Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience 3

Question 1

What is 'ecosystem-based adaptation' (EbA)?

Accepted Answer

Using biodiversity and ecosystem services to help people adapt to climate change

Answer

Ecosystem-based adaptation uses the services provided by healthy ecosystems—such as flood regulation by wetlands or cooling by urban forests—to help communities adapt to climate impacts.

Question 2

Why are heat action plans particularly important for cities with large elderly populations?

Accepted Answer

Older adults are more physiologically vulnerable to heat stress and less able to self-regulate body temperature

Answer

Older adults experience reduced thermoregulatory capacity, are more likely to have chronic illnesses, and take medications that impair heat tolerance, making them disproportionately vulnerable to extreme heat.

Question 3

What is 'drought-tolerant crop variety development' an example of in climate adaptation?

Accepted Answer

Technological adaptation in the agricultural sector

Answer

Developing crop varieties that can withstand reduced rainfall is a technological adaptation strategy that helps farmers maintain yields under changing precipitation patterns.

Question 4

How does the US National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) influence climate adaptation decisions?

Accepted Answer

It provides flood maps and insurance that can either incentivize or disincentivize floodplain development depending on pricing

Answer

The NFIP's flood maps and insurance pricing signal flood risk to property owners, and when premiums are subsidized, they can inadvertently encourage risky development rather than retreat.

Question 5

What is 'permafrost thaw' a major adaptation challenge for, in the US context?

Accepted Answer

Alaska Native communities whose infrastructure, roads, and buildings are built on frozen ground

Answer

As permafrost thaws in Alaska, buildings sink, roads buckle, and traditional hunting and gathering landscapes change, creating severe infrastructure and cultural adaptation challenges for Alaska Native communities.

Climate Change Practice Test

Climate Change Practice Test

Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience 3