The document discusses lessons learned from developing Germany's national adaptation strategy to climate change. It outlines the strategic timeline and processes used, including conducting vulnerability assessments, developing adaptation action plans, implementing measures, and ongoing evaluation. It emphasizes the importance of cross-ministerial and multilevel coordination between the federal government and states. Stakeholder engagement was also key, including involvement of civil society, municipalities, and those responsible for implementing adaptation actions.

1. Für Mensch und Umwelt
Lessons learned from
developing a German
adaptation strategy
Canada’s Virtual Knowledge Exchange Event
May 11th, 2021
Thomas Abeling. German Environment Agency

2. Develop a strategic timeline
for key products
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Monitoring
(4 years)
Climate Risk and
Vulnerability
Assessment
(6 years)
Adaptation Action
Plans
(5 years)
Implementation of
Adaptation
Measures
Evaluation
(4 years)
National
Adaptation Strategy,
Progress Reports
(5 years)

3. Set up informal platforms that support your
governance structure
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Steering (horizontal): Interministerial Working Group on Adaptation
almost all Federal Ministries, chaired by Fed. Ministry of Environment
Steering
(vertical)
Formal Working
group with
Environment
Ministries of all
German Federal
States
Expert Dialogue
on Climate
Impacts
Federal authority climate adaptation network
„soft factors“ have
proven key to
sucessfull policy
development!

4. Invest in strategic coordination
(horizontal and vertical)
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Development of a coordinated and consistent indicator
system agreed by federal government and the Länder for
monitoring of climate change impacts and adaptation
measures
Development of a methodology for the (external) evaluation
of the German Adaptation Strategy, coordinated with all
ministries in the IMAA
Coordination with federal states for the development of
the German Climate Prepardness Portal

5. Engage implementing actors in adaptation
action planning
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national level federal states
Civil society
municipalities

6. Thank you!
Thomas Abeling
German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt)
KomPass - Climate Impacts and Adaptation in Germany
Thomas.abeling@uba.de
www.anpassung.net
6

7. Resources and Reports
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- 2020 2nd Progress Report on the German Adaption Strategy + III Adaptatino Action
Plan– german, english version coming soon: https://www.bmu.de/download/zweiter-
fortschrittsbericht-zur-deutschen-anpassungsstrategie-an-den-klimawandel/
- 2019 Climate Impacts and Monitoring Report – englisch version:
https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/topics/climate-energy/climate-impacts-
adaptation/impacts-of-climate-change/monitoring-report-2019
- 2019: Evaluation of the German Adaptation Strategy (german, engl. Summay incl.):
https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/politikanalyse-zur-evaluation-der-
deutschen
- 2015 Vulnerability Analysis (german, engl. Summary incl.):
https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/vulnerabilitaet-deutschlands-
gegenueber-dem
- Project "Cooperation between Authorities" - Methodology and Criteria for the
Development of a Policy Mix (german, engl. Summary incl.):
https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/entwicklung-erprobung-eines-
verfahrens-zur
- Socio-economic scenarios for climate risk and vulnerability analysis:
https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/soziooekonomische-szenarien-als-
grundlage-der