Approach
An informed and engaged public is one that can better plan its outings to both limit exposure and ensure that climate-exacerbated risks do not negatively impact its overall experience. The delivery of accurate weather and climate information ensures that expectations of visitors conform to actual conditions. This information can be conveyed through improved websites and social media in real time to visitors. For example, real-time webcams can show potential winter recreationists actual snow and weather conditions at a ski area, alerting them to when conditions may be unfavorable. This approach can also include actions such as educating visitors on proper use to reduce risks to vulnerable resources.
Tactics
- Redirect trip planning away from areas prone to seasonal flooding or other risks via social media, websites, or early warning systems.
- Improve websites and social media presence with real-time information of current conditions and weather forecasts.
- Publicly share geospatial information (e.g. maps, story maps) on the current distribution of risks, especially in areas that have crossed a threshold relative to heat-related trauma, flash floods, wildfire hazard, etc.
- Encourage (through signage or other means) personal protection against heat-related illness, noxious plants, and disease-bearing insects.
- Communicate the importance of visitor fitness and acclimatization training prior to outdoor recreational trips that require arduous exertion.
- Install real-time webcams to show potential winter recreationists at a distance actual snow and weather conditions at a ski area, when conditions are likely to be warmer with less snow at a recreationist's local area.
- Use early warning systems that alert visitors to impending hazards in an area.
- Provide signage on why certain areas are closed due to climate-related risk to the resource.
Strategy
Strategy Text
Although many forms of recreation can provide numerous health and cultural benefits, climate change can threaten the health and safety of visitors and staff and also lead to a loss of cultural identity. Conditions have become more favorable for several human health hazards, including the spread of vector-borne diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks, the proliferation of noxious plants, such as poison ivy, risks to campgrounds and other infrastructure, such as flooding, hazard trees, and wildfires, increased risks of avalanches given projected rain-on-snow occurrences, heat-induced illnesses, such as dehydration and heat stroke, a prolonged pollen season and associated respiratory illnesses such as asthma, and poor air quality from both natural and anthropogenic sources. This strategy aims to reduce the risks themselves but also to reduce the exposure of visitors and staff to those risks. This can be achieved through open communication, environmental education, and interpreting the changes that are occurring so that visitors’ expectations and preparedness align with actual conditions that they are likely to encounter while recreating. In addition to the physical risks, the risks to cultural identity when a recreation activity is no longer feasible are also very real and may need to be communicated in a way that is sensitive to a community’s sense of place.
O’Toole, D.; Brandt, L.A.; Janowiak, M.K.; Schmitt, K.M.; Shannon, P.D.; Leopold, P.R.; Handler, S.D.; Ontl, T.A.; Swanston, C.W. Climate Change Adaptation Strategies and Approaches for Outdoor Recreation. Sustainability 2019, 11, 7030.