Climate Adaptation Efforts Research Articles

Ocean City, New Jersey coastal flooding management: A case study

Coastal flooding from both extreme storm events and sea level rise is impacting low-lying areas globally within the coastal zone. The intensity and frequency of these impacts are expected to increase as a result of climate change, thus requiring resilience planning to address both short- and long-term coastal change dynamics. Rates of actual and projected sea level rise in southern New Jersey are relatively high when compared to other portions of the eastern coast of the United States – partially due to glacial isostatic adjustment specific to that region. Numerous municipalities are attempting to adapt to these climate-driven coastal flooding hazards by adopting, or enhancing, integrated coastal resiliency programs. Located in southern New Jersey, the City of Ocean City has implemented numerous mitigation measures and policies focused on bolstering community resilience and managed through the implementation of various management plans. These adaptive plans’ purpose is to guide waterway maintenance; mitigate flooding through the implementation of numerous mitigation projects such as installing or upgrading pump stations and focused public engagement programs; and manage stormwater, while also protecting the environment through restoration-focused projects. Projects undertaken by the city as part of plan implementation include restoring tidal wetlands at Shooting Island, management of back bay waterways, and analysis of flooding impacts. The objective of this study is to examine one municipality that has been proactive in its climate adaptation and mitigation efforts and to disseminate the outcomes, solutions, and lessons learned for coastal managers and decisionmakers to allow them to utilize this information as the impacts of climate change continue to increase.

Modelling climate analogue regions for a central European city

In this study, we describe a methodology to derive climate analogue cities for spatially highly resolved future climate scenarios. For the computation, a reduced and in hindsight bias-adjusted EURO-CORDEX EUR-11 dataset is used based on two climate scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). A total of 389 European cities are processed by the algorithm, which uses five statistical climate variables (2-m air temperature average and amplitude, precipitation sum and amplitude, correlation between 2-m air temperature average and precipitation sum). Additionally, extreme weather events (hot days, summer days, tropical nights, extreme precipitation events) are calculated for further comparison and validation. Finding an appropriate analogue permits a more accurate derivation and depiction of necessary climate adaptation efforts and therefore assist decision-making in city planning. As an example of our method, we searched for plausible climate twins for the mid-sized city of Aachen (Germany) at the end of the twenty-first century. Our results show that the French city of Dijon is highly likely to become Aachen’s climate twin by the end of the century for RCP4.5. As for the scenario RCP8.5, no clear European analogue city could be determined, indicating that the city might enter a novel climate. The nearest match suggests the cities of Florence and Prato in Tuscany. However, considering climate indices, the encompassing region of the French–Spanish city triangle Bordeaux–Toulouse–Bilbao is a better fit. The developed algorithm can be applied to any of the cities included in the dataset.

A Symphony of Seasons: Linking Climate Fluctuations to Avian Migration Behavior at Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Greater Noida

The Okhla Bird Sanctuary, nestled in the heart of Greater Noida, stands as a crucial haven for migratory avian species. Against the backdrop of climate change, this study investigates the intricate relationship between climate fluctuations and avian migration behavior within the sanctuary. Through an extensive analysis of climate data and bird monitoring spanning multiple seasons, this research unveils the dynamic symphony of seasons that orchestrates avian movements. It explores the complex web of interactions between climate variables and the timing, routes, and behavior of migratory birds.
 Our findings illustrate that climate fluctuations have a profound impact on avian migration patterns. Seasonal and interannual variations in climate conditions directly influence the timing and duration of migratory journeys. As the world warms, these fluctuations are becoming increasingly pronounced, posing new challenges to avian populations. This study's insights are of paramount importance for both avian conservation and climate adaptation efforts. By comprehensively understanding how climate change affects the intricate dance of migratory birds in the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, we can better inform conservation strategies and habitat management. In a world where the rhythm of nature is increasingly influenced by human-induced climatic shifts, deciphering this symphony of seasons not only enhances our understanding of the natural world but also empowers us to protect the delicate balance that sustains these feathered voyagers.

Unequal exposure to heatwaves in Los Angeles: Impact of uneven green spaces.

Cities worldwide are experiencing record-breaking summer temperatures. Urban environments exacerbate extreme heat, resulting in not only the urban heat island but also intracity variations in heat exposure. Understanding these disparities is crucial to support equitable climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. We found persistent negative correlations between daytime land surface temperature (LST) and median household income across the Los Angeles metropolitan area based on Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station observations from 2018 to 2021. Lower evapotranspiration resulting from the unequal distribution of vegetation cover is a major factor leading to higher LST in low-income neighborhoods. Disparities worsen with higher regional mean surface temperature, with a $10,000 decrease in income leading to ~0.2°C LST increase at 20°C and up to ~0.7°C at 45°C. With more frequent and intense heat waves projected in the future, equitable mitigation measures, such as increasing surface albedo and tree cover in low-income neighborhoods, are necessary to address these disparities.

The time of emergence of climate-induced hydrologic change in Australian rivers

Climate change impacts on river flows are leading to substantial changes in water availability for human and natural systems. The significance of these impacts largely depends on the degree of change relative to natural variability. The ‘Time of Emergence’ (ToE) is the point in time (past or future) when the signal of climate change emerges from the noise of background variability. The ToE has been assessed for some climate variables but rarely streamflows. Here we investigate ToE of changes in streamflow across Australia for various characteristic periods relevant to different water management objectives. We assess the uncertainty in ToE estimates from different emissions pathways and a large ensemble of CMIP6 climate model projections. ToE is likely to occur earlier in hydrologic systems subject to low natural variability than those subject to high variability, and to systems that are vulnerable to failure over longer rather than shorter periods. There are clear regional differences in the patterns of ToE, with changes first emerging in south-west regions of Australia, followed by the south-east, then east and north. We estimate that ToE has already occurred in over 10% of sampled rivers for longer characteristic periods, primarily in south-west Australia. Importantly for planning, the results show that ToE in flows precedes ToE in precipitation by up to 50 years due to compounding effects of changes in annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality, and increasing temperatures. The number of catchments projected to have reached ToE by 2080 is heavily influenced by the trajectory of future emissions. A low emissions pathway generally consistent with aspirational goals of the Paris Climate Agreement (SSP1-2.6) substantially delays the emergence of significant hydrological change by up to 50 years, or negates emergence entirely by 2080, depending on location. Our methods can be applied to catchments globally, and our findings have implications for the prioritisation of climate adaptation efforts across different river systems and the urgency of continued action on climate change mitigation.

Assessing impacts of climate change on selected foundation species and ecosystem services in the South‐Central USA

AbstractClimate change, interacting with and exacerbating anthropogenic modifications to the landscape, is altering ecosystem structure and function, biodiversity, and species distributions. Among the most visible short‐term impacts are the altered ecological roles of foundation species—those species, native or non‐native—that create locally stable environmental conditions and strongly influence ecosystem services. Understanding the future of these species is crucial for projecting impacts on ecosystem services at both local and regional scales. Here we present foundation species by ecoregion study cases across the US South‐Central Region (Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas), including C4grasses, mesquite, and northern bobwhite in the Southern Great Plains, mangroves and nutria in coastal Louisiana wetlands, tiger salamanders and sandhill cranes in wetlands of the Southern Great Plains, and post and blackjack oaks and eastern redcedar in the Cross Timbers ecoregion. These case studies explore the impacts of climate change on foundation species and the consequences for ecosystem services, the outlook for climate adaptation efforts, and the sustainability of restoration in these systems. We underscore risks and vulnerabilities that stakeholders should consider when managing or restoring natural resources and conserving ecosystem services in an increasingly extreme and variable climate. We show that past management, through a lack of understanding or implementation of actions, has exacerbated shifts in invasive species, resulting in significant changes in ecosystem structure and function. These changes, interacting with landscape fragmentation and shifting land use and exacerbated by climate change, can result in critical losses of biodiversity. Unfortunately, lack of public understanding may hinder political support for restoration efforts and climate adaptation strategies crucial for the continued supply of traditional ecosystem services. Furthermore, the resulting invaded systems may provide opportunities for income via new ecosystem services valued by society that may reduce support for restoration to historical baselines, thus further shifting management priorities. These priorities should be informed by an understanding of past and ongoing ecological trends in region‐specific situations, such as those we present, to highlight the immediacy of climate change impacts on the environment and society and provide evidence for the critical nature of informed management decisions.

Sustainable Adaptation Planning for Cultural Heritage in Coastal Tourism Destinations Under Climate Change: A Mixed-Paradigm of Preservation and Conservation Optimization

Fragmented guidance and unbalanced climate adaptation efforts for tangible and intangible cultural heritage are challenging the long-term sustainability of coastal tourism destinations. Conceptualizing and quantifying adaptation paradigms that optimize cultural heritage preservation from multi-faceted perspectives under fiscal constraints is highly prioritized by coastal tourism destinations. Informed by the Modern Portfolio Theory, this study developed, tested, and evaluated four adaptation paradigms using machine-learning approaches to optimize the historical significance, tangible, and intangible values of multi-type cultural heritage in Gulf Island National Seashore across a 30-year planning horizon under varying fiscal constraints. Results indicated that adaptation paradigms can provide transformative and flexible preservation portfolios to preserve tangible and intangible uses when facing degradation or loss from inadequate funding and intensifying climate threats. The mixed-paradigm framework optimizes preservation efforts between tangible and intangible cultural heritage quantitatively and can be generalized to coastal tourism destinations globally as a sustainable climate adaptation decision support tool.

Key Considerations for the Use of Nature-Based Solutions in Climate Services and Adaptation

Nature-based solutions (NbS) involve the reliance on natural or nature-based systems to enhance community resilience through delivering both climate adaptation and mitigation outcomes. While NbS do not necessarily represent new “technology” or methods, the intentional incorporation of these approaches into climate adaptation and mitigation efforts is often considered novel, particularly within the climate services sector where interventions have historically prioritized structural infrastructure approaches. NbS can offer an effective replacement for or complement to such traditional infrastructure approaches. Additionally, natural and nature-based systems can respond to climate change in a manner that engineered solutions often cannot, providing long-term holistic adaptation and mitigation success with additional benefits to ecosystem services such as improved air and water quality, carbon sequestration, outdoor recreation, and biodiversity protection. The incorporation of NbS as a core component of climate services increases the likelihood of adoption and effective implementation, ensuring greater long-term effectiveness for both communities and the natural systems on which they depend. This article supports the adoption and effective implementation of NbS by climate service providers through presenting a set of seven “key considerations” for their use in community-based adaptation. These key considerations are based on a review of work in the field to date, both within the United States and globally. Although these key considerations were developed in support of US adaptation planning applications (specifically, the US Climate Resilience Toolkit), they have global relevance.

Decolonizing Climate Change Education: Evidence from an Empirical Study in Ghana

Climate change education plays a significant role in the fight against climate change. Yet the knowledges of Indigenous Peoples who have been disproportionately impacted and are at the frontlines of climate change have not been given enough attention in climate change education. To enhance the capacity of communities to adapt to climate change, calls are increasing for climate change education to be decolonized. Contributing to this call, the researcher partnered with a rural community, Boania, in Northern Ghana to integrate Indigenous Ecological Knowledge into environmental and climate change education in a rural primary school. A community-based research approach and an Indigenous research methodology in the form of two-eyed seeing were adopted to guide the project. The purpose of the study was to decolonize environmental and climate change education by integrating Indigenous Ecological Knowledge into programs. It emerged that the consideration of holistic Indigenous epistemologies in climate change education re-emphasized our inseparability from non-humans and improved the children’s knowledge about the community’s local environment. Additionally, decolonizing the concept of climate change created the space for acknowledging community-led climate adaptation efforts. Broadly, the study provided a model for decolonizing climate change education in Ghana. Keywords:community-based research; climate change education; decolonization; Indigenous Ecological Knowledge; Indigenous epistemologies DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-32-06 Publication date: November 30 th 2022

Embedding the value of coastal ecosystem services into climate change adaptation planning.

Coastal habitats, such as salt marshes and dune systems, can protect communities from hazards by reducing coastline exposure. However, these critical habitats and their diverse ecosystem services are threatened by coastal development and the impacts from a changing climate. Ever increasing pressure on coastal habitats calls for coastal climate adaptation efforts that mitigate or adapt to these pressures in ways that maintain the integrity of coastal landscapes. An important challenge for decisionmakers is determining the best mitigation and adaptation strategies that not only protect human lives and property, but also safeguard the ability of coastal habitats to provide a broad suite of benefits. Here, we present a potential pathway for local-scale climate change adaptation planning through the identification and mapping of natural habitats that provide the greatest benefits to coastal communities. The methodology coupled a coastal vulnerability model with a climate adaptation policy assessment in an effort to identify priority locations for nature-based solutions that reduce vulnerability of critical assets using feasible land-use policy methods. Our results demonstrate the critical role of natural habitats in providing the ecosystem service of coastal protection in California. We found that specific dune habitats play a key role in reducing erosion and inundation of the coastline and that several wetland areas help to absorb energy from storms and provide a protective service for the coast of Marin county, California, USA. Climate change and adaptation planning are globally relevant issues in which the scalability and transferability of solutions must be considered. This work outlines an iterative approach for climate adaptation planning at a local-scale, with opportunity to consider the scalability of an iterative science-policy engagement approach to regional, national, and international levels.

A menu of climate change adaptation actions for terrestrial wildlife management

AbstractThe real‐world application of climate change adaptation practices in terrestrial wildlife conservation has been slowed by a lack of practical guidance for wildlife managers. Although there is a rapidly growing body of literature on the topic of climate change adaptation and wildlife management, the literature is weighted towards a narrow range of adaptation actions and administrative or policy recommendations that are typically beyond the decision space and influence of wildlife professionals. We developed a menu of tiered adaptation actions for terrestrial wildlife management to translate broad concepts into actionable approaches to help managers respond to climate change risks and meet desired management goals. The menu includes actions related to managing wildlife populations as well as managing wildlife habitat. We designed this resource to be used with the Adaptation Workbook, a structured decision‐support tool for climate adaptation. We describe real‐world examples in which managers have used the Wildlife Adaptation Menu to integrate climate adaptation considerations into wildlife management and conservation projects. Our examples illustrate how a comprehensive and structured menu of adaptation approaches can help managers brainstorm specific actions and more easily and clearly communicate the intent of their climate adaptation efforts.

Analysis of Observed Trends in Daily Temperature and Precipitation Extremes in Different Agroecologies of Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Ethiopian climate-sensitive economy is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate-related extreme events. Thus, examining extreme daily precipitation and temperature in the context of climate change is a critical factor in advocating climate change adaptation at the local scales. Spatial changes of climate indices for extreme precipitation and temperatures were conducted for the period 1986–2016 in three different agroecologies of the Gurage zone, Southern Ethiopia. The study used the Mann–Kendall (MK) test and Sen’s slope estimator to estimate the trend and magnitude of changes in precipitation and temperature. The analysis from the observation indicates that there had been a consistent warming trend and inconsistent changes in precipitation extremes in the study agroecologies. A statistically significant increase in the numbers of warm days and nights and a statistically significant reduction in the numbers of cold days and nights were observed in most of the agroecologies. The duration of extreme trend showed inconsistency; however, a drier condition is observed in lowland agroecology. Therefore, based on the findings of this study, appropriate climate adaptation efforts are needed at the local scale.

The Influences of Political Affiliation and Weather-Related Impacts on Climate Change Adaptation in U.S. Cities

Abstract This study examines the influences of state and local political affiliation and local exposure to weather-related impacts on local government climate change adaptation efforts in 88 U.S. cities. Although climate adaptation takes place when cities replace critical infrastructure damaged by severe weather events, little is known about the influence of political affiliation and severe weather events on climate adaptation in a broader sense. Using multiple linear regression models, this study analyzes variations in local government climate adaptation efforts as a function of local gross domestic product (as a control variable), historical weather-related factors [i.e., number of extreme weather events, weather-related economic impact due to property damage, and weather-related human impact (injuries and fatalities)], and state and local political affiliation. The findings of this study indicate that local political affiliation significantly influences local government climate adaptation efforts; however, state political affiliation does not. Further, local weather-related impacts do not appear to affect the likelihood of local government to engage in climate adaptation efforts, even when accounting for potential interactions with local political affiliation. These results support the hypothesis that local political affiliation is a strong and robust predictor of local climate adaptation in U.S. cities. This study contributes to literature aimed at addressing the widely acknowledged need for understanding key barriers to U.S. climate adaptation, as well as the role of politics in moderating climate action.

Targeting climate adaptation to safeguard and advance the Sustainable Development Goals

The international community has committed to achieve 169 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets by 2030 and to enhance climate adaptation under the Paris Agreement. Despite the potential for synergies, aligning SDG and climate adaptation efforts is inhibited by an inadequate understanding of the complex relationship between SDG targets and adaptation to impacts of climate change. Here we propose a framework to conceptualise how ecosystems and socio-economic sectors mediate this relationship, which provides a more nuanced understanding of the impacts of climate change on all 169 SDG targets. Global application of the framework reveals that adaptation of wetlands, rivers, cropland, construction, water, electricity, and housing in the most vulnerable countries is required to safeguard achievement of 68% of SDG targets from near-term climate risk by 2030. We discuss how our framework can help align National Adaptation Plans with SDG targets, thus ensuring that adaptation advances, rather than detracts from, sustainable development.

Nordic contributions to stochastic methods in hydrology

Abstract The paper presents prominent Nordic contributions to stochastic methods in hydrology and water resources during the previous 50 years. The development in methods from analysis of stationary and independent hydrological events to include non-stationarity, risk analysis, big data, operational research and climate change impacts is hereby demonstrated. The paper is divided into four main sections covering flood frequency and drought analyses, assessment of rainfall extremes, stochastic approaches to water resources management and approaches to climate change and adaptation efforts. It is intended as a review paper referring to a rich selection of internationally published papers authored by Nordic hydrologists or hydrologists from abroad working in a Nordic country or in cooperation with Nordic hydrologists. Emerging trends in needs and methodologies are highlighted in the conclusions.

Spatio-Temporal Trends of Precipitation and Temperature Extremes across the North-East Region of Côte d’Ivoire over the Period 1981–2020

The northeast region of Côte d’Ivoire, where agriculture is the main economic activity, is potentially vulnerable to extreme climatic conditions. This study aims to make a comprehensive spatio-temporal analysis of trends in extreme indices related to precipitation and temperature for the Zanzan region of Côte d’Ivoire over the period of 1981–2020. The statistical significance of the calculated trends was assessed using the non-parametric Mann–Kendall test, while Sen’s slope estimation was used to define the amount of change. For extreme precipitations, the results showed a decreasing trend in annual total precipitations estimated at 112.37 mm and in daily precipitations intensity indices. Furthermore, the consecutive dry days’ index showed an increasing trend estimated at 18.67 days. Unlike the trends in precipitation extremes, which showed statistically non-significant trends, the trends in temperature extremes were mostly significant over the entire study area. The cold spells indices all show decreasing trends, while the warm spells show increasing trends. Drawing inferences from the results, it becomes clear that the study area may be threatened by food insecurity and water scarcity. The results are aimed to support climate adaptation efforts and policy intervention in the region.

Citizen Participation and Climate Change within an Urban Community Context: Insights for Policy Development for Bottom-Up Climate Action Engagement

Citizen-led mitigation and adaptation are key to climate policy advancement and acceleration, particularly within an urban development context. The top-down approach requires the development of clear action plans for the involvement and engagement of citizens to accelerate bottom-up climate mitigation and adaptation efforts within the urban context. In Malaysia, there are national policy strategies such as the 12th Malaysia Plan, the National Urban Wellbeing Blueprint, the National Climate Change Policy, and the Malaysian New Urban Agenda. However, a successful implementation of climate policies can only be achieved when citizens are adequately socialized to policy impacts. This paper explores citizen perceptions and attitudes toward participation in mitigation and adaptation efforts for climate action within an urban context. Underpinned by the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Transtheoretical Theory, this study explored the approach of citizen participation as a possible tool for assessing climate policy effectiveness for bottom-up climate mitigation and adaptation efforts within an urban context. The study was set within the Malaysian urban context, given the limited empirical evidence in the area. The findings of the study suggest that a bottom-up approach to citizen participation through education, awareness, and inclusive climate policy formulation procedures will result in positive attitudes toward citizen participation.

Addressing climate anxiety among young people in the Philippines

Addressing climate anxiety among young people in the Philippines

ASSESSMENT OF THE LEVEL OF INTEGRATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION POLICIES IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS IN CAMBODIA, INDONESIA, AND MALAYSIA

More than 50 per cent of global disaster mortality occurred in Southeast Asia between 2004 and 2014, and four of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states are ranked in the top 10 countries most affected by climate risk between 1996 and 2015. As climate concerns and their attendant disaster risks are influenced by, and will affect, human activities across broad sectors, a holistic approach to addressing the issues is needed. In this regard, integrating climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction frameworks within the context of national development becomes critical. By ensuring an integrated approach in development plans, sufficient resource allocations can be better ensured and climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction efforts can be implemented more effectively. To enable further estimate of ASEAN’s readiness to face the effects of climate change, this study examines the level of integration of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in national development plans of select ASEAN member states. It specifically looks at the structure and design of climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction agenda within the development plans in Cambodia, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The assessment discovers that there is a varying degree of climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and development convergence in the countries under study, and concludes that Cambodia has them fully integrated while Indonesia and Malaysia have integrated them partially.

Ubiquity of human-induced changes in climate variability

Abstract. While climate change mitigation targets necessarily concern maximum mean state changes, understanding impacts and developing adaptation strategies will be largely contingent on how climate variability responds to increasing anthropogenic perturbations. Thus far Earth system modeling efforts have primarily focused on projected mean state changes and the sensitivity of specific modes of climate variability, such as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation. However, our knowledge of forced changes in the overall spectrum of climate variability and higher-order statistics is relatively limited. Here we present a new 100-member large ensemble of climate change projections conducted with the Community Earth System Model version 2 over 1850–2100 to examine the sensitivity of internal climate fluctuations to greenhouse warming. Our unprecedented simulations reveal that changes in variability, considered broadly in terms of probability distribution, amplitude, frequency, phasing, and patterns, are ubiquitous and span a wide range of physical and ecosystem variables across many spatial and temporal scales. Greenhouse warming in the model alters variance spectra of Earth system variables that are characterized by non-Gaussian probability distributions, such as rainfall, primary production, or fire occurrence. Our modeling results have important implications for climate adaptation efforts, resource management, seasonal predictions, and assessing potential stressors for terrestrial and marine ecosystems.