AdaptNet for 24 February 2009

1. Planning for Climate Change – City of Port Phillip
2. Adapting California’s Water Management to Climate Change
3. Weather and Climate Services in Europe and Central Asia
4. Costs and Benefits of DRR – India, Nepal, Pakistan
5. Climate Change, Conflict and Forced Migration
6. International Energy Workshop 2009 – Venice, Italy

Planning for Climate Change – City of Port Phillip         

The study provides a detailed climate change risk assessment of St. Kilda in Victoria, Australia. It applies this assessment to assist with future planning for climate change in the City of Port Phillip. The report provides detailed mapping of ‘at risk’ areas and lists prioritized recommendations for the necessary next steps.                   

Planning for Climate Change: A Case Study – City Of Port Phillip, Earth Systems and Planning Research Centre, NATCLIM Project, Victoria, Australia, 2007 [2.26 MB, PDF]  

Adapting California’s Water Management to Climate Change  

The paper finds that accelerated sea level rise and a reduced Sierra snowpack will pose significant challenges for water supply and flood management in California. It argues that water utilities in California have already begun to plan for these changes, but flood control agencies are lagging behind and face greater regulatory constraints.             

Adapting California’s Water Management to Climate Change, Ellen Hanak and Jay Lund, Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), San Francisco, California, USA, November 2008 [301 KB, PDF]  

Weather and Climate Services in Europe and Central Asia       

This paper reviews the status of weather and climate services in Europe and Central Asia (ECA). It undertakes some public surveys. The paper suggests a great disparity in the timeliness of severe weather warnings; a disparity that cannot be remedied without reinforcement of Europe and Central Asia’s weakening weather services.               

Weather and Climate Services in Europe and Central Asia: A Regional Review, World Bank working paper no. 151, The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank, Washington D.C., USA, June 2008 [4.90 MB, PDF]  

Costs and Benefits of DRR – India, Nepal, Pakistan    

The paper evaluates the costs and benefits of disaster risk reduction (DRR) across a series of case areas in India, Nepal and Pakistan. It focuses on water related disasters as a consequence of climate change. The paper finds that the benefits of investing in disaster risk management substantially exceed the costs.                    

From Risk to Resilience: Understanding the Costs and Benefits of Disaster Risk Reduction under Changing Climatic Conditions – India, Nepal, Pakistan, Working Paper 9, Marcus Moench et al., ProVention Consortium, the Institute for Social and Environmental Transition and the Institute for Social and Environmental Transition-Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal, October 2008 [2 MB, PDF]    

Climate Change, Conflict and Forced Migration         

The report considers different factors (including climate change) that force migration. It highlights how forced migration can be triggered by environmental conflicts over already scarce resources of water and land. The report argues that the existing laws and possibilities should be further investigated to identify and address potential protection gaps.                 

Future Floods of Refugees: A Comment on Climate Change, Conflict and Forced Migration, Vikram Odedra Kolmannskog, Norwegian Refugee Council, Oslo, Norway, 2008 [2.37 MB, PDF]

International Energy Workshop 2009 – Venice, Italy       

This workshop will take place in Venice, Italy on June 17th-19th, 2009. It aims to gather experts in the field of energy and climate change economics. The workshop will include three plenary sessions; each one hosting two key-note talks, and approximately 80 presentations covering a wide array of topics. Papers may be submitted by March 01, 2009.       

2009 International Energy Workshop, International Center for Climate Governance (a joint initiative of the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei and the Fondazione Giorgio Cini) and the Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change (CMCC), Venice, Italy, February 17-19, 2009