Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
This finding, drawn in large measure from Yohe et al. (2006), refers
to aggregate measures of vulnerability projected over a one-century time
scale; it cannot be interpreted as meaning that every sector and every person
would be incapable of adapting to preserve their standards of living. It does,
however, suggest that responding to climate change and associated climate
variability over the very long term could become increasingly more difficult
and expensive across developed and developing countries, alike.
To summarize, more nuanced analyses of some sources of vulnerability
to climate change that would persist and, indeed, continue to grow over the
coming millenia are required to provide useful insight into the consequences
of stabilization over the very long term. Since rising seas are the source of
one such persistent and growing threat across the world, though, it is entirely
plausible that displaced people may be forced to migrate even if temperature
increases are capped. They may move within a country or region (like, as
reported in Kates et al. [2006], the tens of thousands of people who moved
to communities across the United States after Hurricane Katrina and have
decided not to return), but they may not.
