Change Resilience Strategies Research Articles

Improving the Quality of Climate Change Adaptation Planning Through State Mandate: The Case of California

Problem, research strategy, and findings As communities everywhere experience accelerating climate change impacts, local governments must proactively plan and implement adaptation or resilience strategies. A significant challenge is effectively scaling up these efforts in diverse communities. In 2015, the State of California passed Senate Bill 379 (SB379), requiring climate change adaptation and resilience strategies in local plans, making it the first U.S. state to broadly mandate such requirements locally. Our study measured the effects of SB379 on the quality of local plans that address climate change adaptation or resilience and assessed which types of plans jurisdictions selected to meet the requirements. Using a longitudinal study, we analyzed plan quality before and after SB379 took effect using criteria developed for earlier studies of voluntary climate adaptation plans. We found that California plans have significantly improved when assessed against theoretical criteria, and most jurisdictions have chosen their local hazard mitigation plans to meet the requirements. The flexible and cooperative design of the mandate and its loose enforcement suggest local jurisdictions are willing to address climate change, even when challenged with more stringent requirements if incentives align. As a natural policy experiment, California’s experience offers a unique opportunity to examine the effects of a state planning mandate and the choices local jurisdictions make to comply. Takeaway for practice Cooperative mandates that require local governments to address climate change adaptation and resilience in their plans but offer flexibility in how they do so may improve the quality of plans. Practitioners should seek to leverage flexibility in such mandates to the advantage of their local communities.

Temperature Rising, Growth Descending: Climate Change Impacts on Asian Economies

This study investigates the impact of temperature and rainfall on economic growth in Asian countries using panel data regression analysis from 1991 to 2021. The results reveal a significant negative relationship between temperature and economic growth, with a 1°C rise leading to a 0.385% reduction in growth. High-temperature countries experience a more significant adverse effect compared to low-temperature countries. However, despite displaying a negative trend, rainfall does not significantly influence economic growth statistically. The study also finds differences in the impact of climate variables across different income groups. Additionally, temperature negatively affects the growth rate of agrarian countries, while rainfall does not significantly influence their growth dynamics. These findings underscore the importance of considering climate change in understanding economic growth and highlight the need for policymakers to prioritize climate risk assessment and adopt appropriate climate change mitigation and resilience strategies in Asian countries. JEL Classification E23, O13, Q54

Climate Change Resilience Strategies for Sustainable Development: Integrating Weather Forecasts and Adaptation Measures

Amidst the ever-pressing challenges of climate change, the pursuit of sustainable development necessitates innovative strategies to bolster resilience. This research delves into the crucial fusion of weather forecasting and adaptive measures as a pivotal approach in confronting the multifaceted impacts of climate variability. Through a nuanced examination of existing literature and empirical case studies, this paper elucidates the potential synergies between timely weather forecasts and adaptive resilience strategies. By amalgamating insights from diverse sectors including infrastructure, agriculture, ecosystems, and communities, it illuminates pathways toward sustainable development in the face of climatic uncertainties. Emphasizing the significance of accessible and accurate weather information, this study underscores the transformative power of integrating forecasts into adaptation planning frameworks. Furthermore, it navigates the complexities of implementation, shedding light on both the opportunities and challenges inherent in such integrative approaches. Ultimately, this research endeavors to provide actionable recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers, fostering a collective vision for a more resilient and sustainable future amidst the turbulent currents of climate change.

Climate change resilience strategies for safeguarding sustainable tourism in Zimbabwe

Climate change resilience strategies for safeguarding sustainable tourism in Zimbabwe

Influence of Farming Experience and Knowledge on Selection of Climate Change Resilient Strategies among Female Agripreneurs in the Mopani of Limpopo Province South Africa

The study examined the influence of farmers’ farming experience and knowledge on their selection of climate change resilient strategies among female agripreneurs in the Mopani of Limpopo Province, South Africa. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. Frequency and percentage were used to gain insight into the distribution of their socio-economic characteristics. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to determine the influence of farming experience and knowledge in selecting climate change resilience strategies among female agripreneurs. The study revealed that female agripreneurs with a vast farming experience of more than ten years were well-capacitated in adopting biological, chemical, and environmental resilient strategies. Furthermore, it was noted that all groups of agripreneurs had incorporated environmentally resilient strategies for their reliability, cost-friendliness, familiarity, and workload. The study also revealed that female agripreneurs who opted for technological and biological knew pest and disease control and pest scouting, respectively. The study recommends that farmers with vast farming experience be climate change resilience champions within their regions, as their experience is instrumental.

Exploring the Interplay Between Climate Change, 24-Hour Movement Behavior, and Health: A Systematic Review.

Given the emergence of climate change and health risks, this review examined potential relationships between varying indicators of climate change, movement behaviors (ie,physical activity [PA], sedentary behavior, and sleep), and health. Seven databases were searched in March 2020, April 2023, and April 2024. To be included, studies must have examined indicators of climate change and at least one of the movement behaviors as either an exposure or a third variable (ie,mediator/moderator), and a measure of health as outcome. Evidence was summarized by the role (mediator/moderator) that either climate change or movement behavior(s) has with health measures. Relationships and directionality of each association, as well as the strength and certainty of evidence were synthesized. A total of 79 studies were eligible, representing 6,671,791 participants and 3137 counties from 25 countries (40% low- and middle-income countries). Of 98 observations from 17 studies that examined PA as a mediator, 34.7% indicated that PA mediated the relationship between climate change and health measure such that indicators of adverse climate change were associated with lower PA, and worse health outcome. Of 274 observations made from 46 studies, 28% showed that PA favorably modified the negative association between climate change and health outcome. Evidence was largely lacking and inconclusive for sedentary behavior and sleep, as well as climate change indicators as an intermediatory variable. PA may mitigate the adverse impact of climate change on health. Further evidence is needed to integrate PA into climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience strategies.

Climate change vulnerability and resilience strategies for citrus farmers

The adverse effects of climate change on food production, livelihoods and agroecosystems are well-documented. This paper investigates the vulnerability and resilience of citrus farmers to climate change using a mixed quantitative and qualitative methodology. The quantitative study analysed the trend and variability of the climatic data comprising annual precipitation and annual average, minimum and maximum temperatures (1984-2021), collected from Iran's Meteorology Organization and analysed by the Mann-Kendall test. The qualitative research also employed the grounded theory method (GTM) and collected data through direct observations of citrus farms, focus groups and semi-structured interviews with 35 citrus farmers and 11 agricultural extension agents and specialists in North Iran. The results indicated that citrus farms are sensitive to temperature extremes, with increased instances of freeze stress during winter and heat stress during spring and summer over the past four decades. These stresses have reduced the productivity and marketability of fruits, making farmers' livelihoods more vulnerable. While scientific knowledge exists, farmers generally have limited adaptive capacity and resilience to climate change. Existing policies, innovations and institutions are insufficient to enhance farmers' resilience. To cope with climate change-induced hazards, resilience mechanisms in the long and short term are necessary to mitigate, prepare and reconstruct before, during and after the incidence of such events. Effective strategies, such as input, insurance and credit support services and innovations, are thus required to increase farmers' resilience. This paper also offers insights into the way external organisations' policies and institutional strategies affect farmers' vulnerability and resilience to climate change.

Response of soil nitrogen mineralization to warming temperatures depends on soil management history

Rising global temperatures have the potential to increase soil nitrogen (N) mineralization from soil organic matter (SOM). By increasing SOM over time, management practices that increase SOM through the addition of soil amendments, such as compost, have been recognized as effective strategies for mitigating the effects of climate change and building resilience in agricultural ecosystems. However, the effects of these strategies on temperature-induced changes to soil N cycling are unclear, particularly when soils are managed to increase SOM. To determine how agricultural management history and compost amendments affect net N mineralization, net nitrification, and nitrous oxide (N2O) production, we performed a laboratory incubation of soils with two distinct agricultural management histories under three incubation temperatures. Three compost treatments (green-waste compost, food-waste compost, and no compost) were applied, each with and without the addition of synthetic urea fertilizer. We found that organically managed soil exhibited higher rates of net N mineralization and nitrification than conventionally managed soil, leading to greater nitrate production. The rate of N mineralization in organically managed soil was also more sensitive to temperature increases. Although compost addition stimulated microbial activity, it did not affect the N-cycling processes measured in this study at any temperature. Therefore, the implementation of climate change resilience and mitigation strategies aimed at augmenting stocks of soil carbon may render agricultural soils more susceptible to increased N mineralization and subsequent losses under warming, particularly if plant uptake of the mineralized N does not occur concurrently. Moreover, the effects of compost application to stimulate the immobilization of excess N is likely limited in soils with low background C.

Micro-scale UHI risk assessment on the heat-health nexus within cities by looking at socio-economic factors and built environment characteristics: The Turin case study (Italy)

Today the most substantial threats facing cities relate to the impacts of climate change. Extreme temperature such as heat waves and the occurrence of Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomena, present the main challenges for urban planning and design. Climate deterioration exacerbates the already existing weaknesses in social systems, which have been created by changes such as population increases and urban sprawl. Despite numerous attempts by researchers to assess the risks associated with the heat-health nexus in urban areas, no common metrics have yet been defined yet. The objective of this study, therefore, is to provide an empirical example of a flexible and replicable methodology to estimate the micro-scale UHI risks within an urban context which takes into account all the relevant elements regarding the heat-health nexus. For this purpose, the city of Turin has been used as a case study. The methodological approach adopted is based on risk assessment guidelines suggested and approved by the most recent scientific literature. The risk framework presented here used a quantitative estimate per each census tract within the city based on the interaction of three main factors: hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. Corresponding georeferenced maps for each indicator have been provided to increase the local knowledge on the spatial distribution of vulnerability drivers. The proposed methodology and the related findings represent an initial stage of the urban risk investigation within the case study. This will include participatory processes with local policymakers and health-stakeholders with a view to guiding the local planning agenda of climate change adaptation and resilience strategies in the City of Turin.

Factors Affecting Adoption of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies by Small Holder Farmers in Mountain and Lowland Agro-ecological Zones of Eastern Uganda

Farmers in tropical rural areas are confronted with several challenges but outstandingly climate change which can only be overcome by adopting to climate change resilience strategies. This study assessed the factors affecting adoption of climate change resilience strategies in Muyembe sub-county, Bulambuli district, Uganda. We used questionnaires, interviews, focused group discussions and field observations to collect the required data, which was analyzed using basic descriptive statistics and logistic regression model. Results indicate that, the dominant climate change resilience strategies adopted in the study were, soil/water conservation (65%), drought resistant crop varieties (59.4%), and irrigation (55.6). Results of the logistic regression indicated that, gender and family size were the most important factors that influenced adoption of climate change resilience strategies with coefficient -0.86 and P0.05, and0.18 and P0.05 respectively. On the other hand, the barriers to adoption of the same by majority farmers were dominated by financial constraints and adulteration of farm inputs at 93.4% and 74% respectively. We concluded that, many farmers are still locked in indigenous practices that have made them vulnerable to climate change effects characterized by low yields, crop failure hence low incomes, poverty and food insecurity. We recommended that, government should support the adaptation strategies to climate change by the smallholder farmers technically by providing both ground and surface water irrigation facilities and financially by providing agricultural loans as well as focusing on promoting awareness and advancing education on climate change to farmers through knowledge and skill sharing platforms such as training, conferences, and seminars.

How do disparate urbanization and climate change imprint on urban thermal variations? A comparison between two dynamic cities in Southeast Asia

This study assessed the combined influences of climate change and urbanization on land surface temperature (LST) and surface urban heat island (SUHI) in the Bangkok metropolitan region (BKK) and Ho Chi Minh City metropolitan area (HCM) during 1990–2020. We found climate change evidence from trends and variations of temperature extremes in both cities throughout the past three decades, especially for the significant upward trends of nighttime temperature in HCM (0.23 – 0.3 °C/decade). These cities have been undergoing rapid urbanization, in which HCM has a higher urbanization rate with an annual growth rate of 8.03%/year against BKK (4.26%/year). Landscape metrics have rapidly shifted towards urban aggregation and green space fragmentation along with urbanization. A peer comparison shows that BKK holds a greater urban size and LST intensity, while HCM leads in urban growth and SUHI magnitude. These changes jointly contribute to climbing SUHI intensity, especially the dramatic influence of surface changes. Yet, temperature extremes also play an indispensable role in regulating SUHI magnitude, in which the impact in HCM is considerable compared to the effect in BKK. The research findings provide crucial information for both cities – where incorporation of climate change resilience strategies and SUHI mitigation into the master plans for livable cities are recommended.

Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation Strategies in Ecologically Fragile Urban Mining Communities: A Review of Existing Research and Practice

The growing concern about the changing climate and the need to document its observed impacts have resulted into advances in climate change adaptation practices globally. Despite being among the world’s most vulnerable regions, urban mining communities have diverse resources and contribute significantly to the quality of urban climate. The location of urban communities near mining activities has not only attracted urban development in most cities but has also provided these communities with a good opportunity for sustainable ways of living. However, most research on mines seem to have focused on impacts of mining on the environment with little focus on communities’ climate change adaptation responses. This review paper attempts to address this inadequacy in research by exploring factors that increase urban communities’ resilience and the adaptation strategies they use. The study used an evidence-review strategy involving the collection of information from peer-reviewed articles, books, and reports. A total of 213 documents, which included 122 articles, 60 reports, 31 books and gray literature, were identified with the help of Google Scholar and Web of Science search engines. First, the review paper observes that although the concepts of resilience and adaptive capacity are extensively explored, their meanings still remain unclear due to their multiple interpretations. Second, there seems to be very little consensus on factors that lead to increased resilience and the parameters that should be used to measure progress in becoming more resilient due to multiple interpretations of the resilience concept. Third, very few studies seem to have been conducted to assess progress in becoming more resilient in most urban mining communities. Fourth, there also seems to be a challenge in designing vulnerability and resilience assessment frameworks that are procedurally robust, context-specific and appropriate for decision-making related to adaptation action. This study recommends a need to conduct more comprehensive studies which clearly explore factors that increase resilience and adaptive capacity and those that suggest clear policy options for urban mining communities to supplement the rather limited body of literature in this area.

Unlocking the potential of value chains as climate change resilience strategies: can macadamia nuts (macadamia integrifolia) offer the gateway?

The consequences of climate change threaten existing agriculture systems across Zimbabwe. The researchers examined the possibility and potential for developing a smallholder farmer driven macadamia nuts value chain. Using the case of Chipinge district, Manicaland province, Zimbabwe, the study evaluated the potential of macadamia nut value chain functions as a climate change resilience strategy in Zimbabwe. Challenges faced by actors and positive developments made in incorporating smallholders into the macadamia nuts production sector were explored. The role of local markets and producers in the international trade in macadamia nuts were also examined, using a modified stakeholder analysis framework. Triangulation, a mixed methodology, was used to adequately capture the various quantitative and qualitative dimensions along the macadamia nuts value chain pillars. A sample of 220 farming units including Estates, A1 and A2 farmers was proportionately selected for the study. Primary data were collected from Key Informants through interviews and personal communications. Secondary data were collected from Agritex officers, buyers, and the Macadamia Association of Zimbabwe farmers’ records. The production-marketing interface for macadamia nuts is weakly coordinated in the study area as shown by the rudimentary production systems especially for the A1 and A2 farmers. Results show that the major missing links are the limited application of extension driven production enhancers and the limited visibility of farmers in more rewarding export markets. Production scales have, however, been increasing with more farmers allocating land towards the macadamia nuts trees. Decentralization of macadamia nuts markets and localized value addition needs to be done to realign domestic and export market prices.

Coastal cities Resilience for Climate Change Case study: Egyptian North coast cities

Climate change is one of the most important threats facing the Mediterranean basin, and the Mediterranean coastal cities will suffer from several risks. Studies predict that these cities are threatened with drowning by 2070-2050. Intervention policies for the conservation of coastal cities are among the most important concerns for Europe and North Africa. The concept of Resilient cities is one of the recent ways to deal with natural disasters and climate change that could threaten cities in the future. The northern coastal cities are of great importance in Egyptian urbanization, Where the second capital of Egypt (Alexandria). Northern cities have about 12% of Egypt's population. These cities represent economic and social power as well as historical and humanitarian value. Despite these risks, there has been a trend towards urban expansion in the northern coastal region since the end of the last century. This paper aims at studying the impacts of climate change on Egyptian northern coastal zones and exploring the urban resilience to the effects of climate change. In this regard, the current paper discusses the concept of resilience and describes the city resilience framework. Then the research focuses on coastal cities and surveys coastal vulnerabilities to the risks of climate change. The paper addresses climate change resilience strategies by exploring various techniques applied in three international case studies. Then it surveys Egypt's coastal zones vulnerabilities to the impacts of climate change and Egyptian adaptation and mitigation attempts to climate change risks. Finally, the paper addresses challenges and opportunities of the resilience of Egyptian northern coastal zones to the impacts of climate change and suggests some recommendations.

A participatory framework for feasibility assessments of climate change resilience strategies for smallholders: lessons from coffee cooperatives in Latin America

ABSTRACT Coffee farmers are already experiencing the impacts of climate change, yet recommended resilience strategies are often cost-prohibitive for smallholder producers and/or maladapted to local conditions and contexts. We collaborated with smallholder coffee cooperatives in Latin America to assess the feasibility of climate change resilience strategies they selected: crop diversification; rainwater collection systems; pest monitoring and management; collective coffee seed banks and nurseries; and solar coffee dryers. Data was collected through key actor and cooperative leader semi-structured interviews and focus groups with cooperative members. Our results provide criteria that can be used to determine if these five resilience strategies are appropriate for given environmental, socioeconomic, and political contexts. They also demonstrate the need for tailoring resilience strategies to fit local conditions. The framework we applied serves to select appropriate, effective and equitable resilience strategies, combining a participatory action research approach to incorporate local knowledge, capital assets analysis for a holistic and realistic understanding of feasibility, and access analysis for an assessment of who will benefit and who will not. This framework can be applied to assess the feasibility of climate change resilience strategies with smallholders in a wide variety of geographies, contexts and agroecosystems.

Knowing is half the battle: Seasonal forecasts, adaptive cropping systems, and the mediating role of private markets in Zambia

This paper examines how smallholders living in regions where a drought is forecasted adapt their farm practices in response to receiving seasonal forecast information. The article draws on a unique longitudinal dataset in Zambia, which collected information from farm households before and after a significant drought caused by the 2015/2016 El-Niño Southern Oscillation. It finds that farmers residing in areas forecasted to be drought-affected and receiving seasonal forecast information are significantly more likely to integrate drought tolerant crops into their cropping systems compared to similar households not receiving this information. Moreover, the probability that a farmer implements these adaptive farm management strategies in response to seasonal forecast information is found to increase substantially as the number of private grain buyers in the farmers’ village increases. This suggests that climate change adaptation and resilience strategies that integrate the generation and dissemination of weather information with agricultural market development can achieve greater impact on farmers’ adaptive responses than approaches that treat these activities in isolation.

Climate Change Resilience Strategies for the Building Sector: Examining Existing Domains of Resilience Utilized by Design Professionals

Recently, climate change resilience efforts in the building sector have increased. Previous studies have examined the theoretical frameworks that have shaped the concept development of resilience. However, little is known about the theoretical approaches adopted by building professionals in their climate change resilience work. A literature review identified climate change resilience across four academic domains: ecology, engineering, disaster risk reduction, and the social sciences. To better understand how resilience is defined in the building sector, we examined eighteen climate change resilience documents developed to provide guidance to building sector professionals in the United States. Our analysis of these documents helps to understand how professionals are framing and possibly incorporating these strategies in their work, though we did not measure the adoption rate of each of the documents. We find that resilience is mostly a discourse on bouncing-back, preserving the status quo, and/or developing emergency responses to major hazards. Fewer documents incorporated an ecological or social science-based logic. This highlights the challenges of translating resilience from four academic domains into building strategies for the professional community. In closing, we discuss how competing conceptions of resilience may impact the implementation and effectiveness of climate change resilience strategies in the built environment.

Climate Model Biases and Modification of the Climate Change Signal by Intensity-Dependent Bias Correction

AbstractClimate change impact research and risk assessment require accurate estimates of the climate change signal (CCS). Raw climate model data include systematic biases that affect the CCS of high-impact variables such as daily precipitation and wind speed. This paper presents a novel, general, and extensible analytical theory of the effect of these biases on the CCS of the distribution mean and quantiles. The theory reveals that misrepresented model intensities and probability of nonzero (positive) events have the potential to distort raw model CCS estimates. We test the analytical description in a challenging application of bias correction and downscaling to daily precipitation over alpine terrain, where the output of 15 regional climate models (RCMs) is reduced to local weather stations. The theoretically predicted CCS modification well approximates the modification by the bias correction method, even for the station–RCM combinations with the largest absolute modifications. These results demonstrate that the CCS modification by bias correction is a direct consequence of removing model biases. Therefore, provided that application of intensity-dependent bias correction is scientifically appropriate, the CCS modification should be a desirable effect. The analytical theory can be used as a tool to 1) detect model biases with high potential to distort the CCS and 2) efficiently generate novel, improved CCS datasets. The latter are highly relevant for the development of appropriate climate change adaptation, mitigation, and resilience strategies. Future research needs to focus on developing process-based bias corrections that depend on simulated intensities rather than preserving the raw model CCS.

Climate Change Resilience Strategies in Trans Amadi Industrial Area Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Climate Change Resilience Strategies in Trans Amadi Industrial Area Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Climate change and forest governance: towards a sustainable forest management of the half mile forest strip and adjacent communities in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania

The study focused on the influence of climate change on forest governance at the Half Mile Forest Strip (HMFS) and adjacent villages in the Kilimanjaro region, Tanzania. Specifically, the study identified the impacts of climate change on the HMFS and adjacent communities, and examined the people's perceptions on climate change in relation to forest governance. Further, the study examined the role of local institutions on forest governance and climate change resilience and adaptation strategies with associated policy interventions. The study adopted a mixed research designs whereby both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through different methods such as direct field observation, using semi-structured interviews, household surveys and focus group discussion. Data were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software and excel programs. Findings revealed that climate change has affected the forest ecosystems, agriculture and water resources in the adjacent villages. Using the Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient, it was revealed that there was a negative correlation between the impacts of climate change and the current forest condition. Forest governance was perceived as a control mechanism for forest degradation whereby restrictions on the use of forest resource, afforestation, and reforestation were undertaken as measures to mitigate climate change impacts and build resilience in the forest sector and to adjacent communities.