Weather events of increased intensity, such as Hurricane Irene, pose threats to infrastructure. Photo, Green MA

The Massachusetts Climate Change Adaption Report, released in late September, provides guidance on how communities, businesses and governments in the state can prepare for and respond to the effects of climate change.

Among the strategies the report suggests are ways to protect and preserve natural habitats and the hydrology of watersheds and to incorporate climate change predictions in future development and design practices. “We have an opportunity to help our natural systems become more resilient so they can adapt to a changing climate and continue to provide habitat, drinking water and all of the other benefits that nature provides,” says Andrew Finton, director of science and conservation at The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts. Finton contributed to the report issued by Massachusetts’ Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs by chairing a subcommittee of the 32-member advisory committee.

The report summarizes the projected effects of climate change on this coastal state and discusses their likely consequences for natural resources and habitat, public health, local economies and infrastructure. Follow-up action calls for exploring mechanisms to address the potential impacts of climate change. Massachusetts is among the first states in the nation to tackle developing a regulatory program for responding to climate change.