Page 558 - Shaping smarter and more sustainable cities - Striving for sustainable development goals

The following are the key steps of adaptation planning and implementation, and the potential
contribution of ICTs to each the step:
1) Setting the basis: Observation and understanding: city planners should consider the role
of ICTs in climate change adaptation as a new alternative in their local adaptation plans.
They should take stock of existing measures, opportunities and challenges on the
integration of ICTs in climate change adaptation.
2) Assessing climate change risks and vulnerabilities: this should involve an assessment of
how ICTs can support to identify adaptation options to climate change, as well as to carry
out an assessment of the specific risks and vulnerabilities on ICT infrastructure.
3) Planning of adaptation options: for planning of the adaptation process, it is important to
define the role of ICTs in identifying adaptation options for cities, as well as those options
that would allow for the use of ICTs for impacts of climate change. Once the potential
adaptation options are identified, an assessment should be carried out to determine which
of them suit the cities specific context. The approach is based on prioritizing those ICTs that
would best support adaptation options in a given city context, including the evaluation of
social, environmental and economic variables. This step also involves the prioritization of
adaptation options for the ICT infrastructure.
4) Implementation of adaptation actions: this step relates to the development of an
implementation plan to convert adaptation options into action. It involves the integration
of ICTs in the design of implementation strategies for identified/prioritized adaptation
options, together with the implementation of specific adaptation options for the city's ICT
infrastructure.
5) Monitoring and evaluating adaptation actions: this step consists of a monitoring system
and evaluation of the role on ICTs in climate change adaptation, to ensure the focus and
effectiveness of adaptive actions. ICTs have the capacity to support this process in various
ways including (but not limited to) usage of software tools to enable modelling, monitoring
and analysis of climate change impact in cities. A smart sustainable cities' adaptation
checklist is also provided in the last chapter of this report, to enable cities mayors to
evaluate the degree of inclusion of ICTs in their cities strategic responses, and assist them
in improving relevant adaptation interventions.

548 ITU‐T's Technical Reports and Specifications