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A new white paper developed by SERDP identifies key policy questions that need to be addressed to ensure that climate change vulnerability and impact assessments are conducted effectively and that assessment findings are appropriately used to inform decisions. The paper draws on the work of four SERDP-funded research projects that are developing and testing information, models, and tools necessary to examine the potential climate change vulnerability of and impacts on military installations along the coast.
Climate-related effects are already being observed at Department of Defense (DoD) installations in every region of the United States and its coastal waters. The effects of climate change will adversely impact military readiness and DoD natural and built infrastructure unless these risks are considered in DoD decisions. Considerations of future climate conditions need to be incorporated into the planning, design, and operations of military facilities, as well as in the strategic infrastructure decisions facing the military Services and DoD as a whole.
The SERDP white paper, Assessing Impacts of Climate Change on Coastal Military Installations: Policy Implications, details key policy questions for DoD and the military Services that are raised by the need to address climate change vulnerability and impacts. The key policy questions identified in the report are:
The paper also identifies technical and institutional considerations that should be incorporated into DoD policies and guidance to ensure an effective and sustainable approach to enhancing military readiness and protecting DoD assets in the face of climate change. These considerations are:
The white paper can inform DoD policymakers as they develop policy and guidance for assessing the vulnerability and resilience of military installations to future climate-related stressors. Although the main focus of this paper is coastal installations, the findings may inform the Department’s overall approach to climate change, helping to ensure the future ability of DoD to meet its mission, sustain its assets, and meet its stewardship requirements and responsibilities.