Local climate change adaptation plans in the US and France: Comparison and lessons learned in 2007-2017

Abstract As the number of local climate adaptation plans has rapidly grown during the past ten years in response to increasing threats of climate change, cities and various organizations offer new insights on climate adaptation planning methods rooted in their countries' planning cultures. To facilitate monitoring, knowledge sharing, and cross-border comparison of climate adaptation plans, we have developed a uniform system of 24 indicators, integrating the key aspects of plans' structure and organization; content and scientific basis; and plan development and coordination process. We examine here 36 examples of local climate change adaptation plans of small and mid-sized urban communities in France and the United States and reflect on the experiences they offer to future planning. Driven by different methodological guidelines, French and U.S. plans demonstrate different strong points, offering useful insights for future planning. Yet, they appear to share similar shortcomings on both sides of the Atlantic. The key findings include the need for clearer planning toolkits for local governments, engagement of diverse stakeholders, attention to equity, and higher level of integration of plans across multiple sectors and scales. Citizens' groups, academia, and the private sector should play a more active role in the development and implementation of adaptation plans.