The Maryland Commission on Climate Change has released its report detailing strategies to reduce the impacts of climate change on Maryland, including sea level rise, increased temperature and changes in precipitation.
The report, the Phase II Strategy for Reducing Maryland’s Vulnerability to Climate Change: Building Societal, Economic and Ecological Resilience, was submitted to Governor Martin O’Malley by Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Secretary John Griffin, Acting Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment Robert Summers, and University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science President Dr. Donald Boesch.
“Maryland will continue to lead by example in reducing our vulnerability to climate change by taking action now and planning for the future,” said Governor O’Malley. “This report will guide our State in protecting our economic well-being, environmental heritage and public safety in the face of climate change and its impacts.”
“This report builds on the scientific community's previous work describing the likely impacts of climate change on Maryland,” said Dr. Boesch. “It’s now time to build upon that understanding and turn our attention to what we can do to prepare for them.”
Developed in accordance with Governor O’Malley’s Executive Order, more than 80 experts collaborated and held several larger stakeholder meetings to create the Phase II Strategy.
Along with its companion, the Phase I Strategy for Sea Level Rise and Coastal Storms (2008), the Phase II Strategy is a key component of Maryland’s Climate Action Plan. State agencies will use both strategies to guide and prioritize state-level activities with respect to both climate science and adaptation policy.
The release of this document again puts Maryland at the forefront of planning for climate change. In addition to nationally recognized efforts to mitigate climate change, Maryland is often recognized as a national leader in advancing the scientific understanding of climate change, and in advocating for sound planning to avoid or minimize the anticipated impacts.
This effort could not have been conducted without the generous grant funding from The Town Creek Foundation to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.
For more information about the commission’s efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change, visit http://www.green.maryland.gov/climate.html.
