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.

Publication 3 May 2023

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.

Watch the Video

Related content

European Security at a Crossroads?

What realistic strategy can secure Europe’s future?

14 Oct 2026

Powering the Future, Paying the Price: Data Centers, Democracy, and the 2026 Midterm Elections

America’s artificial intelligence race has made data centers a defining political issue.

14 Oct 2026

“Stereophonic”: David Adjmi in Conversation with Katie Kitamura and Will Butler

The Tony Award-winning play “Stereophonic” comes to Berlin

8 Oct 2026

Fascism’s Lingering: Regime Change and Moral Reckoning

What Theodor Adorno and his Institute for Social Research team learned about the lasting impact of Nazi ideologies on the German psyche in 1950-51.

2 Oct 2026
Diese Medieninhalte sind derzeit blockiert.
Um eingebettete Videos oder Social-Media-Beiträge anzuzeigen, erlauben Sie bitte Cookies von externen Medienanbietern in Ihren Datenschutzeinstellungen.