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The Geographic Information System (GIS)‐based flood damage simulation model HOWAD for buildings and land‐use units is dealing with a new high‐resolution approach. Spatially, it interlinks water depths from hydrodynamic modelling, accurate geographic data for buildings and land‐use units, and a building typology based on urban structure types. For calculations of the potential physical and monetary damage to residential buildings, detailed synthetic depth–damage functions for each building type are used that are based on civil engineering analyses of the building constructions. Damage modelling for other land‐use types like commercial, industrial or agricultural properties up to now is based on individual expert estimates. The application of the object‐based approach with a high spatial and contextual resolution allows not only a detailed assessment of impacts due to the current flood hazard but also the simulation of future risks under the conditions of climate and societal change. In addition, the method enables ex‐ante analyses of effects of risk reduction measures and thus the comparison of decision alternatives. The monetary damage for individual buildings and land‐use units can be aggregated on different scales (administrative districts, catchment areas, etc.). The strength of the approach is a highly reliable methodology especially for housing areas using synthetic depth–damage functions based on the calculation of refurbishment costs for potential inundation depths. The applicability of the model HOWAD is demonstrated by results from a case study on the German Elbe River floodplain.

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The implementation of adaptation actions in local conservation management is a new and complex task with multiple facets, influenced by factors differing from site to site. A transdisciplinary perspective is therefore required to identify and implement effective solutions. To address this, the International Conference on Managing Protected Areas under Climate Change brought together international scientists, conservation managers, and decision-makers to discuss current experiences with local adaptation of conservation management. This paper summarizes the main issues for implementing adaptation that emerged from the conference. These include a series of conclusions and recommendations on monitoring, sensitivity assessment, current and future management practices, and legal and policy aspects. A range of spatial and temporal scales must be considered in the implementation of climate-adapted management. The adaptation process must be area-specific and consider the ecosystem and the social and economic conditions within and beyond protected area boundaries. However, a strategic overview is also needed: management at each site should be informed by conservation priorities and likely impacts of climate change at regional or even wider scales. Acting across these levels will be a long and continuous process, requiring coordination with actors outside the "traditional" conservation sector. To achieve this, a range of research, communication, and policy/legal actions is required. We identify a series of important actions that need to be taken at different scales to enable managers of protected sites to adapt successfully to a changing climate.