With climate change causing greater environmental variability and extreme weather events occurring more frequently and with greater intensity, the need to reduce risk is becoming more and more evident.
The study, "Local-scale climate change stressors and policy response: the case of Homer, Alaska", explores the case of Homer, Alaska and the primary climate stressors as well as the adaptation policy integration.
While Homer, Alaska is experiencing the effects of climate change, there is a gap in strategic planning.
Birchall said "if communities like Homer don’t address the effects of climate change, and build resilience into their strategic planning, the results could be catastrophic in the long run".
The full study can be found here.