This report presents a framework for urban climate adaptation that identifies seven essential
capacities that cities need to develop so they can effectively implement climate adaptation
actions in the short- and long-term. This framework is based on an extensive review of current adaptation practice and is different from most available frameworks, which focus primarily on processes for adaptation planning and specific actions to take depending on which climate hazards a city faces. Identifying the new, enduring capacities that cities need builds on the current knowledge of urban adaptation.
This report focuses on climate adaptation—the preventive actions a city seeks to take in
anticipation of climate hazards, which may also be called climate preparedness or climate
resilience. Climate adaptation does not include the emergency response to actual climate
hazard events or the after-event process of recovery. These are important for cities, but are not subjects of this report.
Our purpose is to present cities with a useful framework, based on their practical experiences, for understanding how to grow and prosper in the face of increasing climate disruptions. In support of this information, we provide examples from cities that have been developing versions of the essential capacities, an overview of prevailing adaptation planning frameworks, and links to useful tools and reports.
The project undertook four research activities in 2016:
