Climate change adaptation and climate-related natural hazards

Austria has a long-established system for managing climate-related natural hazards. Climate change adaptation is a newly emerging policy area that has recently moved into the implementation phase. This chapter outlines the challenges posed to Austria by current and future climatic conditions. It assesses the policy and institutional framework, along with the process and tools used to identify priorities for climate change adaptation policies. The main challenges to implementation of the National Adaptation Strategy are identified, including securing finance and effectively mainstreaming adaptation into sectoral policies. The Austrian contribution to supporting adaptation activities in other countries is also discussed.