities-for-2022-2031 %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26055/global-change-research-needs-and-opportunities-for-2022-2031 %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Behavioral and Social Sciences %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 122 %X The US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is a collection of 13 Federal entities charged by law to assist the United States and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change. Global Change Research Needs and Opportunities for 2022-2031 advises the USGCRP on how best to meet its mandate in light of climate change impacts happening today and projected into the future. This report identifies critical climate change risks, research needed to support decision-making relevant to managing these risks, and opportunities for the USGCRP's participating agencies and other partners to advance these research priorities over the next decade. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Understanding the Long-Term Evolution of the Coupled Natural-Human Coastal System: The Future of the U.S. Gulf Coast %@ 978-0-309-47584-6 %D 2018 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25108/understanding-the-long-term-evolution-of-the-coupled-natural-human-coastal-system %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25108/understanding-the-long-term-evolution-of-the-coupled-natural-human-coastal-system %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 156 %X The U.S. Gulf Coast provides a valuable setting to study deeply connected natural and human interactions and feedbacks that have led to a complex, interconnected coastal system. The physical landscape in the region has changed significantly due to broad-scale, long-term processes such as coastal subsidence and river sediment deposition as well as short-term episodic events such as hurricanes. Modifications from human activities, including building levees and canals and constructing buildings and roads, have left their own imprint on the natural landscape. This coupled natural-human coastal system and the individual aspects within it (physical, ecological, and human) are under increased pressure from accelerating environmental stressors such as sea level rise, intensifying hurricanes, and continued population increase with its accompanying coastal development. Promoting the resilience and maintaining the habitability of the Gulf Coast into the future will need improved understanding of the coupled natural-human coastal system, as well as effective sharing of this understanding in support of decision-making and policies. Understanding the Long-term Evolution of the Coupled Natural-Human Coastal System presents a research agenda meant to enable a better understanding of the multiple and interconnected factors that influence long-term processes along the Gulf Coast. This report identifies scientific and technical gaps in understanding the interactions and feedbacks between human and natural processes, defines essential components of a research and development program in response to the identified gaps, and develops priorities for critical areas of research. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change %@ 978-0-309-14591-6 %D 2010 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12783/adapting-to-the-impacts-of-climate-change %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12783/adapting-to-the-impacts-of-climate-change %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 292 %X Across the United States, impacts of climate change are already evident. Heat waves have become more frequent and intense, cold extremes have become less frequent, and patterns of rainfall are likely changing. The proportion of precipitation that falls as rain rather than snow has increased across the western United States and Arctic sea ice has been reduced significantly. Sea level has been rising faster than at any time in recent history, threatening the natural and built environments on the coasts. Even if emissions of greenhouse gases were substantially reduced now, climate change and its resulting impacts would continue for some time to come. To date, decisions related to the management and protection of the nation's people, resources, and infrastructure have been based on records in the recent past, when climate was relatively stable. Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change, part of the congressionally requested America's Climate Choices suite of studies, calls for a new paradigm-one that considers a range of possible future climate conditions and impacts that may be well outside the realm of past experience. Adaptation requires actions from many decision makers in federal, state, tribal, and local governments; the private sector; non-governmental organizations; and community groups. However, current efforts are hampered by a lack of solid information about the benefits, costs, and effectiveness of various adaptation options; climate information on regional and local scales; and a lack of coordination. Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change calls for a national adaptation strategy that provides needed technical and scientific resources, incentives to begin adaptation planning, guidance across jurisdictions, shared lessons learned, and support of scientific research to expand knowledge of impacts and adaptation. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change: Anticipating Surprises %@ 978-0-309-28773-9 %D 2013 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18373/abrupt-impacts-of-climate-change-anticipating-surprises %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18373/abrupt-impacts-of-climate-change-anticipating-surprises %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 222 %X Climate is changing, forced out of the range of the past million years by levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases not seen in the Earth's atmosphere for a very, very long time. Lacking action by the world's nations, it is clear that the planet will be warmer, sea level will rise, and patterns of rainfall will change. But the future is also partly uncertain—there is considerable uncertainty about how we will arrive at that different climate. Will the changes be gradual, allowing natural systems and societal infrastructure to adjust in a timely fashion? Or will some of the changes be more abrupt, crossing some threshold or "tipping point" to change so fast that the time between when a problem is recognized and when action is required shrinks to the point where orderly adaptation is not possible? Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change is an updated look at the issue of abrupt climate change and its potential impacts. This study differs from previous treatments of abrupt changes by focusing on abrupt climate changes and also abrupt climate impacts that have the potential to severely affect the physical climate system, natural systems, or human systems, often affecting multiple interconnected areas of concern. The primary timescale of concern is years to decades. A key characteristic of these changes is that they can come faster than expected, planned, or budgeted for, forcing more reactive, rather than proactive, modes of behavior. Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change summarizes the state of our knowledge about potential abrupt changes and abrupt climate impacts and categorizes changes that are already occurring, have a high probability of occurrence, or are unlikely to occur. Because of the substantial risks to society and nature posed by abrupt changes, this report recommends the development of an Abrupt Change Early Warning System that would allow for the prediction and possible mitigation of such changes before their societal impacts are severe. Identifying key vulnerabilities can help guide efforts to increase resiliency and avoid large damages from abrupt change in the climate system, or in abrupt impacts of gradual changes in the climate system, and facilitate more informed decisions on the proper balance between mitigation and adaptation. Although there is still much to learn about abrupt climate change and abrupt climate impacts, to willfully ignore the threat of abrupt change could lead to more costs, loss of life, suffering, and environmental degradation. Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change makes the case that the time is here to be serious about the threat of tipping points so as to better anticipate and prepare ourselves for the inevitable surprises. %0 Book %A National Academy of Engineering %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Environmental Engineering for the 21st Century: Addressing Grand Challenges %@ 978-0-309-47655-3 %D 2019 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25121/environmental-engineering-for-the-21st-century-addressing-grand-challenges %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25121/environmental-engineering-for-the-21st-century-addressing-grand-challenges %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Engineering and Technology %K Earth Sciences %P 124 %X Environmental engineers support the well-being of people and the planet in areas where the two intersect. Over the decades the field has improved countless lives through innovative systems for delivering water, treating waste, and preventing and remediating pollution in air, water, and soil. These achievements are a testament to the multidisciplinary, pragmatic, systems-oriented approach that characterizes environmental engineering. Environmental Engineering for the 21st Century: Addressing Grand Challenges outlines the crucial role for environmental engineers in this period of dramatic growth and change. The report identifies five pressing challenges of the 21st century that environmental engineers are uniquely poised to help advance: sustainably supply food, water, and energy; curb climate change and adapt to its impacts; design a future without pollution and waste; create efficient, healthy, resilient cities; and foster informed decisions and actions. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Community-Driven Relocation: Recommendations for the U.S. Gulf Coast Region and Beyond %@ 978-0-309-70872-2 %D 2024 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27213/community-driven-relocation-recommendations-for-the-us-gulf-coast-region %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27213/community-driven-relocation-recommendations-for-the-us-gulf-coast-region %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Behavioral and Social Sciences %P 580 %X Between 1980 and mid-2023, 232 billion-dollar disasters occurred in the U.S. Gulf Coast region, with the number of disasters doubling annually since 2018. The variety and frequency of storms have exacerbated historic inequalities and led to cycles of displacement and chronic stress for communities across the region. While disaster displacement is not a new phenomenon, the rapid escalation of climate-related disasters in the Gulf increases the urgency to develop pre-disaster policies to mitigate displacement and decrease suffering. Yet, neither the region nor the nation has a consistent and inclusionary process to address risks, raise awareness, or explore options for relocating communities away from environmental risks while seeking out and honoring their values and priorities. Community-Driven Relocation: Recommendations for the U.S. Gulf Coast Region and Beyond examines how people and infrastructure relocate and why community input should drive the planning process. This report provides recommendations to guide a path for federal, state, and local policies and programs to improve on and expand existing systems to better serve those most likely to be displaced by climate change. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Enhancing Community Resilience through Social Capital and Connectedness: Stronger Together! %@ 978-0-309-45094-2 %D 2021 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26123/enhancing-community-resilience-through-social-capital-and-connectedness-stronger-together %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26123/enhancing-community-resilience-through-social-capital-and-connectedness-stronger-together %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Policy for Science and Technology %P 46 %X Disasters caused by natural hazards and other large-scale emergencies are devastating communities in the United States. These events harm individuals, families, communities, and the entire country, including its economy and the federal budget. This report identifies applied research topics, information, and expertise that can inform action and opportunities within the natural hazard mitigation and resilience fields with the goal of reducing the immense human and financial toll of disasters.