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Perspectives on Stakeholder Engagement and Climate Change Adaptation

"Do not be misled. The extremes in the weather are going to get worse. Period." This statement by Dr. Blair Feltmate, Head, Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, University of Waterloo, was a common theme during the Perspectives on Stakeholder Engagement and Climate Change Adaptation session. The four panelists and the moderator talked about how to prepare and adapt to the changing climate and the data used to reach certain conclusions.

"One of the core questions you have to ask is, ‘Adapting to what?’" said Blair. "Climate change is here to stay. It is irreversible."

According to Annie Petsonk, International Counsel, Environmental Defense Fund, the first step is to understand the forecast for your airport...It is hard to do these forecasts. People are skeptical. But understanding the forecast is important in anticipating changes."

So, how do you prepare for it and raise its importance level? "Priorities will vary greatly between airports. Nobody can tell an airport how to prioritize," said Rachel Burbridge, Environmental Policy Officer, Eurocontrol. "It has to be a local decision and based on resources."

When researching, also try reaching out to insurance companies. Blair mentioned that Intact Financial now has a full-time meteorologist that works with underwriters.

Also, due to its importance in planning for future risks, "the climate center has done extensive research on climate modeling," added Phillipe Lemire, Regional Director, Northern Transportation Office for the Transport Quebec. ACI chapters can help you access that information, as well. This type of information is important for infrastructure renovations, too, as "infrastructure that was designed for .5 inch of rainfall event is going to be completely inadequate" during torrential rainfalls that may be predicted for your area. "When you are building infrastructure, you want to take sure you are building it in such a way that is adapting to changes on the way 50 years down the road," added Blair.

Steve J. Grossman, CEO, Jacksonville Aviation Authority, who moderated the session, summed it up perfectly: "It is not, ‘How do we stop it?’ It is, "How do we deal with it?’"

 

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