Adapting Buildings to Climate Change 101

Adapt: Climate Change and the Built Environment

Mónika and Jessica talk to Dr. Klaus Jacob, geophysicist and Emeritus Research Professor at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Dr. Jacob takes us back to basics, defining climate mitigation and adaptation, discussing synergies between sustainability and resilience (renewable energy!) and some of the challenges of adapting to climate change (can flood walls have unintended consequences?). Also, can building retrofits incorporate climate resilience? How urgent is adapting buildings and infrastructure to a changing climate?

Dr. Jacob’s has taught graduate courses in Disaster Risk Management and Sustainable Urban Resilience at Columbia’s Earth Institute, and the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). He served on NYC Mayor’s New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC, 2008- 2019), and U.S. HUD’s post-Sandy Competition “Rebuild by Design” (RBD); prepared climate change adaptation plans for the New York MTA; and coauthored the U.S. National Academy’s report on “Impacts of Climate Change on U.S. Transportation”. TIME magazine named him one of globally 50 “people who mattered in 2012” for forecasting the impacts of a SANDY-like coastal storm on New York City, just one year before hurricane SANDY eerily verified his forecasts. More recently he has consulted with non-profit organizations and helps local governments and communities to address their climate change adaptation challenges.