Ruta a la Resiliencia: Guía de herramientas para la adaptación comunitaria al cambio climático
In this guide you will find a set of tools that we have developed with the purpose of supporting and strengthening communities so that they can better adapt to the conditions of a changing climate. These tools will help you understand how climate changeClimate changeRefers to the long-term changes in the Earth’s climate that are warming the atmosphere, ocean and land. Climate change is affecting the balance of ecosystems that support life and biodiversity, and impacting health. It also causes more extreme weather events, such as more intense and/or frequent hurricanes, floods, heat waves,... can affect your community. In addition, they will help you work together with your neighbors to strengthen, adapt, and make your community more resilient. Recently, the passage of Hurricane María through Puerto Rico demonstrated the extraordinary capacity of communities to organize and respond to their immediate needs. It also demonstrated the importance of support and collaboration between communities, municipalities, non-profit organizations, and other public and private entities, not only to respond, but to continue working towards the recovery and improvement of communities. These experiences have been fundamental for the development of the tools presented here. In this guide we recognize that there are no actions for adaptation to climate changeClimate changeRefers to the long-term changes in the Earth’s climate that are warming the atmosphere, ocean and land. Climate change is affecting the balance of ecosystems that support life and biodiversity, and impacting health. It also causes more extreme weather events, such as more intense and/or frequent hurricanes, floods, heat waves,... that can be applied in all communities uniformly and successfully. Success will depend on considering local knowledge and providing the necessary support to jointly seek solutions. That’s why the tools we offer in this guide will allow you and your neighbors to organize to work collectively toward a more prosperous and safe community. What is climate changeClimate changeRefers to the long-term changes in the Earth’s climate that are warming the atmosphere, ocean and land. Climate change is affecting the balance of ecosystems that support life and biodiversity, and impacting health. It also causes more extreme weather events, such as more intense and/or frequent hurricanes, floods, heat waves,... and how could it affect your community? Climate changes over time. However, climate changeClimate changeRefers to the long-term changes in the Earth’s climate that are warming the atmosphere, ocean and land. Climate change is affecting the balance of ecosystems that support life and biodiversity, and impacting health. It also causes more extreme weather events, such as more intense and/or frequent hurricanes, floods, heat waves,... is an alteration of natural climate conditions that causes those changes to accelerate. This acceleration is caused by human activity, mainly by the emission of gases that cause the greenhouse effect. Some of the effects or signs of climate changeClimate changeRefers to the long-term changes in the Earth’s climate that are warming the atmosphere, ocean and land. Climate change is affecting the balance of ecosystems that support life and biodiversity, and impacting health. It also causes more extreme weather events, such as more intense and/or frequent hurricanes, floods, heat waves,... observed in Puerto Rico include stronger storms and hurricanes, which bring with them more rain; changes in precipitation patterns (for example, downpours may occur in which more rain falls, but there may also be longer periods of droughtDroughtIs a period of drier-than-normal conditions that results in water-related problems.The amount of precipitation at a particular location varies from year to year. Climate change exacerbates droughts by making them more frequent, longer, and more severe.); stronger heat wavesHeat wavesPeriod of unusually hot weather, typically lasting two or more days. To qualify as a heat wave, the recorded temperatures must be above the average temperatures for a given area.; floodingFloodingTemporary overflow of water into land that is normally dry. Flooding can be triggered by rain, tides, and storm surge events, overflowing rivers, streams and other bodies of surface water and sinkholes. They can also be caused by infrastructure failures, such as dam breaks. from sea level riseSea level riseIncrease in the level of the world's oceans due to the effects of global warming. Changes in sea level are caused primarily by thermal expansion caused by warming of the ocean (since water expands as it warms) and increased melting of land-based ice, such as glaciers and ice sheets.; and increase in ocean temperature and acidification. The effects of climate changeClimate changeRefers to the long-term changes in the Earth’s climate that are warming the atmosphere, ocean and land. Climate change is affecting the balance of ecosystems that support life and biodiversity, and impacting health. It also causes more extreme weather events, such as more intense and/or frequent hurricanes, floods, heat waves,... can have a variety of impacts on your community. These impacts will depend on the location of your community and the natural hazards to which it is exposed. They will also depend on the availability and condition of their infrastructure, their access to quality services and the health and socioeconomic condition of their residents, among other factors.
The effects of climate changeClimate changeRefers to the long-term changes in the Earth’s climate that are warming the atmosphere, ocean and land. Climate change is affecting the balance of ecosystems that support life and biodiversity, and impacting health. It also causes more extreme weather events, such as more intense and/or frequent hurricanes, floods, heat waves,... are different if your community is coastal versus inland Puerto Rico. For example, if your community is coastal you may be exposed to permanent floodingFloodingTemporary overflow of water into land that is normally dry. Flooding can be triggered by rain, tides, and storm surge events, overflowing rivers, streams and other bodies of surface water and sinkholes. They can also be caused by infrastructure failures, such as dam breaks. from rising sea levels. It may also be more vulnerable to being impacted during strong storm surges due to the weakening of coral reefs by ocean acidificationOcean AcidificationRefers to a reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period of time, caused primarily by uptake of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the atmosphere. When CO 2 is absorbed by seawater, a series of chemical reactions occur resulting in the increased concentration of hydrogen ions, which make..., as reefs function as protective barriers to coastlines. Other communities could experience greater floodingFloodingTemporary overflow of water into land that is normally dry. Flooding can be triggered by rain, tides, and storm surge events, overflowing rivers, streams and other bodies of surface water and sinkholes. They can also be caused by infrastructure failures, such as dam breaks. because more rain falls in less time and the capacity of rivers, streams, sewers and/or sinkholes is not sufficient to handle runoff water. Heavy rains can also worsen other natural hazards, such as landslides in mountainous areas. Another effect is that periods of droughtDroughtIs a period of drier-than-normal conditions that results in water-related problems.The amount of precipitation at a particular location varies from year to year. Climate change exacerbates droughts by making them more frequent, longer, and more severe. are longer. As a result, less water would be available for people, animals and agriculture. Faced with this reality, all communities must be prepared to adapt and be more resilient. It is important to take steps to strengthen infrastructure, implement water conservation practices, promote diversification of agriculture, foster education and awareness about climate changeClimate changeRefers to the long-term changes in the Earth’s climate that are warming the atmosphere, ocean and land. Climate change is affecting the balance of ecosystems that support life and biodiversity, and impacting health. It also causes more extreme weather events, such as more intense and/or frequent hurricanes, floods, heat waves,..., and develop response and recovery plans for extreme events. In this guide, you will find specific tools that will help you assess the risksRisksA combination of the probability of an event occurring and the frequency with which it occurs and the magnitude of its negative consequences. and vulnerabilities of your community, plan and develop adaptation strategies, establish early warning systems and promote community participation in decision-making. You will also find resources and links to organizations that provide technical and financial support for the implementation of climate changeClimate changeRefers to the long-term changes in the Earth’s climate that are warming the atmosphere, ocean and land. Climate change is affecting the balance of ecosystems that support life and biodiversity, and impacting health. It also causes more extreme weather events, such as more intense and/or frequent hurricanes, floods, heat waves,... adaptation projects. Remember that adaptation to climate changeClimate changeRefers to the long-term changes in the Earth’s climate that are warming the atmosphere, ocean and land. Climate change is affecting the balance of ecosystems that support life and biodiversity, and impacting health. It also causes more extreme weather events, such as more intense and/or frequent hurricanes, floods, heat waves,... is an ongoing process and requires the participation and collaboration of all members of the community. Together, we can build communities that are more resilient and prepared to meet the challenges of the changing climate. Start using these tools today and make a difference in your community! To access the full guide and download the tools, please visit our website or contact us via the contact details provided at the end of this document. We are here to support you in strengthening your community in the face of climate changeClimate changeRefers to the long-term changes in the Earth’s climate that are warming the atmosphere, ocean and land. Climate change is affecting the balance of ecosystems that support life and biodiversity, and impacting health. It also causes more extreme weather events, such as more intense and/or frequent hurricanes, floods, heat waves,....
Good luck in your process of adaptation and building resilienceResilienceIs the capacity of a community or environment to anticipate and manage climate impacts, minimize their damage, and recover and transform as needed after the initial shock, with minimal impact to social well-being, economic activity and the environment.!
