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barriers, but adapting to more frequent and extreme
precipitation also implies finding new ways to prevent
flooding, or treating the extra water as a resource, not a
problem. The use of spatial planning as a tool for adapta-
tion allows for non-technological solutions such as green
spaces in urban areas, water retention structures, open
waterways, utilization of vegetation to absorb water and
the construction of new buildings and infrastructure on
less vulnerable sites.
More detailed projections are sometimes needed, for
example when it comes to rising sea levels. In 2008,
the Norwegian Climate Adaptation Programme issued
a report on expected sea levels in Norway for the years
2050 to 2100 (revised version 2009). The report provides
projections for all coastal municipalities, taking account
of uncertainties and including predicted storm surges. In
following up this report, the programme secretariat has
devised an approach that covers:
Risk and vulnerability analysis related to the current sea
level and storm surge level –
This gives an indication of
the current risk factors for existing buildings and struc-
tures, as well as for planned developments, independent
of future climate change.
Overview of the consequences of rising sea levels and future
storm surges –
This involves visualizing different sea
levels on a thematic map, incorporating local knowl-
edge about wave height, sea currents, wind directions
and topography. It identifies areas that will definitely
be flooded on a permanent basis, those likely to be
set of hands-on guidelines for adaptation at local level. Adopting its
five priorities, and applying them to climate change adaptation, gives
local planners a suitable framework for an overall strategy on climate
change adaptation.
Priority 1: Integrating climate change adaptation
into planning processes
The first priority of the HFA is to ensure political and administrative
commitment for disaster risk reduction at national and local levels. The
same goes for climate change adaptation: in order for an adaptation strat-
egy to be successful, political awareness and commitment are essential.
Communities may see climate change and its impacts as affecting only
people in other parts of the world, and political leaders may even deny
the fact that the climate is changing. Raising awareness among planners
and decision makers is a necessary first step for adaptation.
Although the goal is to integrate climate change adaptation into
existing plans, priorities must be set and commitments made on
a much longer-term basis than is the norm, encompassing a time
span of 50 or even 100 years. This requires consistency over time,
independent of shifting political leadership and social changes. Just
as for disaster risk reduction, the goal should be for adaptation to be
integrated into planning processes on a permanent basis.
Priority 2: Risk identification: assessing climate vulnerability
Traditional risk and vulnerability assessments define the current risk
level, given today’s climate. The difficulty lies in assessing how climate
change will affect the risk level over time. In most cases, climate
change will probably increase the risk level, but by how much?
In many cases, knowledge about the
direction
of climate change is
sufficient. Technical engineers may request more detailed projections
in order to determine the dimensions for drainage systems or flood
Island and cloud, Northern Norway
Image: Trond Isaksen