Climate Adaptations: Local and Global
Cymene Howe and Sophie Mok discuss the ways in which cities and communities are adapting to climate change locally and globally.
Melting ice sheets and rising seas are just two indicators of Earth’s rapidly changing hydrosphere. As we navigate the catastrophic effects of climate change—floods, superstorms, extreme rainfall—how can we develop new ways of analyzing these shared conditions? In her research, Cymene Howe considers the direct connections between melting Arctic ice and the plight of coastal cities facing sea-level rise. Her concept of “hydrological globalization” offers a set of speculative tools to reimagine how we might confront the dramatic consequences of our watery futures. Likewise, Sophie Mok looks at local ways to confront heavy-rain events and flooding at the Neckar River, as well as rising temperatures in Stuttgart, which is now on the path to become Germany’s hottest metropolis in 2050—with up to seventy days of temperatures above thirty degrees Celsius. The newest program in Stuttgart’s Climate Innovation Fund, co-funded by The Nature Conservancy in Europe, seeks novel solutions for natural ways to make Stuttgart more climate resilient. Howe and Mok discuss the ways in which both cities and communities are adapting to climate change locally and globally.
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