Effective decision making that helps societies around the world adapt to a changing climate will require answers to a number of complex, unresolved policy questions.

World Resources 2010 commissioned short papers from thought leaders and prominent practitioners that seek to answer, or inform, these key questions. Four or Five experts give their perspective on each question, drawing on lessons they have learned and opinions they have drawn from firsthand research and/or decision making in the field. A separate group of experts act as commentators on each set of commissioned papers. Both authors and commentators were drawn from developing and industrialized countries and from a range of backgrounds including national and local government planning, risk analysis, climate adaptation policy and ecosystems conservation.

We hope the exchange - all of which can be accessed on this website - provides significant input to the adaptation policy community, especially in the developing world. It also informs the policy guidance in the WRR summary report.

Questions and Responses

Question One: Does climate change require new approaches to making decisions?

Question Two: How Can We Balance Today's Pressing Needs with Long Term Risks?

Question Three: How can development agencies help vulnerable countries adapt effectively?

Question Four: Must We Fundamentally Change Course to Conserve Ecosystems in a Changing Climate?

Question Five: How Can Information for Adaptation Decision Making Be Collected and Disseminated?

Question Six: What Types of Information Are Needed for Adaptation Decision Making?

Question Seven: Thought Leaders Explore How to Meet Both Today's Development Challenges and Tomorrow's Climate Risks

Question Eight: The Private Sector

How can national-level governments learn from the private sector and encourage investment and decision making to promote the public good in a changing climate?

Question Nine: Civil Society

How can civil society best support, and hold accountable, national-level governments in their efforts to integrate climate change risks into planning and policy-making processes?