Climate Adaptation Strategies for California Airports will Require a Holistic Approach, Including New Governance Models

Airports are complex social, technical, and environmental systems. Understanding their complexity is fundamental for advancing transformative climate adaptation policy. For airports to adapt, climate science must be incorporated not only into standards of specific equipment and facilities, but also into the air traffic network and its interconnected infrastructure systems (e.g., road access, ground-based communications, navigation, and surveillance systems). In addition, airport adaptation requires a shift in the way policy is designed, reinforced, and updated, which in turn relies on an understanding of airport governance models and organizational networks. UC Berkeley researchers recently explored how airport planners and policymakers can use climate science to transform standards and update organizational values to promote climate adaptation. After assessing California airports’ exposure to future coastal flooding and reviewing more than 300 policy documents, the UC Berkeley research team developed guidelines on how international, federal, and state policies can better incorporate forward-looking climate science into airport standards and policies.