Developing adaptation strategies background training for adaptation
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This document provides an overview of climate change adaptation strategies, defining key concepts such as adaptation, vulnerability, resilience, exposure, and sensitivity. It emphasizes the importance of understanding social and environmental changes, assessing adaptation needs, and implementing strategies that reflect both process-oriented and outcome-oriented actions. Four main approaches to climate adaptation are outlined, highlighting proactive and reactive measures to deal with climate change impacts.
Developing adaptation strategies background training for adaptation
- 1. Developing Adaptation Strategies: Training for Adaptation Background
- 2. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background Identifying the Main Climate Change Adaptation Strategies This module provides an general overview of the main strategies for climate change adaptation and includes more detailed definitions of -adaptation -vulnerability -resilience -exposure and sensitivity Climate Adaptation C. Aall & D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource
- 3. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background What is adaptation? Adaptation is an evolutionary process. It occurs in physical, ecological, and human systems and addresses many factors and stresses, not simply climate change alone. Adaptation refers both to the process of adapting and to the condition of being adapted (Grothman & Pratt, 2005) and has specific interpretations in particular disciplines. Within ecology, adaptation is the process by which organisms or species becomes better suited to its environment In the social sciences, it refers to adjustments by individuals, or collective behaviour within a system. In the field of climate change and number of definitions are available… Grothmann, T. & Patt, A. (2005) Adaptive capacity and human cognition: the process of individual adaptation to climate change Climate Adaptation D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource
- 4. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background Climate change and adaptation IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) defines climate change adaptation as: An adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities UKCIP 2011 ‘any action taken to minimise the adverse effects or to take advantage of any beneficial effects of climate change’ Climate Adaptation D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource
- 5. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background Climate change and adaptation In it’s broadest sense adaptation, and adaptation to climate change in particular, is nothing new. Societies and individuals have been adapting to changing conditions for millennia and existing natural and human systems are - in their very nature - an adaptive response to spatial differences in climate. Adaptation to climate variability can be seen in social and economic systems such as agriculture, forestry, industry, transportation, settlements etc. These have all evolved to accommodate inherent temporal variations from normal conditions. However, the advent of this new era of climate change brings new challenges that question the inherent adaptability of natural and human systems. Climate Adaptation D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource
- 6. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background Identifying adaptation needs So when looking at climate change adaptation it is good practice to consider the following: • Changes in social and environmental processes • Perceptions of climate risk • Practices and functions to reduce risk • Exploration of new opportunities to cope with the changed environment To determine adaptation needs, it is crucial to identify and comprehend issues of: • Vulnerability, • Resilience, • Exposure, • Sensitivity, • Capacity to adapt. Climate Adaptation D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource
- 7. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background Vulnerability Vulnerability refers to the nature and extent to which a community is susceptible to factors that directly or indirectly affect the wellbeing or sustainability of the community (Smit et al., 2008). In economies dependent on natural resource utilisation, the sensitivity of the ecosystem of which the community is part of, and depends upon, is crucial. However, use of this term does not presume that communities are vulnerable (Smit et al., 2008). Vulnerability is the combined result of exposure and sensitivity to climatic risks, and the adaptive capacity to deal with those risks Vulnerability stems, in part, from the uncertainty concerning the rate and magnitude of changes to expect, the potential for non-linear changes to occur, and the long time horizons involved. Vulnerability can also stem from constraints on the ability of a system to adapt. Smit, B., Wandel, J., & Hovelsrud, G. (2008). CAVIAR (Community adaptation and vulnerability in Arctic regions): framework document for an International Polar Year consortium. Climate Adaptation D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource
- 8. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background Resilience A system’s resilience is measured by the magnitude of damage it can tolerate and still autonomously return to its original state. It begins to fail once it can no longer withstand changes without significant adverse impacts. The capacity of systems to accommodate variations in climatic conditions from year-to-year, without significant adverse impacts or the crossing of critical thresholds, is their “coping range”, also referred to as their vulnerability or damage threshold. The coping range, varies among systems and regions and may itself change reflecting new technologies and information to a system or, conversely, a loss of knowledge and skills from a system. The coping range thus reflects the adaptive capacity of a system to deal with current variability. Climate Adaptation D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource
- 9. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background Exposure and sensitivity Exposure to climate variation is primarily a function of geography. For example, coastal communities will have higher exposure to sea level rise and cyclones, while communities in semi-arid areas may be most exposed to drought. Sensitivity is the degree to which a given community or ecosystem is affected by climatic stresses. For example, a community dependent on rain-fed agriculture is much more sensitive to changing rainfall patterns than one where mining is the dominant livelihood. Likewise, a fragile, arid or semi-arid ecosystem will be more sensitive than a tropical one to a decrease in rainfall, due to the subsequent impact on water flows. careclimatechange.org The exposure-sensitivity reflects the likelihood of climatic conditions or natural hazards occurring in relation to a community’s physical location, social and economic situation, governance, and political systems. Climate Adaptation D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource
- 10. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background What is Adaptive Capacity? Adaptive capacity is the ability to understand climate changes and hazards, to evaluate their consequences for vulnerable communities, places and economies, and to moderate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with consequences. Adaptation can be seen as a process of social learning for a sustainable future. Climate Adaptation D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource
- 11. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background What is Adaptive Capacity? The capacity to adapt is dynamic and influenced by economic and natural resources, social networks, entitlements, institutions and governance, human resources, and technology. Reducing vulnerability involves reducing exposure through specific measures like building a dyke in case of sea level rise, or increasing adaptive capacity through activities that are closely aligned with development priorities. Key elements of adaptive capacity include: • access to information on climate variability and change; • skills to make use of the information; • institutions with the ability to facilitate and manage for adaptation; and • equitably distributed economic resources. The greater the adaptive capacity, the lesser the vulnerability. Climate Adaptation D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource
- 12. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background What is adaptation? Climate Adaptation D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource
- 13. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background Adaptation Strategies Climate specific adaptations can occur over a range of temporal and spatial scales from individual households, communities and firms, to entire economic sectors, watersheds and countries, from immediate reactionary responses to long-term planning.Assessment of impacts on both biophysical and socio-economic processes can form the basis for adaptation strategies. Climate specific adaptation can be defined by the nature of the driver, by the outcome or process, and by the type of strategy and/or action taken. The table below provides a list of drivers, as outlined by the United Kingdom Climate Impacts Programme, UKCIP. Measures Drivers Adaptation measures implemented before impacts of climate change are Anticipatory/ Pro-active observed. Adaptation measures triggered by changes in natural systems and market or Autonomous welfare changes in human systems. Deliberate policy decisions, based on an awareness of changing conditions and Planned understanding that action is required Climate Adaptation D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource
- 14. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background Adaptation Strategies Climate adaptations can also be classed as • Process-oriented strategies Aimed at developing the information, social structures, and governance needed to support adaptation this is also known as building adaptation capacity (creating information and conditions that enable adaptation actions to take place) • Outcome-oriented actions. Measures taken to reduce vulnerability and exploit opportunities that arise from a changing climate i.e. delivering adaptation actions These actions and strategies fall into one of the following groups: ➡ Living with and bearing losses or risks; ➡ Preventing effects or reducing exposure to risks; ➡ Sharing responsibility for any losses or risks; ➡ Exploiting opportunities (UKCIP, 2011). Climate Adaptation D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource
- 15. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background Four Main Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation 1. Effect oriented adaptation to local climate change – E.g. build flood protection 2. Cause oriented adaptation to local climate change – E.g. change location of areas for new housing development Possible additional perspectives 3. Indirect oriented adaptation to climate change taking place elsewhere – E.g. protect farmed land from housing or road development 4. Climate change mitigation policy adaptation – E.g. secure access to public transportation in tourism development Climate Adaptation D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource
- 16. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background Four Main Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation 1. Effect oriented adaptation to local climate change – E.g. build flood protection 2. Cause oriented adaptation to local climate change – E.g. change location of areas for new housing development Possible additional perspectives 3. Indirect oriented adaptation to climate change taking place elsewhere – E.g. protect farmed land from housing or road development 4. Climate change mitigation policy adaptation – E.g. secure access to public transportation in tourism development Climate Adaptation D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource
- 17. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background The effect- and cause-oriented approach to climate change adaptation Source: The Western Norway Research Institute, 2011. Climate Adaptation C. Aall & D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource
- 18. Process Stage 2 Developing Adaptation Strategies: Background Final key points When considering adaptation options it is important to decide whether a general or specific approach is necessary. • Should you aim at all sectors and develop a general local adaptation plan? or • Is there a specific type of natural vulnerability (e.g. flooding) or sector (e.g. agriculture) that should be addressed first? Climate Adaptation C. Aall & D. Davies, 2012 Online Training Resource