AdaptNet for 7 September 2010

1. Victorian Climate Change White Paper Action Plan               

2. Asia’s Coastal Cities in an Age of Climate Change

3. Climate Change Adaptation in New Zealand

4. Hands-on Energy Adaptation Toolkit – HEAT

5. Framing Climate Adaptation Learning and Action – Pakistan

6. The Future of Cities Congress – Incheon, Korea  

Victorian Climate Change White Paper Action Plan               

Victoria has taken a major step in advancing the climate change agenda in Australia with the release of a White Paper. It includes 10 actions aimed at reducing emissions, providing a more diverse energy mix, encouraging more water and energy efficient Victorian homes and businesses, and facilitating community adaptation to climate change. The White Paper Implementation Plan will be released later this year and will set out details, including funding, of the specific initiatives underpinning the Action Plan.  

Taking Action for Victoria’s Future: Victorian Climate Change White Paper – The Action Plan, Victorian Government Department of Premier and Cabinet, Melbourne, Australia, July 2010 [3.63 MB, PDF]

Asia’s Coastal Cities in an Age of Climate Change     

The paper finds that the development of risk-management strategies (e.g. improved infrastructure, early warning systems, evacuation plans, disaster response, and relief aid) is urgently needed in all Asia’s coastal megacities. However, the paper argues that substantial barriers to implementing such measures must first be overcome, including: lack of awareness, the distracting immediacy of other problems, budgetary constraints, and governance issues.

Cities at Risk: Asia’s Coastal Cities in an Age of Climate Change, Roland J. Fuchs, Asia-Pacific Issues, Analysis from the East-West Center No. 96, July 2010 [2.82 MB, PDF]

Climate Change Adaptation in New Zealand       

This publication contains nine papers that provide sectoral perspectives on adaptation to climate change in New Zealand. It explores New Zealand’s existing experience of adaptation and points to ways forward. The publication takes a triple bottom line approach (economic, environmental and social) to synthesizing adaptation issues across key sectors and interests, including: primary industries; human health; biodiversity; energy; and Maori culture.

Climate Change Adaptation in New Zealand: Future Scenarios and Some Sectoral Perspectives, Richard A. C. Nottage et al. (editors), New Zealand Climate Change Centre, Wellington, New Zealand, 2010 [3.41 MB, PDF]

Hands-on Energy Adaptation Toolkit – HEAT      

This toolkit (Hands-on Energy Adaptation Toolkit) has been designed to support hands-on climate vulnerability and adaptation assessments of the energy sector. It provides a risk-based process to inform high-level decision-making by governments about how to adapt the energy sector to improve its resilience to climate variability and climate change. 

Hands-on Energy Adaptation Toolkit – HEAT, World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme, The World Bank, 2010 

Framing Climate Adaptation Learning and Action – Pakistan    

This paper applies a learning perspective to the climate change adaptation debate. It uses an actor-based approach to examine some of the key conceptual ideas in the Pakistani urban local context. The paper identifies six discrete characteristics that could be used to frame the context of climate change adaptation learning and action, including: leadership for adaptation, vision for adaptation, culture for adaptation, good governance for adaptation, innovation and creativity for adaptation and resources for adaptation.

Framing Climate Change Adaptation Learning and Action: The Case of Lahore, Pakistan, Saleem Janjua, Ian Thomas, Darryn McEvoy, International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, vol. 2, issue 3, pp.281-296, 2010 [subscription required]

The Future of Cities Congress – Incheon, Korea     

This congress will take place from 5-7 October 2010 in Incheon, Republic of Korea. It will address the monumental challenges facing rapidly growing cities of the 21st Century. Achieving urban eco-efficiency, resilient cities, green economies and happy urban populations will be at the center of presentations and debates. For further details, please go to the ICLEI website.      

The Future of Cities Congress: Eco-efficiency, Resilience, Green Economy, and happiness, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, Incheon, Republic of Korea, 5-7 October, 2010