Pacific Region RCSD Projects & Activities (PAWS) Worksheet
Form used for a entering PAWS into Piko (Worsheet Version April 27 2012)
Acronym
Name/Title
ICAP Sea-Level Rise Policy Study
Capability Area: Understanding Climate Variability and Change
Understanding Climate Variability and Change
Observing Systems, Data Stewardship, Data Services
Operational Products and Services
Research/Development
Historical Observations (hindcasts/climatologies)
Projections (modeling and downscaling)
Training and Capacity Building, Education, Outreach
Best Practices/Guidance
Decision Support Tools
Essential Climate Variable/Parameter
Atmospheric:
Surface (e.g., temp, precip, wind)
Upper-Air
Composition
Oceanic:
Surface (e.g., SST, SSH, salinity, ocean color)
Sub-surface (e.g., temp, salinity, nutrients, carbon, phytoplankton)
Terrestrial:
(e.g., surface water, glaciers and ice caps, land cover, biomass)
Time Frame
Seasonal (outlook)
Intra-annual to Decadal
Multi-decadal (scenarios)
Capability Area: Understanding Climate Impacts and Informing Adaptation
Understanding Climate Impacts and Informing Adaptation
Climate Impacts
Observing Systems, Data Stewardship, Data Services
Research/Development
Historical Observations (hindcasts/climatologies)
Projections (modeling and downscaling)
Climate Adaptation
Training and Capacity Building, Education, Outreach
Best Practices/Guidance
Decision Support Tools
Policies and Legislation
Assessment and Evaluation
Sector
Public Health and Safety
Fresh Water Resources
Energy
Transportation/Communication and Commerce
Community Planning and Development
Social and Cultural Resources
Agriculture and Fisheries
Recreation and Tourism
Ecosystems
Other
Status
Completed
Ongoing
Planned
Proposed
Focus Area
Fresh Water Resources and Drought
Coastal Inundation/Sea Level Rise, Extreme Weather, and Community Resilience
Marine and Terrestrial Ecosystems
Region/Locale
Central North Pacific
State of Hawaii
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Pacific Remote Islands
Western North Pacific
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)
Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)
Guam
Republic of Palau
Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI)
Other Western North Pacific
South Pacific
American Samoa
Australia
Cook Islands
Fiji
French Polynesia
Kiribati
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
Other South Pacific
Pacific Basin
Global
Description
The goal of the Center for Island Climate Adaptation and Policy Sea-level Rise Policy Study project was to increase community resiliency to the climate impacts of sea-level rise. Building on the scientific research of Dr. Charles Fletcher, this project incorporated input from state decision-makers as it identified best practices and policy options for adaptation. The project was unique in its iterative methodology, specifically designed to engage decision-makers and incorporate their feedback at multiple points throughout the process of developing adaptation strategies and policy tools.
Objectives/Outcomes
Ultimately, the project’s result was a set of recommendations responsive to stakeholders’ specific concerns. The publication, “Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Land Use in Hawaii: A Policy Tool Kit for State and Local Governments,” is available at http://icap.seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/icap-publications or www.islandclimate.org. This approach also yielded solutions appropriate for Hawaii’s political landscape that have traction in the law-making arena.
Lead Agencies, Institutions and Organizations
Center for Island Climate Adaptation and Policy (ICAP), NOAA Pacific Services Center
Contacts(names, emails)
ICAP, icap@hawaii.edu Leslie Ricketts, lricketts@hawaii.edu Adam Stein, adam.stein@noaa.gov
Partnering Agencies, Institutions, and Organizations
The NOAA Pacific Services Center provided funding for this study and will help communicate the findings with other coastal and island communities who could benefit from policy guidance for adapting to sea-level rise. The NOAA Coastal Storms Program for the Pacific region aided in coordinating the integration of scientific assessments so that ICAP’s legal and policy recommendations reflect the most advanced climate science and projections for Hawaii.
Required Resources
The project budget was $100,000. About half of which accounted for the salary for a senior attorney specializing in environmental and climate change law and a legal research assistant, who together analyze extant law, develop model policy language, and evaluate adaptation options. A project manager was essential to ensure project deadlines were met, organize outreach events and meetings, and assist in the production of documents. Outreach to stakeholders and decision-makers was conducted effectively with the help of Kem Lowry, an experienced facilitator and retired professor of urban and regional planning.
Projected Timelines
The project timeline included three phases (research, writing, and outreach), which overlap at various points throughout the project. The research phase, spanning March 2011 – May 2011 encompassed an initial literature review, interviews with local decision-makers, developing an outline for the written product, and drafting sections of the final report. The writing phase took place over the course of May 2011 – August 2011 and culminated in a final draft to be sent to reviewers in August. Outreach included workshops for stakeholders and legislators in October 2011 - November 2011 to release and publicize the findings and to develop action strategies for implementing the recommendations.
Feedback Mechanisms and Evaluation Measures
The project is unique in its iterative methodology, specifically designed to engage decision-makers and incorporate their feedback at multiple points throughout the process of developing adaptation strategies and policy tools. Ultimately, the result will be a set of recommendations that are responsive to stakeholders’ specific concerns regarding sea-level rise and the realities and projections of climate change in Hawaii. This approach will also yield solutions appropriate for Hawaii’s political landscape that will have traction in the law-making arena.
Url
http://icap.seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/icap-publications
Worksheet
PnA_SLRPS.doc
Keywords
Understanding Climate Variability and Change Training and Capacity Building, Education, Outreach Understanding Climate Impacts and Informing Adaptation Climate Adaptation Policies and Legislation Training and Capacity Building, Education, Outreach Research/Development Public Health and Safety Transportation/Communication and Commerce Community Planning and Development Social and Cultural Resources Recreation and Tourism Completed Coastal Inundation/Sea Level Rise, Extreme Weather, and Community Resilience State of Hawaii Central North Pacific