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National Plan for Adaptation to the Impacts of Climate Change Cabinet

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National Plan for Adaptation to the Impacts of Climate Change Cabinet National Plan for Adaptation to the Impacts of Climate Change Cabinet Decision on 27 November 2015 Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Part 1. Basic Concepts of the Plan .......................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 1. Context and Issues ............................................................................................................3 Section 1. International Trends in Climate Change and Adaptation ............................................. 3 Section 2. Adaptation Efforts in Japan .......................................................................................... 4 Chapter 2. Basic Principles ................................................................................................................9 Section 1. Vision for Society ......................................................................................................... 9 Section 2. Target Period for the Adaptation Plan ........................................................................ 10 Section 3. Basic Strategies .......................................................................................................... 10 (1) Mainstreaming Adaptation into Government Policy ........................................................ 10 (2) Enhancement of Scientific Findings ................................................................................. 14 (3) Promotion of Understanding and Cooperation of Each Actor through Efforts such as Organizing and Sharing Climate Risk Information and Other Information ……………. 15 (4) Promotion of Adaptation in Region ................................................................................. 17 (5) Promotion of International Cooperation and Contribution ............................................... 18 Chapter 3. Basic Approaches ...........................................................................................................19 (1) Observation and Monitoring of Climate Change and Its Impacts .................................... 19 (2) Projection and Assessment of Climate Change and Its Impacts ....................................... 19 (3) Consideration of Adaptation Measures and Systematic Implementation based on Results of Climate Change and its Impacts ........................................................................................ 19 (4) Managing Progress and Revising the Adaptation Plan .................................................... 20 Part 2. Basic Directions for Measures in Each Sector ................................................................... …. 21 Chapter 1. Agriculture, Forest/Forestry, Fisheries...........................................................................21 Section 1. Basic Adaptation Measures for Agriculture ................................................................ 22 Section 2. Basic Adaptation Measures for Forest/Forestry ......................................................... 35 Section 3. Basic Adaptation Measures for Fisheries ................................................................... 39 Section 4. Basic Adaptation Measures for Other Issues related to Agriculture, Forest/Forestry, and Fisheries ..................................................................................................................... 46 Chapter 2. Water Environment, Water Resources ...........................................................................49 Section 1. Basic Adaptation Measures for Water Environment .................................................. 49 Section 2. Basic Adaptation Measures for Water Resources ...................................................... 52 Chapter 3. Natural Ecosystems ........................................................................................................55 Section 1. Basic Adaptation Measures for Terrestrial Ecosystems ............................................. 56 Section 2. Basic Adaptation Measures for Freshwater Ecosystems ............................................ 58 Section 3. Basic Adaptation Measures for Coastal Ecosystems .................................................. 60 Section 4. Basic Adaptation Measures for Marine Ecosystems .................................................. 61 Section 5. Basic Adaptation Measures for Phenology ................................................................ 61 Section 6. Basic Adaptation Measures for Shifts in Distribution and Populations ..................... 62 Chapter 4. Natural Disasters, Coastal Areas ....................................................................................... 63 Section 1. Basic Adaptation Measures for Water Disasters ........................................................ 63 Section 2. Basic Adaptation Measures for Storm Surges and High Waves ................................ 71 Section 3. Basic Adaptation Measures for Sediment-related Disasters ....................................... 75 Section 4. Basic Adaptation Measures for Other Impacts (e.g., Strong Winds) .........................77 Chapter 5. Human Health ................................................................................................................78 Section 1. Basic Adaptation Measures for Heat Stress ............................................................... 78 Section 2. Basic Adaptation Measures for Infection ................................................................... 79 Section 3. Basic Adaptation Measures for Other Human Health Impacts .................................... 80 Chapter 6. Industrial and Economic Activity ..................................................................................81 Section 1. Basic Adaptation Measures for Industrial and Economic Activity ............................. 81 Section 2. Basic Adaptation Measures for Finance and Insurance .............................................. 82 Section 3. Basic Adaptation Measures for Tourism .................................................................... 83 Section 4. Basic Adaptation Measures for Other Impacts (e.g., Overseas Impact) ..................... 84 Chapter 7. Life of Citizenry, Urban Life .........................................................................................85 Section 1. Basic Adaptation Measures for Urban Infrastructure, Critical Services .................... 85 Section 2. Basic Adaptation Measures for Life with Sense of Culture and History ................... 87 Section 3. Basic Adaptation Measures for Others (Impact on Life due to Heat Stress) .............. 88 Part 3. Basic and International Measures .............................................................................................. 91 Chapter 1. Basic Measures regarding Observation, Monitoring, Studies and Research ..................91 Chapter 2. Basic Measures for Sharing and Providing Information related to Climate Risk .......... 92 Chapter 3. Basic Measures for Promoting Adaptation in the Region ..............................................93 Chapter 4. International Measures ...................................................................................................95 Appendix. Approach for Assessment of Climate Change Impacts (Approach used in the Climate Change Impact Assessment Report) .................................................................................... 97 <Approach for Assessment of Significance> .............................................................................. 99 <Approach for Assessment of Urgency> .................................................................................. 101 <Approach for Assessment of Confidence> .............................................................................. 101 Introduction In recent years, extreme weather events have been observed around the world. Disasters have occurred due to strong typhoons and hurricanes, intense heavy rainfall, drought, heat waves, and other extreme weather events, and there are reports every year about the enormous amount of damage that results. The summer of 2013 brought record-breaking temperature to Japan, with a record daytime high of 41.0°C, an all-time maximum temperature record for this country. Hiroshima City suffered extensive damage in August 2014, with 75 people killed due to sediment-related disasters, when a maximum hourly rainfall of 101 mm was recorded, an all-time record since observations began. In addition, the enormous damage that occurred due to inundation damage in a wide area from a heavy rainfall disaster in the Kanto and Tohoku regions in September 2015 is still a fresh memory in Japan. The Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) points out that throughout history, people and societies have adjusted to and coped with climate, climate variability, and extreme events, with varying degrees of success. In addition, the report points out that since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia, and climate change is already having impacts on nature and human society, and an increase in magnitudes of warming increases the likelihood of severe, pervasive, and irreversible impacts. Moreover, the report shows that to limit climate change, substantial and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will be required; it also projects that global mean temperature will increase whatever future scenario
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