The document summarizes different tools used in climate adaptation planning including risk assessments, stakeholder assessments, and role-play simulations. Risk assessments took climate data to highlight local vulnerabilities and opportunities to enhance resilience over short, medium, and long time periods. Stakeholder assessments engaged stakeholders to understand how climate impacts may affect different groups and identify barriers to action. Role-play simulations allowed participants to engage with simulated climate-related problems to gain insights and enhance relationships for collaboration on adaptation planning.

1. Assessment, Engagement, and Collective Action: A Toolbox for Climate Adaptation Planning
Southern New England American Planning Association Conference
October 24, 2014
RISK ASSESSMENT
Risk Assessments take scaled-down climate data to highlight critical local vulnerabilities and
opportunities to enhance resilience.
For NECAP, the Summary Risk Assessments used two emissions scenarios – low-emissions and high-emissions
– to make climate projections over three time periods: short term (2010 - 2039), medium term (2040 - 2069),
and long term (2070 - 2099). The team combined these future climatic changes (including temperature,
precipitation, and sea level rise) with other factors (such as the built environment, economics, demographics,
and natural context) to create integrated risk and vulnerability assessments for each town. Each risk was also
paired with sample adaptation methods that prioritize reducing exposure and sensitivity, and increasing adaptive
capacity. The Summary Risk Assessments were used to inform the project’s Stakeholder Assessments and were
a broad brushstroke look at potential risks and impacts from climate change.
STAKEHOLDER ASSESSMENT
Stakeholder Assessments engage stakeholders to determine how possible climate change impacts might
affect different members of the community, existing stakeholder views, and potential barriers to action.
The NECAP team interviewed a wide-ranging sample of community stakeholders to determine their
understanding of and views about the climate change risks identified through the Summary Risk Assessments,
as well as their attitudes toward adaptation planning.
ROLE PLAY SIMULATIONS (RPS)
Role-play simulation exercises offer a powerful way for decision-makers, stakeholders, students and
others to engage with problems similar to those they face in the real world or may face in the future.
Whether in a classroom or community meeting as part of a larger collaborative process, participants can gain
insights, test tools and approaches, hone skills and enhance working relationships by grappling with
hypothetical or simulated problem-solving situations.
In NECAP, RPS were tailored specifically for each community, and designed to engage participants in a mock
decision-making process about key climate change risks facing their community, such as the possibility of
severe sea level rise and related impacts on coastal infrastructure. We ran these simulations with stakeholders,
public officials, and citizens in each partner municipality to help people learn about local climate change risks
and to help communities begin to explore ways of preparing for and adapting to climate change.
For more information please visit necap.mit.edu