Abstract
Many methods are available to support adaptation planning. Yet there is little guidance on their selection. A recently developed diagnostic framework offers a structured set of criteria to choose research methods for specific adaptation questions. It has been derived from science-driven cases mostly. This paper offers the first application to a policy-driven case. Thus, it aims to (1) assess the descriptive quality of the framework for adaptation planning and (2) reflect on its value in supporting method selection. The paper focuses on the research commissioned for adaptation policymaking by the Dutch Delta Programme in the Wadden region. It compares the research methods used in the Delta Programme with those suggested by the diagnostic framework. It concludes that the selection of methods in the adaptation planning process can be described quite well by the decision trees of the diagnostic framework. Deviations occurred mostly for pragmatic reasons when the selection is informed by practical limitations of the policymaking process, such as available resources, time constraints and experience of the involved experts. It is recommended to enrich the diagnostic framework with methods from adaptation practice and consult it in climate adaptation studies at an early stage.
Highlights
There is a demand for methods and tools to support adaptation planning
The assessment in this paper focuses on adaptation policymaking in the Wadden region, as addressed in the Dutch Delta Programme
The analysis identified methods used in the Delta Programme that could be included in the diagnostic framework
Summary
There is a demand for methods and tools to support adaptation planning. Decision-makers urgently demand reliable science-based information to help them respond to climate change impacts and opportunities for adaptation (Dessai et al 2004). Many different tools and methods exist to do problem-oriented adaptation research and provide decision support To help identify approaches suitable for specific adaptation challenges, the ‘‘Diagnostic framework for problem-oriented adaptation research’’ was developed (Hinkel and Bisaro 2014). The diagnostic framework consists of a series of decision trees and criteria that lead from framing adaptation challenges to possible research methods. Its intended users are researchers and policy analysts, who, confronted with concern about climate change adaptation, wish to select methods appropriate to address the adaptation challenge. The framework has been derived from a number of science-driven cases
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