Exploring the interactions between vulnerability, resilience and adaptation to extreme temperatures

Ana Raquel Nunes

doi:10.1007/s11069-021-04919-y

Abstract

Proposed ways of improving adaptation to climate change have most often been supported by narrowly framed and separate analysis. This article investigates how different levels of vulnerability and resilience interplay with adaptation to extreme temperatures, what is the nature of these relationships and whether lower vulnerability and higher resilience contribute to increased adaptation. This article explores the governance implications of a project that, unlike other, brings together vulnerability, resilience and adaptation assessments. The project has made significant advances in addressing the current deficit integrated assessments for shaping governance propositions. Such propositions argue that the diverse levels of vulnerability and resilience convey important bases for (1) targeting at-risk older individuals; (2) developing vulnerability reduction actions; (3) resilience building actions; and (4) understanding ‘success cases’ and learn from them for developing appropriate policy measures. Taken together, these propositions offer a social, psychological and health framework not simply for governing extreme temperatures but for governing responses to climate change at large.

Highlights

Introduction and literature reviewIn recent years the impacts of climate and temperature on human health and wellbeing have been receiving increased attention
In spite of a series of major extreme temperature events and human health impacts in recent years there is a dearth of impact assessments associated with a dearth of mitigation and adaptation strategies at both national and local levels (Rodrigues et al 2020; Carvalho et al 2014; Lucio et al 2010)
The findings on vulnerability, resilience and adaptation arising from the project are described more fully in Nunes (2020, 2019b, 2018), but it is in this article that their interactions and implications for understanding how they are shaped, and subsequently how this may influence underpinning adaptation decisions are synthesised and discussed

Summary

Introduction

In recent years the impacts of climate and temperature on human health and wellbeing have been receiving increased attention. Older people are considered to be vulnerable to extreme temperatures (Tong and Ebi 2019). Within this age group, health status, sex, marital status, living arrangements and social factors are some of the key determinants of risk (Hajat et al 2007). The health impacts of extreme temperatures are preventable and avoidable (Haines and Ebi 2019; Tong et al 2016; Astrom et al 2011) and can be mitigated through strategies aiming at reducing vulnerability, increasing resilience and improving adaptation (Bellamy 2019; Keim 2008), but there are still numerous constraints on implementing solutions (Bellamy 2019). Some argue that we need to better understand the factors shaping both vulnerability and resilience, as well as the factors underpinning adaptation decisions and actions (Bankoff 2019; Atteridge and Remling 2018; Lei et al 2014; Curtis and Oven 2012; Cannon and Muller-Mahn 2010)

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion