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Introduction
Global climate change is happening and we know it. There is, to be sure, political disagreement over its causes or the necessary policy responses. But it is indisputable that global climate change poses a challenge that will test nature, human populations, as well as markets and economies. The challenges associated with climate change are probably so far outside of our experience that we have difficulty knowing how to weigh them. This difficulty is exasperated by the often apparent tension between science and politics over the subject as well as by some genuine scientific uncertainties about longer term climate change scenarios and impacts. Nevertheless, it is increasingly clear that we must accept as fact that global climate change is upon us and we must respond.
Just as we prepare for other disasters, natural and manmade, we should be able to prepare for the impact of climate change. In fact, the process for adapting to regularly occurring natural disasters can be said to be similar to what is now required as we prepare for climate change hazards. It has been suggested in fact that the natural hazards literature can be heavily drawn upon to guide government planning and policies related to climate change preparedness ([20] Tomkins and Hurlston, 2005). We also know there is a linkage between disaster preparedness, hazard mitigation, and risk reduction ([19] Thompson and Gaviria, 2004; [13] Mileti, 1999). This may suggest the utility of an emergency management perspective as a guide to policymaking in response to climate change.
We shall begin with a discussion of what we know to be the general risks associated with climate change. Space constraints will not allow for a comprehensive and detailed treatment of these risks, but a focus on the areas of general consensus within the scientific literature will serve to advance our discussion. We shall then assess what, from an emergency management perspective, are the basic strategies for adaptation, mitigation, and response to such threats. In so doing, it will be suggested that an emergency management framework may be most viable for ongoing analysis by policymakers at all levels as they struggle to respond to the already changing climate.
What we know: a natural disaster unfolding
One often hears climate change critics assert that there...