This document outlines a workshop on climate adaptation planning tools hosted by the New England Climate Adaptation Project. The workshop included an introduction to the project, a scenario exercise, and a presentation on adaptation planning tools such as risk assessments, stakeholder assessments, and role-playing simulations. A poll of New England residents found most are concerned about climate impacts but skeptical their towns can respond effectively. The workshop aimed to help communities better understand climate risks and consider how to incorporate adaptation into planning and decision-making.

1. Assessment, Engagement, and Collective Action:
A Toolbox for Climate Adaptation Planning
Lisa Young
Julie Curti
Danya Rumore
MIT Science Impact Collaborative
New England Climate Adaptation Project

2. Workshop Agenda
• Introductions (5 min)
• Overview of the New
England Climate Adaptation
Project (10 min)
o Project goals and partners
o Public polling results
• Scenario Exercise (30 min)
o Small group discussions
o Debrief session
• Presentation on Adaptation
Planning Tools (15 min)
o Risk Assessments
o Stakeholder Assessments
o Role-Play Simulations and Workshops
• Discussion (10 min)
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3. Introductions
1. Name
2. State
3. Employer, Job Title
4. How long have you been
involved with climate
adaptation planning?
5. What are you hoping to
get out of this workshop?
3

4. New England
Climate Adaptation P R O J E C T
Funded by the NERRS Science Collaborative
4

5. New England
Climate Adaptation P R O J E C T
Project Goals:
• Assess local climate change risks
• Identify key challenges and
opportunities for adaptation
• Test the use of role-play
simulations:
o As a tool for educating the
public about climate change
threats
o For helping communities
explore ways of enhancing
their climate preparedness
5

6. How concerned are you about the possible
impacts a changing climate might have on
your town?
13%
13%
33%
23%
18%
1 - Not at all
concerned
2
3 - Somewhat
concerned
4
5 - Very
concerned
6
Aggregated responses from Barnstable, MA; Dover, NH;
Cranston, RI; and Wells, Maine Public Poll |

7. How concerned are you about the possible
impacts a changing climate might have on
your town?
13%
Most people are 13%
somewhat to
very concerned about climate
33%
23%
18%
1 - Not at all
concerned
2
3 - Somewhat
concerned
4
5 - Very
concerned
change impacts
7
Aggregated responses from Barnstable, MA; Dover, NH;
Cranston, RI; and Wells, Maine Public Poll |

8. Do you ever think about whether a change in
the climate could affect your community?
46%
25%
5%
24%
Yes, often
Every once in
a while
I have once or
twice
No, not really
8
Aggregated responses from Barnstable, MA; Dover, NH;
Cranston, RI; and Wells, Maine Public Poll |

9. Do you ever think about whether a change in
the climate could affect your community?
46%
25%
5%
24%
Yes, often
Every once in
a while
I have once or
twice
No, not really
A lot of people are thinking about
local climate change risks
9
Aggregated responses from Barnstable, MA; Dover, NH;
Cranston, RI; and Wells, Maine Public Poll |

10. How confident are you that your town will be
able to effectively respond to climate-related
risks despite uncertainty about what the future
climate will be like?
22%
22%
11%
36%
9% 1 - Not at all
confident
2
3 - Somewhat
confident
4
5 - Very
confident
10
Aggregated responses from Barnstable, MA; Dover, NH;
Cranston, RI; and Wells, Maine Public Poll |

11. How confident are you that your town will be
able to effectively respond to climate-related
risks despite uncertainty about what the future
climate will be like?
22%
People are not very confident that
their town will respond to
climate-related risks
22%
11%
36%
9% 1 - Not at all
confident
2
3 - Somewhat
confident
4
5 - Very
confident
11
Aggregated responses from Barnstable, MA; Dover, NH;
Cranston, RI; and Wells, Maine Public Poll |

12. How significant do you think climate change
should/will be in your town’s planning and
decision making over the next ten years?
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
1 - Not at all
significant
2 Somewhat
significant
4 5 - Very
significant
Should be
Will Be
12
Aggregated responses from Barnstable, MA; Dover, NH;
Cranston, RI; and Wells, Maine Public Poll |

13. How significant do you think climate change
should/will be in your town’s planning and
decision making over the next ten years?
40%
35%
30%
People would like their town to do
something about climate change,
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
1 - Not at all
significant
2 Somewhat
significant
4 5 - Very
significant
Should be
Will Be
but don’t think it actually will
13
Aggregated responses from Barnstable, MA; Dover, NH;
Cranston, RI; and Wells, Maine Public Poll |

14. If the climate is changing, who do you think
should be responsible for preparing for the
possible impacts on your community?
Please select up to 3 options (first response shown below)
3% 2% Individuals
27%
16% 24%
14%
14%
The national government
The state government
The City/Town government
Other
Businesses
Neighborhoods
14
Aggregated responses from Barnstable, MA; Dover, NH;
Cranston, RI; and Wells, Maine Public Poll |

15. If the climate is changing, who do you think
should be responsible for preparing for the
possible impacts on your community?
Please select up to 3 options (first response shown below)
3% 2% Individuals
People assign 27%
more responsibility
to individuals and the federal
government than to the local
government
16% 24%
14%
14%
The national government
The state government
The City/Town government
Other
Businesses
Neighborhoods
15
Aggregated responses from Barnstable, MA; Dover, NH;
Cranston, RI; and Wells, Maine Public Poll |

16. Climate Adaptation
Planning Scenario
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5 minutes: read and think
10 minutes: small group discussion
15 minutes: large group debrief

17. Scenario Debrief
• Group report-outs: What ideas came up?
1. Information and resources needed
2. Who to engage and how to involve them
3. Anticipated challenges and strategies to overcome them
• Did you find anything from this discussion particularly
useful or surprising?
• How does the scenario relate to the situation in your
town?
• How should your town make adaptation decisions?
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18. Climate Adaptation
Planning Tools
• Public Polls
o What does the general public think about climate change risks and their
town’s role in building resilience?
• Summary Risk Assessment
o What are local climate change risks?
• Stakeholder Assessment
o What do key stakeholders think about climate change risks and what, if
anything, are they doing on this topic?
• Role-Play Simulations
o How can the local context and scientific information be built into an
interactive game?
• Role-Play Workshops
o How do people think about climate change and local collective action
differently after playing the game?
All reports and materials available at: necap.mit.edu 18

19. Summary Risk Assessments
• Local climate projections
produced for each town
o Precipitation, temperature, sea level
rise, extreme weather events
o Low-emissions and high-emissions
scenarios
o Short-, medium-, and long-term
projections
• “Downscaled” using local
meteorological data
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20. Summary Risk Assessments
20

21. 21
Summary Risk Assessments

22. Stakeholder Assessments
• Interviews with 15 to 20
stakeholder representatives
o City employees
o Residents
o Business owners
o Civic groups
• Based on these interviews, the
report identified:
o Key threats
o Impacts
o Adaptation options
o Obstacles to adaptation
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23. Role-Play Simulation
Workshops
• Games based on the findings
from the Stakeholder and
Summary Risk Assessments
• Participants given a character
that is different than their
everyday role
• Tables of seven players have
one hour to reach a consensus
about adaptation policy
options to recommend
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24. Role-Play Simulation Findings
• Concern about local climate change risks increased
in three of the four towns
• Sense of local responsibility for preparing for and
managing climate change risks increased in three of
the four towns
• Confidence in local adaptation action increased in
all towns
• Participants’ understanding of other perspectives
and appreciation for the need for collective action
and stakeholder engagement increased in all towns
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25. Discussion
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26. Small Group 1 Discussion Notes :
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27. 27
Small Group 2 Discussion Notes :

28. 28
Small Group 3 Discussion Notes :

29. • Danya Rumore
§ drumore@mit.edu
§ Assistant Director, MIT Science Impact
Collaborative
§ Project Manager and Collaboration
Lead, NECAP
§ PhD Student, Environmental Policy and
Planning, MIT
• Julie Curti
§ jcurti@mit.edu
§ Research Assistant, NECAP
§ Master’s Student, City Planning, MIT
• Lisa Young
§ ljy@mit.edu
§ Research Assistant, NECAP
§ Master’s Student, City Planning, MIT
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New England
Climate Adaptation P R O J E C T
necap.mit.edu