Adaptation Measures

get them to use air conditioning (i.e.  because they do not feel the heat) or to travel to air-

conditioned environments (e.g. they have no one to take them and may be unable to travel on

their own).  The poor may not be able to afford air conditioning, and if they live in high crime

areas then they may be afraid to visit cooling shelters.  Finally, for young children and infants,

adults often make decisions about how warmly to dress and time spent in hot environments, and

the children and infants may be unable to communicate their discomfort (Blum et al., 1998).  

The variation of impacts across localities, sectors, and demographic groups must be considered

if effective adaptive strategies are to be developed.  Appropriate adaptive responses should vary

across different geographic regions, sectors, and demographic groups since the potential risks,

and human capacity to respond to those risks, vary regionally in scope and severity. At the same

time, it should be recognized that as stakeholders strive to protect beneficial uses and increase

society’s well being through the implementation of adaptation policies, tradeoffs likely will

have to be made.  Any one particular effect of climate change may benefit one region or

demographic group within a region, while harming another region or demographic group. ŇOne

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person’s opportunity may be another person’s loss.”   It is therefore important that any

assessment of potential adaptation strategies to protect Ňbeneficial uses” in the Great Lakes

region articulate the range of potential effects, including both risks and opportunities, and the

options for reducing the risks and exploiting the opportunities.

5.1.2 Multiple Stresses  

Climate change should be viewed as one of several stressors of concern.  

Many of the beneficial uses in the Great

Lakes region that are sensitive to climate

change and climate variability are already

Beneficial uses such as fish and wildlife

under stress for other reasons.  Climate

consumption, access to beaches, agricultural

change may exacerbate or ameliorate existing

productivity, and industrial productivity are

stresses.

sensitive to climate change. But these

beneficial uses are already under stress for

To illustrate the importance of assessing the

other reasons – such as population growth,

potential consequences of climate change

land-use changes, and pollution.

within a larger context, consider the potential

effect that climate change may have on

natural ecosystems in the Great Lakes region.  The rate of climate change, the size of species

ranges, and the dispersal rates of individual species all are important determinants of the ability

of natural ecosystems to adapt to changing climatic conditions.  However, existing threats to

natural ecosystems and species diversity will also affect ecosystem resiliency and capacity to

adapt to climate change.  Conversion of land for human activities (e.g. urban settlements,

farming, harvesting of forests) can interfere directly with seed dispersal and cause changes in

the composition of forested ecosystems.  Natural and manmade barriers, such as roads, cities,

bodies of water, and agricultural land may block migration of species.  Manmade pollution and

habitat degradation may impair the health of particular species, making them less able to

withstand stresses from climate change.  Fragmentation of ecosystems and competition from

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The comments were made at the 1998 A&WMA Annual Meeting, in the session on ŇClimate Change II - Impacts

on North America: What Do We Know?”, San Diego, CA.

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