While federal agencies are beginning to recognize the need to adapt to climate change, there is a general lack of strategic coordination across agencies, and most efforts to adapt to potential climate change impacts are preliminary. However, some states and localities have begun to make progress on adaptation independently and through partnerships with other entities, such as academic institutions. The subjects of our site visits in the United States—New York City; King County, Washington; and Maryland— have all taken steps to plan for climate change and have begun to implement adaptive measures in sectors such as natural resource management and infrastructure. Their on-the-ground experiences can help inform the federal approach to adaptation, which is now primarily focused on assessing projected climate impacts and exploring adaptation options. In addition, certain nations have taken action to adapt to climate change. Our detailed examination of the United Kingdom provides an example of a country where central and local government entities are working together to address climate change impacts. Although there is no coordinated national approach to adaptation, several federal agencies report that they have begun to take action with current and planned adaptation activities. These activities are largely ad hoc and fall into several categories, including (1) information for decision making, (2) federal land and natural resource management, (3) infrastructure design and operation, (4) public health research, (5) national security preparation, (6) international assistance to developing countries, and (7) governmentwide adaptation strategies. We provide information on selected federal efforts to adapt to climate change, submitted to us by federal agencies, in a supplement to this report (see GAO-10-114SP). Information for decision making: A range of preliminary adaptation- related activities are reported to be under way at different agencies, including efforts to provide relevant climate information to help decision makers plan for future climate impacts. For example, two programs managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) help policymakers and managers obtain the information they need to adapt to a changing climate. NOAA’s Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) program supports climate change research to meet the needs of decision makers and policy planners at the national, regional, and local levels. Similarly, NOAA’s Sectoral Applications Research Program is designed to help decision makers in different sectors, such as coastal resource managers, use climate information to respond to and plan for climate variability and change, among other goals. Other agencies—including the National Science Foundation, the Department of the Interior (Interior), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department of Energy—also manage programs to provide climate information to decision makers. For example, the National Science Foundation supports the scientific research needed to help authorities and the public plan adaptation activities and address any challenges that arise. Similarly, Interior’s newly formed Energy and Climate Change Task Force is working to ensure that climate change impact data collection and analysis are better integrated and disseminated, that data gaps are identified and filled, and that the translation of science into adaptive management techniques is geared to the needs of land, water, and wildlife managers as they develop adaptation strategies in response to climate change-induced impacts on landscapes. Another example of information sharing is EPA’s Climate Ready Estuaries program, which provides a toolkit to coastal communities and participants in its National Estuary Program on how to monitor climate change and where to find data. In addition, NASA’s Applied Sciences Program is working in 31 states and with a number of federal agencies to help officials use NASA’s climate data to make adaptation decisions. For example, NASA forecasts stream temperatures for NOAA managers responsible for managing chinook salmon populations in the Sacramento River and predicts water flow regimes and subsequent fire risk in Yosemite National Park. DOE’s Integrated Assessment Research Program supports research on models and tools for integrated analysis of both the drivers and consequences of climate change. DOE’s supercomputing resources provide the capability to assess impacts and vulnerabilities to temperature change, anticipate extreme events, and predict risk from climate change effects (e.g., water availability) on a regional and local basis to better inform decision makers. Federal land and natural resource management: Several federal agencies have reported beginning to consider measures that would strengthen the resilience of natural resources in the face of climate change. For example, on September 14, 2009, Interior issued an order designed to address the impacts of climate change on the nation’s water, land, and other natural and cultural resources. The Interior order, among other things, designated eight regional Climate Change Response Centers. According to Interior, these centers will synthesize existing climate change impact data and management strategies, help resource managers put them into action on the ground, and engage the public through education initiatives. Similarly, several federal agencies recently released draft reports required by Presidential Executive Order that describe strategies for protecting and restoring the Chesapeake Bay, including addressing the impacts of climate change on the bay. In addition, the U.S. Forest Service reported that it devotes about $9 million to adaptation research and has developed a strategic framework that recognizes the need to enhance the capacity of forests and grasslands to adapt. The Chief of the Forest Service recently testified that dealing with climate change risks and uncertainties will need to be a more prominent part of the Forest Service’s management decision processes. Certain agencies have also identified specific adaptation strategies and tools for natural resource managers. For example, Interior provided a number of adaptation-related policy options for land managers in reports produced for its Climate Change Task Force, a past effort that has since been expanded upon to reflect new priorities. Similarly, a recent U.S. Climate Change Science Program report provided a preliminary review of adaptation options for climate-sensitive ecosystems and resources on federally owned and managed lands. In addition, the Department of Defense’s Legacy Resource Management Program is working with other agencies to develop a guidance manual that will summarize available natural resource vulnerability assessment tools. In some instances, federal agencies have begun to help implement adaptation actions. A recent Congressional Research Service presentation highlighted two case studies on federal lands in which federal agencies assisted with adaptation efforts. The first is a habitat restoration project supported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to adapt to sea level rise in the Albemarle Peninsula, North Carolina. The second focuses on increasing landscape diversity and managing biodiversity in Washington’s Olympic National Forest, the site of a Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station. The project involved work with the Federal Highway Administration to protect watersheds and roads. In addition, the Department of Energy reported that it has assessed major water availability issues related to energy production and use, such as electrical generation and fuels production, and identified approaches that could reduce freshwater use in the energy sector, and opportunities for further research and development to address questions that decision makers will need to resolve to effectively manage the energy and water availability issues. Infrastructure design and operation: A number of federal agencies are beginning to recognize that they must account for climate change impacts when building and repairing man-made infrastructure, since such impacts have implications beyond the natural environment. Many adaptation efforts related to infrastructure are at the planning stages to date. For example, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ adaptation initiatives include leading a team of water managers to evaluate how climate change considerations can be incorporated into activities related to water resources. These managers are also participating in an interagency group (Climate Change and Water Working Group) which held workshops in California in spring 2007. At these workshops, water managers from federal (U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Bureau of Reclamation, NOAA), state, local, and private agencies and organizations recommended more flexible reservoir operations, better use of forecasts, and more monitoring of real-time conditions in the watersheds. A draft report of long-term needs identified by the team was undergoing agency review in August and September 2009. In addition, EPA recently issued a guide entitled Smart Growth for Coastal and Waterfront Communities to help communities address challenges such as potential sea level rise and other climate- related hazards. Within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Federal Highway Administration also formed a multidisciplinary internal working group to coordinate infrastructure policy and program activities, specifically to address climate change effects on transportation. Both the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and DOT are reviewing the impacts of sea level rise on infrastructure. DOT found that a 2-foot sea level rise would affect 64 percent of the Gulf Coast’s port facilities, while a 4-foot rise would affect nearly three-quarters of port facilities. In addition, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is currently conducting a study on the impact of climate change on the National Flood Insurance Program, as we recommended in a 2007 GAO report. The Department of Energy is also working to protect critical infrastructure—such as the national laboratories and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve—by using climate impact assessments and developing guidance for management decisions that account for climate change. Public health research: Federal agencies responsible for public health matters are starting to support modeling and research efforts to assess climate change impacts on their programs and issue areas. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Climate Change program is engaged in a number of adaptation initiatives that address various populations’ vulnerability to the adverse health effects of heat waves. For example, CDC helped develop a Web-based modeling tool to assist local and regional governments to prepare for heat waves and an extreme heat media toolkit for cities. In addition, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) formed a working group on Climate Change and Health, which aims to identify research needs and priorities and involve the biomedical research community in discussions of the health effects of climate change. Recently, NIH developed an initiative called the NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research, which supports research on predictive climate change models and facilitates public health planning.