Post date: Apr 16, 2015 8:11:33 PM
Solecki, W., C. Rosenzweig, R. Blake, A. de Sherbinin, T. Matte, F. Moshary, B. Rosenzweig, M. Arend, S. Gaffin, E. Bou-Zeid, K. Rule, G. Sweeny, and W. Dessy. 2015. New York City Panel Report on Climate Change (NPCC) 2015 Chapter 6, Indicators and Monitoring. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1336: 89-106. Published online February 16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12587.
Among the crucial challenges for climate change facing New York City are measurement, monitoring, and evaluation of critical indicators of climate change. This involves developing indicators not only of the climate itself and its impacts, but also of resiliency measures. These need to be tracked over time in order to provide relevant information on the effectiveness of current and future response strategies. Required are a manageable set of climate change indicators and a monitoring system that enables evaluation of the dynamic processes associated with climate change, its associated impacts, and flexible adaptation and resiliency practices. The first report by the New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC, 2010) set out an approach to indicators and monitoring for tracking climate risks and presented potential sources of data from existing monitoring systems in the city (NPCC, 2010; Jacob et al., 2010). Building on this approach, the objective of this chapter is to identify how New York City can establish a Climate Resiliency Indictors and Monitoring System that is more responsive to current and future climate change. Specifically, this chapter addresses three questions: 1)What indicator and monitoring systems are currently in place within the City of New York? 2) What are the opportunities and challenges to establishing the New York City Climate Resiliency Indicators and Monitoring System? and 3)What can be learned from a case study on the existing urban heat island indicator and monitoring system within the City?