Iso TS 14092-2021
Iso TS 14092-2021
Iso TS 14092-2021
First edition
2020-05
Reference number
ISO/TS 14092:2020(E)
© ISO 2020
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ISO/TS 14092:2020(E)
Contents Page
Foreword...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................v
Introduction................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. vi
1 1..................................................................................................................................................................
Scope.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
2 Normative references....................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
3 Terms and definitions...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
4 Principles...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
4.1 Accountability........................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
4.2 Continual learning and improvement.................................................................................................................................. 5
4.3 Flexibility...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
4.4 Mainstreaming and embedding................................................................................................................................................ 5
4.5 Practicality................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
4.6 Prioritization............................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
4.7 Proportionality........................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
4.8 Relevance...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
4.9 Transparency............................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
5 Pre-planning.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
5.1 General............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
5.2 Framing adaptation.............................................................................................................................................................................. 7
5.3 Roles, responsibilities and duties of the teams............................................................................................................ 7
5.3.1 Core decision-making team..................................................................................................................................... 7
5.3.2 Facilitation team................................................................................................................................................................ 7
5.3.3 Interested parties............................................................................................................................................................. 9
5.3.4 Agreement and approval............................................................................................................................................ 9
6 Assessing climate change impacts including opportunities.................................................................................... 9
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www.iso.org/
iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 207, Environmental management,
Subcommittee SC 7, Greenhouse gas management and related activities.
Introduction
Preparing for risks posed by climate change and planning for adaptation at local government
and community levels is essential for the safety and security of society, as well as for its economic,
environmental and social well-being. Changes in the climate are often reflected by floods, heatwaves,
droughts, coastal erosion and other impacts that have been identified across the globe, which pose
threats to life, property, economic well-being and to ecosystems. The UN Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) has projected that global warming from past anthropogenic emissions will
persist for centuries to millennia and will continue to cause further long-term changes in the climate
system such as sea level rise, with associated impacts.
This document presents guidance for local governments and communities on how to prepare for such
threats and the associated risks. The document recognizes that the impacts posed by climate change
vary widely from region to region, and directly affect communities’ well-being and local governments
including the public services they offer, as well as the safety and security of individuals within their
jurisdiction. It is the responsibility of local governments and communities to provide leadership in
planning and preparing to manage these risks.
This document also describes how to develop an adaptation plan at the local government and community
levels. The planning process details why and how to establish an appropriate (well-structured and
collaborative) governance structure and the elements of the adaptation planning and implementation
processes. These details include establishing a facilitation team, assessing risks and developing an
effective plan, monitoring the progress of adaptation implementation and evaluating its achievement
with the aim of improving the plan. The step-by-step process presented enables tailoring of the local
adaptation plan to suit the climate, environmental and societal conditions in each case. Following
this document will lead to developing a robust, effective adaptation plan that can be implemented,
promoting appropriate climate action today and in the future.
It is important to note that the climate is changing, and planning and implementing adaptation is a
continual learning and improvement process that requires sustained attention and action. This
document will help local governments and communities in taking initial action to create a safe, socially
vii
ISO/TS 14092:2020(E)
© ISO 2020 – All rights reserved
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION ISO/TS 14092:2020(E)
1 Scope
This document specifies requirements and guidance on adaptation planning for local governments and
communities.
This document supports local governments and communities in adapting to climate change based
on vulnerability, impacts and risk assessments. In working with relevant interested parties, it also
supports the setting of priorities, and the development and subsequent updating of an adaptation plan.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
Note 2 to entry: In some natural systems, human intervention can facilitate adjustment to expected climate and
its effects.
[SOURCE: ISO 14090:2019, 3.2, modified — Note 1 to entry has been added.]
3.3
climate
statistical description of weather in terms of the mean and variability of relevant quantities over a
period of time ranging from months to thousands or millions of years
Note 1 to entry: The classical period for averaging these variables is 30 years, as defined by the World
Meteorological Organization.
Note 2 to entry: The relevant quantities are most often near-surface variables such as temperature, precipitation,
and wind.
Note 2 to entry: Climate change might be due to natural processes, internal to the climate system, or external
forcings such as modulations of the solar cycles, volcanic eruptions, and persistent anthropogenic changes in the
composition of the atmosphere or in land use.
3.8
exposure
presence of people, livelihoods, species or ecosystems, environmental functions, services, and
resources, infrastructure, or economic, social or cultural assets in places and settings that could be
affected
Note 1 to entry: Exposure can change over time, for example as a result of urban development and land use change.
[SOURCE: ISO 14090:2019, 3.6, modified — Note 1 to entry has been modified.]
3.9
hazard
potential source of harm
Note 1 to entry: The potential for harm can be in terms of loss of life, injury or other health impacts (3.10), as well
as damage and loss to property, infrastructure, livelihoods, service provision, ecosystems and environmental
resources.
Note 2 to entry: In this document, the term usually refers to climate-related physical events or trends or their
physical impacts.
Note 3 to entry: Hazard comprises slow-onset developments (e.g. rising temperatures over the long term) as well
as rapidly developing climatic extremes (e.g. a heatwave or a landslide) or increased variability.
Note 1 to entry: To “perceive itself to be affected” means the perception has been made known to the organization.
3.14
local adaptation plan
action plan identifying and addressing the impacts (3.10) of climate change (3.4) in the area of
responsibility of a local government (3.15) or community (3.7)
Note 1 to entry: Such plan of action may contain priorities and planned activities for identifying and addressing
the impacts of climate change, including those associated with climate variability and extremes. It may include a
mix of policies, projects, programmes and measures, which are updated periodically.
3.15
local government
administration of a specific local area constituting a subdivision of a major political unit (such as a
nation or state), and the services they provide (i.e. state, prefecture, province, county, district, city,
town, etc.)
3.16
national adaptation plan
national document containing adaptation priorities and planned activities (policies, projects and
programmes) including an implementation strategy for a given period (e.g. 3 to 5 years)
Note 1 to entry: The main output of the process to formulate and implement national adaptation plans (NAPs)
established under the UNFCCC in 2010 as a means to enable Parties to identify medium- and long-term adaptation
needs and develop and implement strategies and programmes to address those needs.
Note 2 to entry: Uncertainty is the state, even partial, of deficiency of information related to, understanding or
knowledge of an event, its consequence, or likelihood.
Note 3 to entry: Risk is often characterized by reference to potential “events” (as defined in ISO Guide 73:2009,
3.5.1.3) and “consequences” (as defined in ISO Guide 73:2009, 3.6.1.3), or a combination of these.
Note 4 to entry: Risk is often expressed in terms of a combination of the consequences of an event (including
changes in circumstances) and the associated “likelihood” (as defined in ISO Guide 73:2009, 3.6.1.1) of occurrence.
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, 3.2.10, modified — Note 1 to entry has been modified.]
3.19
sensitivity
degree to which a system or species is affected, either adversely or beneficially, by climate (3.3)
variability or climate change (3.4)
Note 1 to entry: The effect may be direct (e.g. a change in the health and functioning of green infrastructure in
response to a change in the mean, range or variability of temperature) or indirect (e.g. damages caused by an
increase in the frequency of coastal flooding due to sea level rise).
Note 2 to entry: Vulnerability is the degree to which an ecological, social and economic system is susceptible
to, or unable to cope with, adverse climate change (3.4) impacts (3.10), including climate (3.3) variability and
extremes.
[SOURCE: ISO 14090:2019, 3.15, modified — Note 2 to entry has been added.]
4 Principles
NOTE 2 The community acknowledges its role in collaborating with local government in adaptation activity.
4.3 Flexibility
Allow various measures to meet goals and objectives by taking technical, social, administrative,
political, legal, environmental and economic circumstances into account to accommodate a wide range
of data availabilities and technical and institutional capacities.
4.5 Practicality
Set goals and objectives to be practical and achievable. Impractical goals might prevent climate change
adaptation from achieving or effectively achieving the desired benefits. Focus on indicators/metrics
that are relatively easy to measure and where the underlying data are available. Aggregate and compare
them across scales so as not to put in place additional burdens.
4.6 Prioritization
At the time of identifying the content of adaptation plans including the adaptation measures to
implement, it is not necessary or always possible to cover all areas. The local government and
community should prioritize the climate change impacts in order to determine where adaptation
needs are higher by assessing the relative characteristics of the impacts (magnitude, likelihood and
urgency). This should also take into account the capacities of interested parties and the capacities and
opportunities of the local government and community to act.
4.7 Proportionality
Undertake actions that are the most effective under the current circumstances [contexts within
which the local government and community are operating (economic, social, cultural and political),
capabilities, knowledge and evidence base] when identifying and assessing adaptation measures, while
also aspiring to continual improvement.
4.8 Relevance
Facilitate assessments leading to information for adaptation planning that is meaningful to decision-
makers and practitioners, including at appropriate spatial scales and for relevant time durations.
5 Pre-planning
5.1 General
The local government and community shall agree and decide on the process and means for formulating
an adaptation plan prior to undertaking the planning. It should be recognized that there are benefits to
having a collaborative relationship between plans formulated at the local government and community
levels. It is the responsibility of the local government and the community to formulate an adaptation
plan that aims to avoid or minimize damage and loss, etc. that could be caused by the impacts of current
and future climate change within their jurisdiction or area of responsibility.
The local government and community shall prepare:
— for the adaptation planning to be formulated according to Clauses 6 to 10;
— so that the planning process is not limited, interrupted or halted due to insufficient preparation.
The local government and community should consider their level of preparation and the nature and
scope of the preparation to deliver the process, and reconsider these when they reassess or revise the
adaptation plan.
The local government and community shall identify and appoint members of a core decision-making
team. This team should involve the governor, mayor or equivalent position, and leaders of departments
or sections who have decision-making authority in the local government and community.
This core decision-making team shall:
The local government and community should establish a facilitation team to lead the adaptation
planning process. In establishing a facilitation team, the core decision-making team shall endorse
its constitution, including agreeing and approving its membership and the scope of the actions to be
undertaken by it.
— ensuring that the resources needed for the adaptation actions are available;
— assessing its capability to undertake climate change adaptation, and identifying any gaps and means
of addressing these;
— assessing the identified potential adaptation measures in terms of their contributions to achieving
the intended outcomes.
The facilitation team shall document the results of their assessments, including the basis for those
results, as well as identify and describe capacity gaps so as to inform the need for further action.
The local government and community shall identify and engage interested parties to enhance the
legitimacy and breadth of knowledge and expertise considered within the adaptation planning process
and to engender broader commitment to the outcomes of the process. The facilitation team should
develop a plan to engage with interested parties early and throughout the adaptation planning process.
There should be an analysis to support the identification of interested parties, including identifying
who will be affected by climate change or adaptation measures and who can influence and inform the
adaptation planning process. This analysis should lead to a strategy and plan as to whom, how and when
they should be engaged. When engaging them, it is also important to understand their perspectives
on risks, potential solutions and implementation, as well as monitoring and evaluating adaptation
measures. Consultation with and engaging interested parties can also facilitate knowledge sharing
about climate change adaptation as well as participation in the climate change adaptation process.
Interested parties can include:
— citizens and people who live, work, commute to or visit the area within the jurisdiction of the local
government and community;
— entities under the authority of the local government and community, e.g. public service suppliers
such as gas, water and transport;
The local government and community shall agree on and approve the formulation of the local adaptation
plan. The agreement should involve relevant departments of the sectors where current and future
impacts of climate change are identified or recognized. The approval should involve all the leaders of
the said departments and the core decision-making team of the local government and community.
6.1 General
The local government and community shall identify property (including open space), infrastructure,
services, and social and economic activities under their control or that they influence that are
currently vulnerable and exposed to climate variability and change. This knowledge will provide
an initial focus for gathering information and data, as well as for the adaptation planning process
including engagement efforts. The facilitation team and interested parties engaged should prioritize
the climate change impacts in order to determine where adaptation needs are higher by assessing the
relative characteristics of the impacts (magnitude, likelihood and urgency). Assessing such impacts
and associated vulnerability is crucial for the local government and community to support efforts
related to identifying potential adaptation measures and when formulating the local adaptation plan.
It is important to identify these potential adaptation measures in the context of their contributions to
achieving the desired objectives and outcomes.
The local government and community should consider including:
— target sectors and areas to be assessed;
— boundaries (for further details, see ISO 14090:2019, Annex A);
— the particular social groups (e.g. rural communities, elderly people, indigenous people, women/
men, certain parts of the workforce) to be considered;
— the range of hazards to be included (e.g. flooding, rising temperatures, sea level rise, heatwaves);
— the scenarios to be used (e.g. climate scenario, socio-economic or demographic scenario);
— the time horizon of the assessment (e.g. 30, 50 or 100 years from now);
— resolution of the assessment (decision on spatial scale might be influenced by the availability of data
and evidence relevant to the assessment).
When the local government and community assess climate change impacts, they should assess climate
change impacts that could be significant in the area, sector or systems of concern based on their
divisional structure, which may include the following:
— agriculture, livestock, fishery and food security;
— water resources and flood protection;
— forests, urban forestry and parks;
— terrestrial and marine ecosystems; coastal and riverine;
— energy;
— business and industry including tourism;
— transportation;
— ICT and telecommunications;
— social infrastructure;
— human health, including health and social care systems;
— urban environment;
The assessment shall be made by competent persons or organizations, either internal or external. When
the local government and community do not have appropriate human resources capable of performing
such an assessment, they may outsource the assessment to relevant authorities, universities, research
institutes or private organizations, etc.
The local government and community should identify whether the impacts of climate change provide
opportunities and the nature and scope of those opportunities, including factors that could limit
realizing them.
The local government and community should document the findings of their impact assessment to
share internally and externally.
The climate change impact assessment should be reassessed and updated as necessary to reflect
changes in local strategy, external environment and influences, and knowledge about climate change.
The means and basis for reassessing and updating the assessment should be clearly laid out within a
monitoring and evaluation plan (see 7.6.6).
6.4.1 General
There is a range of methods that may be used by the local government and community to undertake
their climate change impact assessment.
Methods to assess impacts can include:
— risk assessment;
— vulnerability assessment;
— threshold analysis.
It is valuable to first perform a risk assessment based upon the current climate, including historical
climate and trends, variability and climate events. The focus can then move on to understanding the
risks under future climate and non-climate trends, climate events and climate change impacts over the
full lifespan of a decision.
The local government and community should identify areas and sectors of high risks (e.g. relative
magnitude, likelihood, urgency) as high-priority areas and sectors and take actions to address them.
The local government and community should understand that there are multiple methodologies to
assess risks relating to climate change impacts.
If a vulnerability assessment approach is adopted, the vulnerability assessment for the local government
and community may include:
— determination of the sensitivity of activities, assets and services to changes in climate and changes
in climate hazards;
— consideration of the ability of the local government and community to adjust, take advantage or to
Thresholds analysis is an approach to prioritize where and when action will be needed by understanding
the points at which a system is deemed to be no longer effective (economically, socially, technologically
or environmentally) as a result of changes in the average or extreme climate conditions.
If a threshold analysis approach is adopted, the threshold analysis may include:
— identification of the system’s constituent components, their dependencies and interdependencies;
The local government and community shall define areas or sectors where effective and efficient
adaptation measures and priorities for action are needed.
The local government and community shall assess the information on climate change impacts collected
by the procedure mentioned above, particularly noting their respective magnitude, probability,
irreversibility, persistent vulnerability or exposure, timing, and limited potential to reduce risks
through climate change adaptation provided by existing coping or adaptation measures, and then
prioritize it based on this assessment.
For this purpose, the local government and community may establish a technical council with competent
experts who have knowledge of climate change impacts and of potential adaptation measures in each
sector/issue as necessary.
— knowledge and evidence related to interdependencies across risks and response measures;
— knowledge related to prioritizing risks and actions.
In assessing their adaptive capacity, the local government and community should analyse the extent to
which they:
— have leadership and commitment to the adaptation process;
— have the competence (the ability) to identify the risks that are relevant to their capability levels, to
know what to do about them, and to act on that understanding effectively;
— are able to ensure key decision-makers, including the governor or the mayor, city council and other
political parties, are made aware of the need to address climate change;
— have expertise internally on climate change adaptation;
— can access expertise to seek advice externally on climate change adaptation;
— can formalize institutional and other structures that define roles and responsibilities clearly and
permits the effective delivery of actions, and can remain flexible to new adaptation opportunities
for improved actions;
— can engage in meaningful and timely dialogue with interested parties;
— can develop collaborative approaches to design intervention strategies that work across key
decision-making interested parties;
— can construct partnerships with external organizations (e.g. neighbouring local governments,
private organizations);
— are able to learn from experience to improve decisions over time, embedding knowledge and
learning in decisions, including continual changes in the drivers of change, the knowledge and the
context within which the responses are to be implemented;
Where opportunities requiring action have been identified, the local government and community
should document any trade-offs between these and their other policies or strategies.
The local government or the community should recognize when assessing potential opportunities what
or how much change is projected to occur for their activities and services as a result of projected future
climate change and its impacts.
The local government and community should consider the possibilities for improving its activities and
services or creating new ones that are limited or not possible under current climate conditions. For
instance, the local government and community may introduce new urban greening options or introduce
new business opportunities relating to an improved climate or build on their climate risk management
processes.
Levels of analysis on uncertainty should be appropriate to the needs and the situation of the local
government and community. The local government and community may not have enough knowledge
and information on uncertainties. In such cases, they may seek advice or assistance from relevant
authorities, universities, research institutes or private organizations, etc.
NOTE 2 ISO 14033 provides guidelines on systematic and methodical acquisition and review of quantitative
environmental information and data with regards to uncertainty.
The local government and community shall document the methods used and assumptions made when
dealing with uncertainty, along with the sources of data and information and their limitations.
If the local government and community have used assistance outside of the entity, they should record
the relevant information, including information and expertise sources such as the names of the
institutions engaged.
7.1 General
The local government and community shall aim to undertake an adaptation planning process to secure
people’s life and property from the adverse impacts, both current and in the future, while taking
advantage of opportunities as a result of climate change and those arising from adaptation measures
introduced. This planning process shall lead to the local government and community preparing an
adaptation plan.
The local government and community shall incorporate and embed climate change adaptation into their
policies, strategies and plans that are directly or indirectly related to the scope of the adaptation plan.
The local government and community shall develop the plan working with interested parties so that:
— the planning will be harmonized with other relevant policies, strategies and plans;
— adaptation measures adopted in the plan will minimize or eliminate potential conflicts with other
policy and programme issues both within and outside their jurisdiction or area of responsibility.
Adaptation planning is the action of assembling an adaptation plan from varied sources of knowledge,
information and data, in the context of existing policies, strategies, planning and decision-making
processes. The local government and community should seek advice from research institutes,
universities, local meteorology agencies, etc. The local government and community shall ensure that
the institutes stated above are credible and legitimate suppliers of expertise, data and information
related to climate change and its impacts.
The facilitation team shall:
— lead the planning process;
— encourage, enable and empower relevant departments to take part in the planning;
— share the progress of the planning within the jurisdiction;
— document information and findings, and report to the core decision-making team, relevant
departments and the interested parties;
— obtain confirmation and approval of the planning from the core decision-making team and the
leaders of sectors that take part in the planning as necessary.
— specify, as a part of their adaptation plan, the resources required to ensure implementation.
The local government and community shall:
— identify criteria that can be used to assess if the adaptation measures selected are fit-for-purpose,
applicable or acceptable across their jurisdiction and area of responsibility by taking into account
characteristics such as culture, tradition, capabilities, etc.;
— use those criteria to select the appropriate adaptation measures from the list of potential measures.
The local government and community should consider the following items when assessing adaptation
measures:
— additional benefits from enhancing capacity and addressing other challenges;
— the timing of adaptation actions;
— prioritized actions, including considering feasibility and the need for urgent early actions;
— identifying barriers for the implementation of adaptation measures;
— trends of climate change impacts over the full expected lifespan of decisions and actions;
— how the required actions will be updated (e.g. every five years) based on ensuring that they reflect
strategic and policy directions and learning from the experience of those delivering the actions (see
Clause 9).
The local government and community shall document the assumptions and rationale behind the
decisions made and the resulting policies, plans and strategies. This is critical to the continual learning
and improvement processes of those delivering the plan, and to new knowledge, available data and
information.
7.5 Decision-making
In the process of decision-making in the local government and community, the involvement of:
— all the leaders of sectors that have taken part in the adaptation planning process shall be required;
— experts who participated in the adaptation planning process should be engaged;
— interested parties should be encouraged.
Non-climate information, such as demographic, socio-economic and environmental conditions in the
jurisdiction of the local government and community, shall be reviewed as part of the decision-making.
Such information can be obtained from:
— a census;
— policy papers and reports;
— statistical reports.
Potential barriers to decision-making and adaptation action should be identified and considered during
the decision-making process. For the local government and community, major barriers include a lack of:
— knowledge of climate change adaptation;
— knowledge of the impacts and risks;
— knowledge and evidence related to interdependencies across risks and adaptation measures;
The engagement of relevant interested parties, both within and outside of the local government and
community, are key to the delivery of the climate change adaptation actions. The local adaptation plan
should describe:
The local government and community shall not select adaptation measures that are considered as over-
or incorrect adaptation. If selecting an adaptation action that is “under-adaptation”, the local government
and community shall rationalize such in a manner that is consistent with the proportionality and
continual learning and improvement principles.
A system may be a geographic, economic or political region, a business or industrial area, or a
neighbourhood comprised of households and businesses or farms with supportive infrastructure and
public services, etc. that is exposed to climate change or specific climate hazards.
The local government and community shall assess adaptation measures over the expected lifespan of
the decision’s consequences. Such measures shall be considered and decided in accordance with the
review cycles of other plans or strategies in the local government and community that are dependent
on or where there is an interdependent relationship with the proposed adaptation activities.
Decisions often have consequences that go beyond the planning horizon. For long lifespan decisions
requiring high levels of capability, the local government and community should:
— report their intention of taking such adaptation measures to higher levels of governance;
— take into account the interests of internal and external interested parties, including neighbouring
local governments and communities, who influence or are influenced by long-term climate-relevant
decisions, and communicate with these parties regarding the proposed adaptation actions;
— determine what level of capability is required by themselves and by their relevant interested parties
in order to consider climate change appropriately and over the correct timescales;
— design improvement strategies to address any gaps between required capacity and existing
capacity;
— review decisions in context with other interdependent decisions.
The local government and community shall document the adaptation actions that are to be implemented
to address Clause 5, Clause 6 and 7.4, along with explanations of why some actions were adopted and
others were not. The document should include a description of the risks associated with the decision
and their implementation, and potential ancillary benefits if appropriate.
Each documented climate change adaptation action shall include:
— objectives;
— descriptions;
— indicators;
— timescales;
— persons who are responsible for its implementation and for monitoring and evaluation of its
effectiveness.
Each documented climate change adaptation action should also include:
— its estimated costs and expected benefits;
— an assessment of the risks (barriers/ constraints) to its effective implementation;
— a clear articulation of the current and required capability of the local government and community
that is required to implement it;
— the need, where appropriate, for supportive instruments (e.g. regulatory/economic instruments).
The information above can be used internally and need not be publicly available.
NOTE For further details, see ISO 14090:2019, 7.3.
7.6.1 General
This subclause sets out the format and content of a local adaptation plan.
NOTE A local adaptation plan is encouraged to meet the requirements stated in this subclause.
The following points are applicable, but not limited, to municipalities with a relatively large population
such as cities.
A local adaptation plan shall:
— be publicly available;
— be accurate, verifiable, relevant and not misleading;
— use clear language that is easy to understand and be presented in an easy-to-read manner;
— provide a true picture of the significance of the impacts of climate change assessed in Clause 6 and
of the adaptation that the local adaptation plan adopts.
It shall not, either directly or by implication, underestimate the need for and scope of action.
A local adaptation plan shall specify the scope of the plan. By taking into account their jurisdiction and
area of responsibility, the local government and community shall specify:
— the spatial scope;
— the operational scope;
— the temporal scope.
The local government and community should specify the scope by considering:
— their geographical, political, economic and other social characteristics;
— their cultural, historical, traditional and other indigenous characteristics.
The local government and community shall confirm that the scopes specified in the planning will not
conflict with policies, strategies or planning identified in 7.2.
The local government and community shall recognize their administrative and legislative boundaries,
ensuring that the adaptation activities to be taken should not cause conflicts with neighbouring local
governments and communities. The local government and community shall recognize if impacts outside
of their scope may have influence in their area of responsibility or on systems within their jurisdiction
and indicate where external cooperation is needed. This recognizes that adaptation plans can inform
the identification of common goals with neighbouring local governments and communities, which, by
working together, will more effectively tackle common impacts of climate change, e.g. fluvial flooding.
Findings and recommendations from the local adaptation plan shall address both the resilience of the
local government and community and that of associated systems or networks.
A system may be a geographic, economic or political region, a business or industrial area, or a
neighbourhood comprised of households and businesses or farms with supportive infrastructure and
public services, etc. that is exposed to climate change or specific climate hazards.
The local government and community shall formulate and present a local adaptation plan. In the process
of formulating the plan, the local government and community shall identify which aspects of the plan
shall be open to the public. A local adaptation plan shall:
— state the objectives and the scope of the local adaptation plan;
— state the ways and means the local government and community intend to achieve the objectives;
— state the actions that are to be implemented (it may also state actions to be considered for future
implementation);
— state justifications for the actions to be implemented;
— document any assumptions made;
— document the information and data on which decisions are based;
— state its period of validity;
The local adaptation plan should consider risks and measures by:
— documenting prioritized areas and sectors in reducing climate change risks and building capacity;
— describing any prioritization process used and its outcomes;
— documenting the reduction of the level of impacts from climate change and related hazards;
— describing and rationalizing the level of acceptable (residual) risks, as well as strategies for
addressing these if they are realized;
— describing feasible approaches to reducing climate change risks, including a combination of green
(ecosystem-based adaptation), soft (building adaptive capacity) and grey (infrastructure and
technology) options, as well as actions that are incremental or transformative;
— describing appropriate and cost-effective practices for the local government and community.
The local adaptation plan should consider the adaptive capacity by:
— stating the current adaptive capacity of the local government and community, of the affected
systems and of those expected to implement adaptation actions;
— stating the adaptive capacity that is required to effectively manage impacts identified by the impact
assessment;
— stating the way in which the climate change adaptation process is to be embedded in the policies,
strategies and plans of the local government and community;
— using the initial findings of capacity assessments as benchmarks and assessing progress against
these at regular intervals.
The local adaptation plan may:
— state national policies, rules, codes, guidelines, etc. that are relevant to or influence the adaptation
7.6.5 Implementation
The local government and community should develop an action plan to implement activities according
to Clause 8 and should describe it in the local adaptation plan.
The implementation plan can be used internally and need not be publicly available.
The local government and community should develop a plan for monitoring and evaluation actions and
decisions relevant to their climate change adaptation process according to Clause 9 and should describe
it in the local adaptation plan.
The monitoring and evaluation plan can be used internally and need not be publicly available.
Consultations on the draft adaptation plan should be sought from relevant interested parties both
within and outside of the local government and community. These consultations are critical to ensure
the legitimacy, and therefore the delivery, of the adaptation plan and its component adaptation
measures. The local government and community should:
— confirm the relevant interested parties with whom they will consult;
— confirm the elements of the adaptation plan on which they will be consulting;
— provide sufficient time for the consultation process, including identifying an appropriate deadline;
— provide a user-friendly process for those interested parties to submit their comments.
The local government and community shall address the comments received and should take them into
account when finalizing the adaptation plan. The responses to the submitted comments and any actions
taken (response log) should be documented (see 7.6.9).
The local adaptation plan shall be confirmed and authorized by the leadership of the local government
or community (e.g. mayor, governor). This confirmation and authorization normally follow the usual
decision-making procedures of the local government and community.
Prior to going forward for authorization, the local adaptation plan should be confirmed by all interested
parties, including the sector leaders involved in the planning process. This confirmation is normally not
a significant challenge when interested parties have been engaged throughout the adaptation planning
process. Confirmation may require formal signed agreements that are adapted to the specific needs of
the interested parties.
8 Implementation
— develop a network engaging with neighbouring local governments and communities and exchanging
information regarding their respective adaptation plans and actions so as to promote synergistic
adaptation, as well as to prevent conflicts.
The core decision-making team shall ensure the integration of the adaptation action requirements into
the operation and/or administration processes of the local government and community.
Regarding sectors or areas beyond their jurisdiction or area of responsibility, the local government and
community shall review the adaptation plans and their implementation to confirm that the responsible
governments or administrations have taken the necessary actions.
Annex A
(informative)
A.1 General
Local governments and communities may refer to the examples given in A.2 to A.6. These examples are
illustrative only and chosen at random.
A.2 Example 1
From: “Climate Change Adaptation Strategy”, City of Vancouver, Canada (population of 603 502 as of 2011).
Source:
https://vancouver.ca/f iles/cov/Vancouver-Climate-Change-Adaptation-Strategy-2012-11-07.pdf
https://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/population.aspx
A.3 Example 2
From: “Climate Change Adaptation Plan”, Hume City Council, Metropolitan Melbourne, Australia
(population of 224 394 as of 2018).
A.4 Example 3
From: “Climate Change Adaptation Plan”, San Juan Bay Estuary, Puerto Rico (population of 320 967 as
of 2018).
A.5 Example 4
From: “Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan”, Clyde River, Nunavut, Canada (population of 1 000 as
of 2018).
Clyde River
Climate Change Adaption Action Plan
The community of Clyde River has prepared this plan to better prepare for changes that have started
or might happen as a result of climate change. It is understood that this is a first step in a long journey
to help the community adjust to climate change. Future steps will be based on new research, knowl-
edge and experience obtained by the community.
The plan includes three parts; the desired results (goals), the methods that will be used to achieve the
desired results (strategies) and the specific steps that will be taken (an action plan).
What are our desired results (goals)
Clyde River shows the ability to effectively prepare and adapt to climate change.
Effective partnerships between the community and decision-makers and scientists in the territo-
rial and federal government.
Our knowledge is shared with other communities and organizations.
Clyde River is seen as a model learning centre in preparing for climate change.
Scientific research that contributes to the community.
The people of Clyde River are informed of the local issues regarding climate change.
How will we achieve our desired results (strategies)
— Develop and use better information to guide the future physical development of Clyde River.
— Review our community land use plan with new information on climate change issues.
A.6 Example 5
From: “Climate Change Adaptation Plan”, City of Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain (population of 180 989
as of 2017). Translated from Spanish to English.
Diagnosis
1. Introduction
2. Objectives
3. Historical climate trends and future climate projections of Donostia/San Sebastian
4. Evaluation of the climate change impact evidence in the cost of Donostia/San Sebastian
5. Vulnerability and Risk assessment at submunicipal scale
6. Complementary activities to the Strategy
7. Bibliography
Annexes
Adaptation plan
1. Introduction
2. Summary and key conclusions of the process
3. List of Adaptation Measures
Source:
https://w ww.donostia.eus/ataria/documents/8023875/8050879/DIAGNOSTICO.pdf
https://w ww.donostia.eus/ataria/documents/8023875/8050879/PLAN+DE+ADAPTACION.pdf
Annex B
(informative)
B.1 General
Local governments and communities may refer to the tools given in B.2 to B.5 to develop a local
adaptation plan.
Annex C
(informative)
Local governments and communities may refer to the following information on indicators that can be
used for monitoring and evaluation.
Local governments and communities should use indicators to monitor and evaluate. Indicators may be
either quantitative or qualitative. For example, when monitoring the impacts on heat-related mortality
and illness, they may be monitored quantitatively by the annual number of people to get heatstroke, or
monitored qualitatively by the use of questionnaire survey asking people how they feel as a result of
the heat conditions.
Indicators require data and information. As such, the selection of indicators depends on the quantity and
quality of the data available. When considering the impact of forest and grass fires, if less or poor data are
available, it can be monitored by counting the annual number of fires that have occurred. On the other
hand, with sufficient data and technique, it can be monitored with annual associated economic loss.
For further information, References [8] and [14] related to indicators could be useful.
Bibliography
[18] USAID. Technical Note, The Logical Framework. Available from (viewed 2019-08-14):
https://u saidlearninglab. org/working-group/g roup-resource/logical-framework-logframe
-technical-note
[19] The World Bank. The Logframe Handbook, A Logical Framework Approach to Project Cycle
Management. Available from (viewed 2019-08-14): http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/
en/783001468134383368/pdf/31240b0LFhandbook.pdf
ISO/TS 14092:2020(E)