How Do We Identify Climate Change Impacts Within Community Hazard Mitigation?
Climate change presents opportunities as well as increased risk for hazard mitigation. International concern about risks associated with climate change offers an opportunity to enhance community-level mitigation of climate-induced natural hazards. But while media focus raises public awareness and government adaptation strategies, climate change impacts could pose the risk of more catastrophic events. The certainties of climate change are increased temperature, its associated ocean expansion, and the resulting sea level rise—exacerbated by melting of icecaps. Sea level rise will be most clearly experienced in the form of surge events accompanying hazards. The effects of these changes remain uncertain and various scenarios have predicted more severe droughts, floods, tropical cyclones and hurricanes, and severe storms. The problem for emergency managers and researchers is how to isolate likely climate change impacts from ongoing hazard mitigation, awareness, and preparedness efforts. Inc
