NOS International Goals : Climate Change
Mitigate and Adapt to Impacts of Climate Change and Variability
Problem
Globally, climate change and variability are increasingly impacting coastal communities. Coastal zones are particularly vulnerable to climate change because they are affected by changes in both the marine and terrestrial environments. This is especially challenging to coastal managers in charge of developing appropriate adaptive responses. Traditional coastal management governance structures are often ill equipped to address the increased risks and vulnerability in coastal margins associated with climate change. It is difficult to formulate adaptive strategies due to cumulative impacts and the need to respond to coastal risk and maintain resilience of coastal communities. Our ability to conduct place-based specific response to climate change is further challenged by our lack of understanding of the political and socioeconomic context at the local, state, national, and international levels.
Most countries are examining the effectiveness of their current policies and decision-making frameworks in responding to coastal risk and impacts due to climate change. NOS is uniquely placed to provide best adaptive management practices and approaches for coastal management and response.Objectives
- Develop and improve tools and technologies to better understand and adapt to the impacts of climate change by assisting and exchanging capabilities with key international partners.
- Transfer NOAA tools and information to better understand and develop adaptation strategies to address the impacts of climate change.
- Provide technical assistance to international partners especially to coastal decision-makers and vulnerable communities.
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NOS Strengths
- NOS has a suite of programs that can help mobilize coastal management decision makers in developing adaptation responses to address the impacts of climate change. NOS has a long-term observational component for relative mean sea-level monitoring for the U.S that is integrated with the NOAA Climate Program Office Climate Observing System goals and objectives.
- NOS can play a leadership role in providing information that can be used to evaluate the vulnerability of human and natural coastal systems.
- NOS can make a significant contribution by providing information and tools to support better informed decision-making and promote coastal resilient communities.
ACTIONS
- Develop and share tools to understand ecosystem resilience to climate variability and change and their impacts on coastal communities, including ocean acidification, sea level rise, and coral bleaching prediction.
- Develop and share tools for adaptive management working with the coastal management and MPA communities, in particular in the Caribbean and Pacific.
NOS will promote integration of information concerning climate science to build domestic and international capacity that can support effective policy and decision-making to mitigate and adapt to impacts of climate change and variability.