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Climate Change Adaptation - North Carolina

Climate Change Adaptation - North Carolina

State Seal of North Carolina

        Threat from Sea Level Rise     Threat to Water Supply and Quality     Threat from Intensified Weather Events     Threat from Increased Drought     Threat to Natural Habitat and Wildlife  
           
                                   











Climate Change History

In 2007 the North Carolina Climate Action Plan Advisory Group, assisted by the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) produced a climate action plan.  As with almost all CCS-assisted plans, North Carolina’s plan focuses on the containment and reduction of net greenhouse gas emission (mitigation). It does not address the development of preventative and preparative measures (adaptation).  Wetlands are mentioned in the plan.  North Carolina has extensive, distant outer banks facing extreme risks from sea level rise.

Current & Future Action

Climate policy is still in formative stages in North Carolina, especially as pertains to the wetlands and adaptation strategies.  In March of 2010, the secretaries of many of North Carolina’s agencies including Transportation, Commerce, Environment and Natural Resources, Cultural Resources, and the State Agriculture Commission hosted a workshop where they declared that North Carolina faced threats from Sea Level Rise.  The Governor signed a letter making a similar declaration.

Pilot Programs/Current Studies

The state does not, as yet, have any specific pilots or case studies dealing with wetlands and climate change.

For More Information

The North Carolina climate action plan is available from: http://www.ncclimatechange.us/

For more information about the workshop on climate change adaptation, including many of the presentations given at the workshop, visit: http://www.onencnaturally.org/pages/ClimateChange/CC_Workshop_Archive.html

For more information about climate change adaptation planning as relates to wetlands in North Carolina, contact Cyndi Karoly (cyndi.karoly@ncdenr.gov) or Ian McMillan (ian.mcmillan@ncdenr.gov).