Climate Change Adaptation Options Research Articles

Collaborative knowledge braiding for restoration: assessing climate change risks and adaptation options at Wuda Ogwa in southeastern Idaho, United States

Collaborative knowledge braiding for restoration: assessing climate change risks and adaptation options at Wuda Ogwa in southeastern Idaho, United States

Decision analysis for prioritizing climate change adaptation options: a systematic review

Decision analysis for prioritizing climate change adaptation options: a systematic review

Evaluating climate change adaptation options in the agriculture sector: A PROMETHEE-GAIA analysis

Mitigating maladaptation and effectively managing climate risks are crucial components of strategic planning in agriculture amidst climate change. Evaluation serves as a pivotal element in this process, facilitating the identification of effective adaptation strategies tailored to local contexts. Consequently, it's imperative to thoroughly evaluate these strategies to ensure their success and resilience. The current study evaluated adaptation methods tailored to the local context in southwest Iran across three categories-crop, farm, and water management-employing Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) and the PROMETHEE-GAIA. Sensitivity analysis was performed during the AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) stage to confirm the criteria weights and in the PROMETHEE to confirm the ranking. A set of eight criteria, including effectiveness/importance, affordability, institutional feasibility, technical feasibility, social feasibility, traditional acceptance, flexibility, and environment side effects (positive) were applied to evaluate the adaptation measures. Our results indicated the three highest rankings in each set of measures, as follows: i) crop management—relay intercropping, change of crop type, and mixed intercropping; ii) farm management—pest and disease management, weed control, and crop rotation; iii) water management—lining water canals or covering their earth floors with nylon, using pipes rather than open canals to transfer water to the field, and increasing the time intervals between irrigations to deal with water shortages. The outcomes underscore the urgency of formulating region-specific adaptation policies that align with local expertise and contextual needs. By prioritizing the identified effective strategies, policymakers can enhance resilience against water scarcity in southwest Iran. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of ongoing evaluation and adaptation, emphasizing the dynamic nature of climate challenges and the need for continuous refinement of adaptive policies.

Farmers’ information sharing for climate change adaptation in Mozambique

Small scale African farmers are facing increasing challenges due to climate change. One of the most important strategies identified in the literature to improve farmers’ resilience is the enhancement of information sharing between all the actors involved, as a key step of the capacity building process. To provide insights into this objective, we analyse Mozambique farmers’ perception of climate change, agricultural adaptation options, the information sources most used currently by farmers, and which are preferred to be strengthened in the future. We also analyse the main barriers for improving the exchange of information, as well as geographical and gender differences. We collected quantitative and qualitative data from a survey to 100 farmers (52 women and 48 men) and 9 focus groups with farmers, plus 9 interviews to local and provincial government officials and NGOs technicians. We studied four case study areas that showed different vulnerability to climate change and socioeconomic characteristics: two case studies close to the capital city of Mozambique (Maputo) and two case studies far away from the capital city. With the data from the survey we performed descriptive and comparative statistics and a generalized linear model regression analysis. With the data from the focus groups we built Fuzzy cognitive maps that were used for assessing the impacts of information enhancement policies on the communities’ adaptation capacity. We demonstrate the need for adopting a contextualized approach for defining the most suitable climate change adaptation option in each study area. Oral communications and extension agents are the key short term resources to improve the exchange of information with small scale farmers, with smartphones showing a high potential only in the long future, due to the existing barriers to their massive use (high prices for buying and using them, low quality of mobile network, high proportion of illiterate farmers).

Impact of Changes in Land use and land cover on Agricultural Productivity in Northern Nigeria

The challenges posed by changes in land use and land cover are greatly affecting agricultural productivity in the semi-arid region of Nigeria. Land use and land cover change affects ecosystem functions and services, which leads to people migrating from one place to another, predominantly rural dwellers. The research studies the impact of land use and land cover change on agricultural productivity and the factors influencing the changes. To achieve this, a remote sensing technique was employed. The Landsat Thematic Mapper Image of 1990, Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Image of 2005 and Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Image of 2020 were collected and analysed. Six classes of land use and land cover were obtained using Earth Resource Development Assessment System Imagery 9.1 software. The result shows that there was a decrease in the land area occupied by wetland, shrubland and water body, while there was an increase in the land area occupied by bare lands/dunes, settlement and scattered cultivation from the year 1990 to 2020. Increase in bare land/dune, scattered cultivation and settlement were mainly as a result of climate change resulting from overgrazing, a southward movement of dunes from the Sahara desert, increasing farming activities and increasing demand for shelter by the increasing population. The decrease in shrubland, water body, and wetland were also linked to climate change resulting from increasing deforestation, and increasing use of wetland for farming activities. Based on the results of the analysis, it is recommended that measures should be taken to integrate sustainable land management and climate change adaptation options for sustainable Agriculture.

Stakeholder insights into embedding marine net gain for offshore wind farm planning and delivery

The rapid expansion of offshore wind farms plays a key role in meeting global Net Zero targets by 2050 and if delivered sustainably could address the dual challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. Many countries are embracing ambitious approaches to environmental impact reduction by implementing concepts such as Biodiversity Net Gain, Nature Positive and No Net Loss. Such policies are now recognized in European and UK legislation, although generally only applicable to terrestrial activities. For the marine realm, there is little consensus on how Marine Net Gain can provide optimal environmental and societal outcomes from marine activities such as offshore wind farm construction, operation and decommissioning. This study sought to clarify the key issues that need to be addressed for effective implementation of Marine Net Gain. Following recruitment through a stakeholder mapping exercise, in-workshop and follow-up questionnaires sought to elicit expert opinions from multi-sector UK offshore wind farm stakeholders on a range of aspects of Marine Net Gain policy formulation and delivery. Over 80 % of participants indicated that certain external inputs, including information for climate change adaptation options and habitat mapping data, were important to enable delivery of Marine Net Gain. The most important ecosystem services to include within Net Gain measures were perceived as those relating to fisheries (mean 4.50, SD 0.51), maintaining nursery habitats (mean 4.41, SD 0.59), and climate regulation (mean 4.20, SD 1.). Stakeholders felt the most important Net Gain actions for environmental restoration/enhancement for future offshore wind deployment were shellfish/mussel bed (ave rank score 4.06) and invertebrate habitat restoration (ave rank score 4.60), and actions supporting plankton communities (ave rank score 4.67). Stakeholders agreed (83 %) that Net Gain actions should be considered at the decommissioning stage, and the preferred decommissioning option was the complete removal or abandonment of all structures. Stakeholders felt that strategic Net Gain assessments should prioritize fishing pressures (dredging: mean 4.27, SD 1.03; line and net: mean 4.21, SD 0.89) and those arising from physical structures (mean 4.0, SD 0.85). Aquaculture farming was deemed most feasible to co-exist with fixed offshore wind farms (means 3.93–4.19), while floating wind farms were felt to be more co-locatable with fishing practices (means 3.94–4.06) and carbon capture storage devices (mean 3.87) compared to fixed structures. Recommendations are suggested for future policy development and scientific research in relation to the application of Marine Net Gain assessment for offshore wind farm projects.

Agroforestry practices for climate change adaptation and livelihood resilience in drylands of Ethiopia

Agroforestry practices have gained attention as a means to enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers to climate threats. However, their role in building resilient livelihoods and adapting to climate change is not well studied in Ethiopia. Through our study, we evaluated the significance of indigenous agroforestry practices for climate change adaptation and livelihood resilience in different agroecologies of Northern Ethiopia. We interviewed 197 households to gather insightful data, and statistical analyses, including Chi-square, Pearson’s correlation, ANOVA, and multinomial regression, were employed to analyze the data. Our findings reveal that farmers are proactively responding to the impacts of a changing climate by making strategic shifts in crop varieties, livestock types, and tree species, which they believe strengthen their adaptive capacity. Indigenous agroforestry emerged as the third most preferred climate change adaptation option among farmers, following livestock and off-farm activities. Additionally, on-farm trees were identified as the third most significant livelihood asset for farming households, underscoring the pivotal role of indigenous agroforestry in bolstering livelihood resilience. Indigenous agroforestry practices offer a multitude of benefits, including wood, livestock fodder, and crucial ecosystem services, particularly during periods of climate shocks. This not only enhances farmers’ adaptive capacity but also alleviates pressure on neighboring natural forests. Notably, on-farm trees exhibited a substantial positive impact on crop productivity, household income, and overall climate change adaptation capabilities. Despite variations observed across different agroecologies, on-farm trees accounted for an impressive 34.35% of the household’s total income, further highlighting their significance in fostering long-term livelihood resilience. In conclusion, our study emphasizes the urgent need to scale up indigenous agroforestry practices as a means to enhance short-term adaptive capacity and foster long-term resilience.

Determining Factors Influencing Farmers' Selection of Climate Change Adaptation Methods in Rural Gambia: Insights from West Africa

This study identifies different methods of adaptation used by farmers to adapt to climate change in the rural Gambia. The methods identified include use of agriculture technology, planting early and late varieties, practicing soil and water conservation, planting other crops varieties, fertilizer, and multiple crops under irrigation. Results from multinomial logistic regression as discrete choice model employed imply that household size, education of the respondents, gender, access to extension service, employment of household head category, access to credit has negative and insignificant impacts on adaptation options in the rural Gambia. The results further revealed that, total household income, drought as a proxy for climate change, and size of the farmland has positive and significant impacts on climate change adaptation options. Moreover, the analysis reveals that access to credit, migration response, drought, income and practicing livestock farming has positive relationship with no adaptation options.

Inequalities in Air Pollution Exposure and Attributable Mortality in a Low Carbon Future

AbstractUnderstanding the costs and benefits of climate change mitigation and adaptation options is crucial to justify and prioritize future decarbonization pathways to achieve net zero. Here, we quantified the co‐benefits of decarbonization for air quality and public health under scenarios that aim to limit end‐of‐century warming to 2°C and 1.5°C. We estimated the mortality burden attributable to ambient PM2.5 exposure using population attributable fractions of relative risk, incorporating projected changes in population demographics. We found that implementation of decarbonization scenarios could produce substantial global reductions in population exposure to PM2.5 pollution and associated premature mortality, with maximum health benefits achieved in Asia around mid‐century. The stringent 1.5ºC‐compliant decarbonization scenario (SSP1‐1.9) could reduce the PM2.5‐attributable mortality burden by 29% in 2050 relative to a middle‐of‐the‐road scenario (SSP2‐4.5), averting around 2.9 M annual deaths worldwide. While all income groups were found to benefit from improved air quality through a combination of decarbonization and air pollution controls, the smallest health benefits are experienced by the low‐income population. The disparity in PM2.5 exposure across income groups is projected to reduce by 2100, but a 30% disparity between high‐ and low‐income groups persists even in the strongest mitigation scenario. Further, without additional and targeted air quality measures, low‐ and lower‐middle‐income populations (predominantly in Africa and Asia) will continue to experience PM2.5 exposures that are over three times the World Health Organization Air Quality Guideline.

Climatic effects on the synchrony and stability of temperate headwater invertebrates over four decades.

Important clues about the ecological effects of climate change can arise from understanding the influence of other Earth-system processes on ecosystem dynamics but few studies span the inter-decadal timescales required. We, therefore, examined how variation in annual weather patterns associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) over four decades was linked to synchrony and stability in a metacommunity of stream invertebrates across multiple, contrasting headwaters in central Wales (UK). Prolonged warmer and wetter conditions during positive NAO winters appeared to synchronize variations in population and community composition among and within streams thereby reducing stability across levels of ecological organization. This climatically mediated synchronization occurred in all streams irrespective of acid-base status and land use, but was weaker where invertebrate communities were more functionally diverse. Wavelet linear models indicated that variation in the NAO explained up to 50% of overall synchrony in species abundances at a timescale of 4-6 years. The NAO appeared to affect ecological dynamics through local variations in temperature, precipitation and discharge, but increasing hydrochemical variability within sites during wetter winters might have contributed. Our findings illustrate how large-scale climatic fluctuations generated over the North Atlantic can affect population persistence and dynamics in inland freshwater ecosystems in ways that transcend local catchment character. Protecting and restoring functional diversity in stream communities might increase their stability against warmer, wetter conditions that are analogues of ongoing climate change. Catchment management could also dampen impacts and provide options for climate change adaptation.

Climate change adaptation preferences of winemakers from the Rioja wine appellation

This paper uses a discrete choice experiment to elicit winemakers' preferences towards climate change adaptation options in the Spanish Rioja region. The experiment includes different potential adaptation strategies such as relocation, the use of various grape clones, the installation of an irrigation system, the construction of vegetative or artificial structures to shade the vines, and oenological adaptations. The results show that the most widely accepted strategy is the installation of irrigation and shading structures. In contrast, the least accepted strategy is relocating, which is a costly and long-term solution. The monetary measures obtained are useful for policymakers because they show how much financial assistance will be required to adapt to climate change and maintain the high-quality wine production of the region. We also investigate the precision that can be expected from choice models with small samples through a simulation study, demonstrating the possibility of recovering true parameter values with small sample sizes using a specific experimental design tailored to the attributes and levels of the study.

Prioritizing climate change adaptation options: Application of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) with stakeholder participation in water resources management

Prioritizing climate change adaptation options: Application of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) with stakeholder participation in water resources management

Potential of implementing irrigation in rainfed agriculture in Quebec: A review of climate change‐induced challenges and adaptation strategies

AbstractLeading to growing‐season water stress, eastern Canada's evolving climate has disrupted the region's rainfed farming systems. Accordingly, this review was conducted to assess the status of irrigation, climate‐induced challenges and opportunities and the impact of adaptation strategies on economic returns and the environment in Quebec's agricultural regions. While irrigation is limited mainly to high‐value crops, controlled drainage with sub‐irrigation (CDSI) has been implemented at a limited number of field sites. Given the greater rainfall variability and rising number of growing‐season heatwave events anticipated, previous studies have mainly focused on developing climate change adaptation practices. The present study identified two research gaps: (i) a lack of analyses of drought frequency and its effect on root zone soil moisture, crop ET, crop phenology and agricultural production at a regional scale under historical and future climates and (ii) a lack of regional‐scale studies addressing climate change adaptation options, including supplementary irrigation, and their potential effects on economic return and water resources under a changing climate. Additional studies must address these gaps for the development of climate change adaptation practices to secure food demand and water sustainability.

Why “formal” climate adaptation strategies fail in sub‐Saharan Africa: Ignoring adapters’ agency in the case of smallholding agriculture farming practices in Bono East Region of Ghana

AbstractThis paper reviewed a body of literature on climate adaptation options in sub‐Saharan Africa's (SSA) smallholding agriculture and complemented it with a case study involving experts interviews, focus group discussions, large‐scale household surveys, and farmer practices observation while drawing insight from the concept of “everyday adaptation and interrupted agency” and agency theory to assess farmer perceived limitations with climate‐smart agriculture (CSA) and climate‐wise food systems (CWFS) practices for climate adaptation in the SSA. The study noted that the narrow focus on CSA and/or CWFS as a silver bullet for climate change adaptation suitable for smallholding agriculture ignores food producers’ agency to undermine sustainable and inclusive adaptation solutions. Moreover, smallholder farmers’ everyday climate adaptation practices could be grouped into three categories; on‐farm adaptation, off‐farm adaptation, and Indigenous agroecological adaptation options. The on‐farm adaptation options are usually agriculture intensification and extensification. The off‐farm adaptation options include livelihood diversification activities, petty trading, seasonal labor jobs, and migration. The Indigenous agroecological adaptation strategy uses observing nature and weather elements to predict the onset of the rainy season. The study noted that smallholders’ adaptation options, which is an expression of their agency, are motivated by smallholders’ desire to be resilient to changing climate, increase productivity and income, and social network influence but not necessarily because the strategy is being promoted by the government or Non‐Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Therefore, we propose a sustainable food agency (SFA)—a multifaceted blended constellation of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, as the best approach to addressing the climate crises in the SSA. The SFA allows individuals or groups to decide what climate change adaptation options best work for them to adapt to changing climate and produce and distribute their food without undermining the economic, social, and environmental bases that generate food security and nutrition for present and future generations.

Economic assessment of rice farmers’ climate change adaptation options and their sustainability: a case of Pabna district, Bangladesh

Economic assessment of rice farmers’ climate change adaptation options and their sustainability: a case of Pabna district, Bangladesh

Open to change but stuck in the mud: Stakeholder perceptions of adaptation options at the frontlines of climate change and protected areas management

In recent decades, the literature on climate change and biodiversity conservation has proposed numerous climate change adaptation options; however, their effectiveness and feasibility have rarely been evaluated by those involved in frontline decision-making. In this paper, we use data from a two-day climate change adaptation workshop held at Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park, in Ontario, Canada, to understand stakeholder views on different types of adaptation options. We found that most (45%) adaptation options identified by participants were “conventional” (i.e., they are already in use and are relatively low risk and familiar to practitioners) and oriented towards directing change (i.e., they aim to help species and ecosystems respond to change and transition to a desired future state). These options also received higher effectiveness and feasibility ratings than “novel” ones. The remaining options (55%) were either “conventional” and aimed towards resisting change, or else were “novel.” Our results suggest that practitioners are open to working with change; however, there is some management resistance to more dynamic “novel” options (e.g., adjusting species assemblages), which in many instances will be required to effectively deal with inevitable climate change impacts. By focusing on understanding the factors that influence the prioritization and feasibility of adaptation options at the regional scale, and by providing practical recommendations to enhance organizational capacity to adapt to climate change, we address key implementation gaps identified in the literature.

Impact of climate change on future availability of water for irrigation and hydropower generation in the Omo-Gibe Basin of Ethiopia

Study regionOmo-Gibe River Basin, Ethiopia Study focusThe objective of this study was to predict the impact of climate change on the future availability of water for irrigation and hydropower production. Climate change projections for the near future (2017–2044), medium (2045–2072), and long-term (2073–2100) using a multi-model set average of fifteen regional climate models under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios. Water availability, allocation, and demand for irrigation and hydropower generation were predicted using the coupled Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) hydrological models. New hydrological insights for the regionThe projected annual average temperature increase range is 2.10–3.6 °C under RCP 4.5 emission scenarios while 2.7–4.8 °C under RCP 8.5. Under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 emissions scenarios, projected annual average precipitation declines ranged from 10.7–13.6 % and 11.1–13.8 %, respectively. Projected annual average declines in streamflow ranged from 7.0 % to 10.9 % under PCR 4.5 emissions scenarios, while 10.9–2.8 % under PCR 8.5. As a consequence, water shortages for irrigation may decrease by 15.5–25.4 % and hydroelectricity by 10.5–20.2 % during study periods. Due to the combined effect of climate change and rising water demand, the increase in water scarcity ranges from 7.9–30.6 %. The projected results showed that future water availability for irrigation and hydropower generation will decline in the future. Climate change adaptation options are needed to ensure future water availability for hydropower generation and irrigation.

Harnessing the Power of Communication and Behavior Science to Enhance Society's Response to Climate Change

A science-based understanding of climate change and potential mitigation and adaptation options can provide decision makers with important guidance in making decisions about how best to respond to the many challenges inherent in climate change. In this review we provide an evidence-based heuristic for guiding efforts to share science-based information about climate change with decision makers and the public at large. Well-informed decision makers are likely to make better decisions, but for a range of reasons, their inclinations to act on their decisions are not always realized into effective actions. We therefore also provide a second evidence-based heuristic for helping people and organizations change their climate change–relevant behaviors, should they decide to. These two guiding heuristics can help scientists and others harness the power of communication and behavior science in service of enhancing society's response to climate change. ▪ Many Earth scientists seeking to contribute to the climate science translation process feel frustrated by the inadequacy of the societal response. ▪ Here we summarize the social science literature by offering two guiding principles to guide communication and behavior change efforts. ▪ To improve public understanding, we recommend simple, clear messages, repeated often, by a variety of trusted and caring messengers. ▪ To encourage uptake of useful behaviors, we recommend making the behaviors easy, fun, and popular.

Prospects for Organic Farming in Coping with Climate Change and Enhancing Food Security in Southern Africa: A Systematic Literature Review

The potential for organic farming (OF) as a system that enhances climate change (CC) adaptation and improves food security in Africa has been a provocative topic in global discussions. Although OF is promptly increasing globally, the pertinent question is to figure out how OF can result in sustainable food production systems. This systematic literature review was undertaken through two database searches to maximize available data and relevant literature (Scopus and Wiley Online Library), resulting in 2069 documents published between 2007 and 2022. After excluding documents that were duplicates, not presented in English and irrelevant, 538 documents remained. From the remaining documents, 406 were excluded after careful review (not meeting at least one of the inclusion criteria), and 132 documents remained. Finally, 95 documents were excluded after assessing and reviewing full-text articles for eligibility. As a result, 37 documents were included (eligible) in the systematic review. The inclusion criteria followed in this study considered language, thematic focus and document type. The reviewed articles suggest that OF can be one of the climate change adaptation options, preserve environmental impact and improve food security. However, the relative performance in OF differs from region to region. Correspondingly, the organic–conventional yield gap mostly depends on crops and cropping practices. This review concludes the prospects of organic agriculture in Southern Africa are still largely untapped, particularly by smallholder farmers who remain uncertified. Therefore, the review recommends organised interventions on various fronts, starting with organic certification and regulation. Accordingly, sustainability (economic, environmental and social) and investments in OF need to be reinforced and promoted by stakeholders, as it has the potential to alleviate the swarming farming challenges posed by climate change and to address food insecurity.

Climate change adaptation options to inform planning of agriculture and food systems in The Gambia: A systematic approach for stocktaking

Identifying and assessing adaptation options are key pre-requisite steps to adaptation prioritization and effective adaptation planning. In this paper, we presented a systematic approach for adaptation stocktaking, combining a systematic mapping and an outcome-oriented and evidence-based assessment, illustrated using the case of The Gambia. This study systematically mapped 24 adaptation options that can potentially inform adaptation planning in The Gambia agriculture and food systems and assessed how the identified options contribute to the pillars of Climate-Smart Agriculture. Because of the paucity of evidence sources from The Gambia, we collated evidence from both The Gambia and the West Africa region. We found that many of the documented options, such as climate-resilient crop varieties, crop diversification, climate information use, and weather indexed-based insurance have the potential to increase agricultural productivity and income while building resilience to climate change. While several options, such as soil and water conservation practices can positively contribute to climate change mitigation, others such as manure and inorganic fertilizers can have no or negative impacts on mitigation. Agroforestry practices and System of Rice Intensification have the potential to make a triple impact. The paucity of evidence from The Gambia and the highly contextual and differential impacts of the identified adaptation options underscore the importance of careful consideration of barriers and enablers when developing and deploying policy and interventions to sustainably increase productivity and income while building resilience to climate risks and reducing GHGs emissions. Stakeholder engagement and participatory research action are crucial in selecting and testing the priority adaptation options which can maximize their potentials in specific agricultural and food system contexts, such as in The Gambia. Because of the heterogeneity in household vulnerability and socioecological circumstances, targeting options to the right contexts will also be crucial to avoid maladaptation. We highlighted key knowledge gaps in the understanding of the effectiveness and feasibility of the identified adaptation options in The Gambia. Beyond The Gambia, the approach can also be useful for and replicated in other least developed countries in the West African region, that are currently developing their National Adaptation Plan.