BY ICAP STAFF
Friday, April 13, 2012
Only nine states have taken comprehensive steps to address their vulnerabilities to the water-related impacts of climate change, while 29 states are unprepared for growing water threats to their economies and public health, according to a first ever detailed state-by-state analysis of water readiness released April 5th by the Natural Resources Defense Council (“NRDC”).
The new NRDC report, Ready or Not: An Evaluation of State Climate and Water Preparedness Planning, outlines four preparedness categories to differentiate between the best-prepared states with comprehensive adaptation plans (including California, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin), from those states that are least prepared and lagging farthest behind (including Florida, New Mexico, Ohio, Virginia, and Texas).
Hawai‘i is among those states that are not well prepared. An interactive map summarizes the report findings, and color-coding indicates that in Hawai‘i, “Activities to prepare for climate change impacts are underway in select state agencies, but they are fragmented, not fully coordinated, or not guided by an overarching strategy or plan.”
ICAP’s recently released white paper, Water Resources and Climate Change Adaptation in Hawai‘i: Adaptive Tools in the Current Law and Policy Framework, offers twelve adaptive tools that can help Hawai‘i’s state and county governments address those shortcomings and become better prepared.
Check out the video below featuring NRDC’s Water and Climate Program Director, Steve Fleischli, who discusses the new report and what is at risk.
