Climate Change Adaptation Research Articles

Sea-Level Rise and Human Mobility: The Legal Implications for Ireland’s Foreign and Domestic Policies

In October 2023, the Irish government’s Report of the Inter-Departmental Group on National Coastal Change Management Strategy concluded it was inevitable that, as a result of rising sea levels, a managed retreat may in time be required along some parts of the Irish coastline. This stark warning highlights Ireland’s vulnerability as an island nation to global climate change and sea-level rise. While adaptive measures can be made to protect coastal communities, there is a need to undertake comprehensive planning to prepare for the foreseeable impacts of climate change. Ireland is not alone in facing such risks—over a third of states in the world are directly affected by sea-level rise. Such scenarios raise complicated legal questions, which prompted the UN International Law Commission (ILC) to commence analysis in 2018 of the legal implications of sea-level rise. This article starts by examining recent developments concerning the legal implications of climate change in general, before specifically analysing the ongoing work of the ILC on sea-level rise and human mobility. Drawing on international legal and policy frameworks, the article then considers Ireland’s obligations arising from sea-level rise and population displacement. In particular, it addresses a) Ireland’s foreign policy, including international development assistance and legal migration routes for persons fleeing the impacts of sea-level rise; and b) domestic policies relating to climate change adaptation and planning for internal climate displacement.

Spatio-temporal tendencies of urban land surface temperature on the Andean piedmont under climate change: A case study of Metropolitan Lima, Peru (1986–2024)

The increase in land surface temperature (LST) in megacities has contributed to global warming due to poor urban planning and high population concentration. This study analyzes spatio-temporal trend patterns of LST in the city of Metropolitan Lima, Peru, during the summers of 1986–2024. The Mann-Kendall tests and the Theil-Sen Slope method were used to analyze the spatiotemporal trends of LST, relating R2 and the Mann-Kendall p-value of the annual average LST in each district. A hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to group districts according to their average yearly LST. Urban heat islands were identified based on basin configuration and distance to the sea at 1 km intervals. The results reveal a significant increase in LST (p<0.001) related to El Niño-Southern Oscillation phenomena, in addition to urban growth and land cover change. The significant positive trend of LST showed a heterogeneous distribution in all districts. The districts were grouped into three clusters with statistically significant differences in LST (p<0.001), spatially configured radially from the sea to the foot of the Andes, up to 1179 m a.s.l. Urban heat islands did not correlate with significant positive trends in basins. Still, they showed a considerable increase in LST in areas of high economic activity, including dense commercial, industrial, and residential areas. This information is crucial to managing climate change adaptation and mitigation measures and contributing to sustainable urban planning focused on the population’s well-being.

Maintenance, operational costs, and plant performance in three extensive green roof designs from Northwest México

Green roofs (GR) are nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation in buildings and cities. However, few GR maintenance, installation, and challenge-solving guidelines are available for semiarid climates. We present how three case-study types of GR (urban gardens (UGR), native gardens (NGR), and wetland roofs (WR)) varied in installation costs, irrigation volumes, maintenance times, vegetation cover, survival, biomass and yield, in Ensenada, México, from 2022 to 2023. In UGR, nine edible species were cultivated to yield produce; in NGR, six native plants were planted, and four were grown in WR. UGR installation costs were 31 % and 21 % lower, but maintenance costs were four and 1.5 times higher than NGR and WR, respectively. UGR consumed 17 % more water annually than NGR and 42 % less than WR. Likewise, UGR demanded 94 and 92 % more annual maintenance time than NGR and WR. WR presented the highest survival, height, cover, and biomass values, followed by NGR (except for biomass) and UGR. Our results point to different GR solutions for distinct types of applications and users, demonstrating their versatility in design. All GR categories are suitable to reduce the ecological footprint of buildings; however, we emphasize that each GR design involves different economic, time, and challenge-solving commitments that should be considered before installation and operation.

The potential for evolutionary rescue in an Arctic seashore plant threatened by climate change.

The impacts of climate change may be particularly severe for geographically isolated populations, which must adjust through plastic responses or evolve. Here, we study an endangered Arctic plant, Primula nutans ssp. finmarchica, confined to Fennoscandian seashores and showing indications of maladaptation to warming climate. We evaluate the potential of these populations to evolve to facilitate survival in the rapidly warming Arctic (i.e. evolutionary rescue) by utilizing manual crossing experiments in a nested half-sibling breeding design. We estimate G-matrices, evolvability and genetic constraints in traits with potentially conflicting selection pressures. To explicitly evaluate the potential for climate change adaptation, we infer the expected time to evolve from a northern to a southern phenotype under different selection scenarios, using demographic and climatic data to relate expected evolutionary rates to projected rates of climate change. Our results indicate that, given the nearly 10-fold greater evolvability of vegetative than of floral traits, adaptation in these traits may take place nearly in concert with changing climate, given effective climate mitigation. However, the comparatively slow expected evolutionary modification of floral traits may hamper the evolution of floral traits to track climate-induced changes in pollination environment, compromising sexual reproduction and thus reducing the likelihood of evolutionary rescue.

Enhancing climate adaptation design in urban areas: a workflow for climate integrated impact assessment

Abstract Nowadays, urban settlements face the simultaneous occurrence of environmental, natural, and anthropogenic risks. In this scenario, the contribution proposes the definition of an operational workflow for climate-integrated impact assessment, to support climate adaptation design at the urban and building scale. The methodological approach focuses on the evaluation of heatwave and pluvial flooding integrated impacts to identify urban hotspots. A testing case in Naples is proposed. The workflow represents an innovative tool, employing a multi-hazard analysis at the local scale to assess climate impacts considering both vulnerability and exposure components of the built environment. Grounded in an evidence-based approach, the proposed workflow acts as an effective support tool for decision-makers in the preliminary stages of projects, considering the interaction between impact analysis and climate adaptation design at the local scale. The contribution is developed within the research Partenariato Esteso PE3, RETURN project (multi-Risk SciEnce for resilient commUnities undeR a changiNg climate) - Spoke TS1 “Urban and metropolitan settlements” activities.

Methodology for selecting potential CO2 sinks in Macaronesia: The case of Gran Canaria

Carbon dioxide (CO2) accounts for 80% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. One of the several ways to mitigate CO2 emissions is through afforestation, which prevents catastrophic environmental consequences. The mean average emission per tourist in the Canary Islands on their way to the islands is 0.48 Tn. Like most urban cities, the island of Gran Canaria faces the problem of CO2 emissions due to anthropogenic and human activities. Vegetation coverage significantly influences the distribution of temperature. The correlation between Land Surface Temperature (LST) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) of Gran Canaria, using satellite images from Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2, revealed a strong inverse relationship within all land use types, with an R2 value of 0.39. Land suitability analysis is a prerequisite for optimum utilization of available land resources. This study developed a suitability map for afforestation based on land use land cover, topographic, meteorologic, and socio-economic factors. Eight factors, including distance from settlements, land use, distance from the road, distance from water, elevation, slope, precipitation, and temperature, were employed according to previous studies, expert consultation, and land suitability mapping experience. After the criteria decision and data acquisition, maps of each criterion were created and transformed using the Suitability Modeler of ArcGIS Pro. The current study results show that 87% of the total area is suitable for afforestation and reforestation projects in Gran Canaria. Instead of using reactive methods to lessen the effects, the study recommends a proactive approach to climate adaptation through nature-based solutions. The study is part of an umbrella project of the Canary Islands and Spain in general, which considers the contributions of local and institutional stakeholders at different stages of the project. The next stage will be to design a forest afforestation and reforestation project, considering the kind of tree species needed, the methods required to implement it, and the management guidelines about the initial years of installation and growth of the new trees. The most crucial technical choice is which forest species to choose, as it will determine the success of the reforestation effort. The new revegetated space's ability to sequester carbon dioxide will primarily rely on the productivity of the land used for forest reforestation, the species chosen, and the introduced planting density.

Indigenous knowledge for climate action at the Ekyisalhalha kya Karoro sacred site, adjacent to Rwenzori mountains national park in Kasese

PurposeThis case study examines the contribution of Indigenous knowledge (IK) and practices to climate action at Ekisalhalha kya Kororo sacred site, adjacent to Rwenzori Mountains National Park in the Kasese district of Western Uganda. This paper is intended to make a case for IK as an important component of climate change mitigation strategies especially if the knowledge is profiled and publicised. The paper presents aspects of traditional knowledge in terms of ceremonies, rituals, norms and customs that can be re-energised for climate change.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employed mainly a participatory and qualitative data collection methodology. The data were collected in Kasese district largely from the local government officials, cultural leaders, civil society actors and representatives of indigenous minority communities such as the Basongora. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources, at the desk and through community interactions to collect various narratives based on IK. Primary data were collected during individual interviews, by administering a semi-structured questionnaire and holding focus group discussions with different stakeholders in Kasese, Uganda. The respondents were carefully identified and included cultural leaders, young people, local government authorities and representatives of civil society organisations responsible for implementing climate change mitigation strategies.FindingsClimate change effects are manifest in rising temperatures, flooding, desertification and other natural hazards. The Kasese district, in particular, has faced several climatic change catastrophes and there has been limited use or mainstreaming of the existing IK of the communities in the region in different climate action interventions. Amongst the key research findings was that IK can be utilised to address or mitigate climate change risks/hazards and provide valuable insights into climate adaptation strategies, including rain-water harvesting, weather forecasting and preparedness, and sustainable farming practices. In addition, it is easily accessible, especially in areas that modern science has not reached.Research limitations/implicationsFew elders with IK related to climate change mitigation and the disconnect between young people and IK bearers were limitations encountered during data collection.Originality/valueThe information in the article is an original compilation by the authors based on previous published work from the NetZero Heritage for Climate Action research project.

Parable of the Svalbard Seed Vault: An Arctic repository for agricultural plant diversity embodies the flawed logic of climate adaptation.

Parable of the Svalbard Seed Vault: An Arctic repository for agricultural plant diversity embodies the flawed logic of climate adaptation.

Open spaces and emergent dwellings. Innovative solutions to sustainable renovation of student housing.

Abstract The paper aims to report the research results that deal with the theme of educational open spaces such as schoolyards or student housing, framing it in an environmental dimension capable of enhancing the existing identity and landscape quality elements, at the same time responding to climatic vulnerabilities, but also to new needs of users, with adequate performance responses. The proposed research is part of a scientific collaboration agreement developed aim of supporting it in the field of environmental issues and innovative technologies for student housing with Agenzia del Demanio at the end to write guidelines for spatial functional, technological and environmental aspects of its sustainable design of heritage to be converted into student housing. University student living is an evolving form of housing, subject to significant investment and design experimentation. In addition to the issue of housing, the open space related to student housing even in the face of emergent dwelling becomes a continuation of housing and therefore cannot be underestimated. The proposed methodology from best practice highlights a new demand framework useful for the development of the guidelines of which an excerpt concerning open space is proposed here.

Climate-induced coastal occupational vulnerability and livelihood insecurity: Insights from coastal Bangladesh

The livelihoods of the fishing communities residing in the geographically vulnerable coastal zone are constantly threatened by escalating coastal disasters. The communities face persistent challenges, including livelihood failure, poverty, high exposure and sensitivity, and lower adaptive capacity, yet little attention has been paid to comprehending their multifaceted livelihood vulnerabilities amid climate-induced disasters. This study bridges that gap by employing several techniques to address the challenge. It adopts a mixed-method analysis and investigates the Livelihood Assessment Index (LAI), Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI), and Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) to assess the livelihood vulnerability of fishermen communities residing in the new and old fishery ghats (riverside locations where fishing-related activities take place) in Chattogram district in southern Bangladesh. Findings reveal that the fishing communities experience higher exposure levels and moderate vulnerability in the face of escalating climate-induced disasters. The overall LAI indicates a relatively low level of livelihood satisfaction, suggesting potential challenges or deficiencies in aspects contributing to well-being. Despite socioeconomic and demographic similarities, as LVI values present, the exposure varies between the two study locations. Both locations are characterized by moderate sensitivity, while the new fishery ghat showed slightly higher adaptive capacity, contributing to greater resilience. The CVI values indicated higher vulnerability for the new fishery ghat fishing community, suggesting increased challenges related to climate-induced threats, and the old ghat community exhibited lower vulnerability, showcasing better resilience to disasters. Factors influencing livelihood vulnerability include limited access to education and healthcare in the new fishery ghat, while the old fishery ghat benefits from better provisions, communication, social networks, and education facilities. The study advocates for context-specific decision-making and targeted interventions to support vulnerable fishing communities in coastal zones globally, emphasizing the need for improved social safety nets and alternative livelihood options. Addressing these occupational vulnerabilities is crucial for long-term development in climate-risk countries like Bangladesh.

A Literature-based Overview of Current Narratives on the Capacitation of Community Leaders in Addressing the Challenges of Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation

In most many countries worldwide, community leaders (CLs) are expected to play an important role in mobilising and soliciting contributions from others for the proactive implementation of climate change adaptation strategies. Due to a lack of capacity at the local leadership level, several local-level climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives have not been effectively actioned with most of them frequently excluding local decision-makers, and key community stakeholders. Basing assessment on what is available in the literature, it is evident that there is urgent need for the scientific community to develop innovative strategies that facilitate the meaningful implementation of informed climate change policies. To successfully address the challenges of climate change, this paper posits that it is necessary for researchers, policy makers and planistrators must endeavour to explore and implement actionable local-level climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. The take-home message from this paper is that the time to act is now and refrain from doing so until it is too late to do so for tomorrow may never come. The likely implications for the benefits of proactive and effective community leaders are considered against this backdrop and insights from literature-based multi-level governance, participatory learning, action-oriented transformative leadership initiatives that were sourced from the literature.

Challenges for Occupational Safety and Health Legislation in Climate Change Adaptation - Focusing on policies to prevent health hazards from heat waves -

Challenges for Occupational Safety and Health Legislation in Climate Change Adaptation - Focusing on policies to prevent health hazards from heat waves -

Urban Groundwater in the cities of Europe: hidden challenges in a changing climate

In European cities, groundwater remains an issue of significant concern, largely because it is “out of sight and out of mind.” The general public, and even decision-makers, possess only a limited understanding of the state and characteristics of this vital resource. As a consequence, problems related to groundwater quality or changing water tables/piezometric surfaces may persist for years, or even decades, without being adequately addressed-or worse, without being noticed at all before resulting in land subsidence,saltwater intrusion, deep migration of persistent organic contaminants like PFAS (Le monde, 2023) or other irreversible consequences. The urban water cycle is central to ensuring the supply of clean, safe drinking water, effective sanitation, and wellfunctioning drainage systems for millions of residents. The impacts of human activities, such as land use change, excessive water abstraction and mismanagement, and the discharge of wastewater can exert a far greater influence on groundwater systems and hydrogeology than climate change. These activities alter the quantity and quality of both surface and groundwater, raising complex scientific, technical, socio-economic, cultural, and ethical challenges in urban water management. It is important to address the many challenges associated with ensuring water security and safety in cities (Quevauviller et al., 2024), as well as for development of effective climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies for urban areas (IPCC, 2024). Groundwater plays a critical role in the green transition and is an integral component of most climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies (Ingemarsson et al., 2022), and for meeting the increasing demand for freshwater in cities due to accelerating urbanization (United Nations, 2022). Many urbanized areas in Europe already face poor chemical and quantitative status (EEA, 2024; Sentek et al., 2024), and global change including increasing populations and sea level rise pose a tremendous challenge for safe and secure water supply especially in coastal European cities. Open access to digital subsurface data e.g. through the European Geological Data Infrastructure supports societal needs and UN sustainable development goals (Hinsby et al., 2024). This special issue demonstrates some of the important issues that the water supply of European cities are facing in times of increasing competing use of the subsurface (Volckko et al., 2020), projected climate change impacts on the hydrological cycle (Henriksen et al., 2023) and with freshwater now being among the transgressed planetary boundaries (Richardsson et al., 2023). [...]

Costing of nature-based vs grey solutions for water management: cases from Nairobi

Climate change adaptation in urban Africa is a critical development issue of this century. Informal and low-income neighbourhoods in African cities are particularly vulnerable as they are often located on flood pathways. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have been put forward as an approach to enhance flood and climate resilience in urban settings. While social and environmental benefits of urban NbS are increasingly well documented, a key gap in the literature is robust data on the cost of implemented NbS, particularly from African cities. In this paper, we compare lifecycle costs of two significant implemented NbS projects against hypothetical equivalent grey solutions, in two different informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. We apply comparative Life Cycle Costing (LCC) for both cases and a Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) for one case study where historical data is available. In one of the two cases NbS was significantly cheaper, while in the other higher costs were attributed to costs required to create understanding of the new approach. We find that the cost of any solution is highly context dependent, although the NbS approach shows competitive lifecycle costs, potential for cost-optimisation as the concept matures, and highly attractive for investment when the documented co-benefits are considered.

Enhancing the Capacity of Tourism Awareness Groups in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation at the Tanjung Batu Mangrove Ecotourism, Sekotong Tengah Village, West Lombok Regency

Mangrove Ecotourism in Tanjung Batu is one of the unique tourist attractions on Lombok Island, featuring a scenic 11-hectare mangrove area with dense vegetation coverage. The site is equipped with several facilities, including a 417-meter wooden bridge, several gazebos, selfie spots, a homestay, and a café. The ecotourism management is handled by the Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis) of Sekotong Tengah Village. This destination is quite popular, with no fewer than 300 tourists visiting each month. However, this area is prone to climate-related disaster risks such as tidal floods, strong winds, high waves, floods, and droughts. Additionally, the ecotourism management has mainly focused on physical aspects and lacks sufficient managerial skills for implementing a sustainable governance system. The proposed solution is to strengthen the Pokdarwis management to improve ecotourism governance, optimizing its potential to deliver greater social, economic, and environmental value while contributing to climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts. The conclusion from the community service activity is that to address these challenges, the community is committed to preserving the mangrove ecosystem, preventing disturbances from both internal and external factors, and managing ecotourism in a way that benefits the surrounding community by reducing climate-related disaster risks. Priority activities include mangrove rehabilitation and enrichment, beach cleanup, monthly management meetings, semi-annual evaluations, and promptly developing plans to strengthen the fishermen's economy through involvement in marine tourism packages

Digital mapping of dates of transplanting and accumulated thermal requirement of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the subtropics of North Eastern Hill Region, India

ABSTRACT Accurate and timely mapping of rice areas is crucial for effective agricultural planning and food security management in the North Eastern Hill Region of India, especially amid changing climate conditions. This study developed a method to estimate rice transplanting dates by utilizing VH polarized backscattering-coefficients rom Sentinel-1A SAR data and also assessed thermal requirements for rice productivity in Ri-Bhoi district, Meghalaya during kharif 2021. The methodology involved 3 steps- (i) preprocessing data to construct time-series SAR images (ii) rule-based classification of SAR data integrating phenological and topographical information to identify transplanting windows (iii) assessing mapping accuracy. The results when compared with field data, revealed five distinct transplanting windows from early June to early August across 9031 ha of rice area. Overall accuracy was 85%, with a kappa coefficient of 0.74. User and producer accuracies ranged from 0.74 to 0.93 and 0.75 to 0.92, respectively for various transplanting windows. GDD varied between 1432.8°C day and 3290.4°C day, with higher values corresponding to earlier planting dates. This study formulates a robust methodology for rice mapping in hilly, small-field landscapes with multiple transplanting dates by integrating Sentinel-1A SAR data with ancillary and crop phenology information, contributing to improved crop management and climate change adaptations.

Spectral Intelligence: AI-Driven Hyperspectral Imaging for Agricultural and Ecosystem Applications

Ensuring global food security amid mounting challenges, such as population growth, disease infestations, resource limitations, and climate change, is a pressing concern. Anticipated increases in food demand add further complexity to this critical issue. Plant pathogens, responsible for substantial crop losses (up to 41%) in major crops like wheat, rice, maize, soybean, and potato, exacerbate the situation. Timely disease detection is crucial, yet current practices often identify diseases at advanced stages, leading to severe infestations. To address this, remote sensing and Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) have emerged as robust and nondestructive techniques, exhibiting promising results in early disease identification. Integrating machine learning algorithms with image data sets enables precise spatial–temporal disease identification, facilitating timely detection, predictive modeling, and effective disease management without compromising fitness or climate adaptability. By harnessing these cutting-edge technologies and data-driven decision-making, growers can optimize input costs while achieving enhanced yields, making significant strides toward global food security in the face of climate change risks. This review will discuss some of the foundational concepts of remote sensing, several platforms used for remote sensing data collection, successful application of the approach, and its future perspective.

Міжнародні боргові метрики в контексті фінансування "зеленого" порядку денного

The article summarizes the public debt policy issues in the context of financing climate change measures, and suggests priorities and mechanisms of fiscal, debt and sectoral policies to ensure sufficient financing of the green agenda. Authors have emphasized the trilemma between achieving climate goals, maintaining fiscal sustainability, and ensuring political capacity. It has been found that even under favorable external financial conditions, climate-vulnerable countries face a constant premium to the cost of borrowing. As a result, developing countries with high levels of debt and climate vulnerability are caught in a vicious circle of growing investment needs for climate- sustainable structural transformation and significant dependence on increasingly expensive debt financing, which leads to a combination of deteriorating debt sustainability and insufficient funding for climate change challenges. Authors argue for a comprehensive multilateral policy aimed at reforming the international debt architecture and increasing the amount of available financing for climate change adaptation under a government-led framework. Achieving common goals requires a carefully calibrated combination of climate change mitigation instruments based on enhanced domestic revenue mobilization, in particular through carbon pricing, more efficient spending on transfers, green subsidies and investments, and regulatory measures. Authors propose a comprehensive approach to implementing climate change mitigation policies, including the implementation of a fiscal strategy, sectoral policies to prevent climate change, and stimulating private investment. Emphasized the importance of developing further tools for incorporating climate policy into debt sustainability analysis.

Cost and Benefit Analysis of Different Buildings Through Reuse of Treated Greywater

The fact that the impacts of climate change cannot be prevented in the short term has increased the importance of climate change adaptation activities, and many national and international studies have been initiated in this regard. Greywater reuse (GWR) activities have become important methods recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for adaptation to climate change. This study selects GWR from 3 different real typologies, a hotel, a residential building, and an industrial plant planned in Izmir Province of Türkiye, to design greywater systems followed by cost-benefit analyses. The applicability of GWR systems in these typologies has been analyzed, and comparisons have been made. GWR systems at the project design stage eliminate the need for installation modifications. Therefore, it is concluded that new buildings should be designed to integrate these alternative water resource systems. Recovered water through the installation of GWR systems is recommended to be used as flushing water, and the excess for garden irrigation, car washing and cleaning. The payback periods were calculated as 12 years for the hotel and industrial plant and 6 years for the residential building. The water savings were calculated as 46% for the hotel, 44% for the residential building, and 29% for the industrial plant. The results put forth the feasibility of this alternative water resource.

Mapping Research Trends in Global Climate Change Adaptation to Flood Disasters: A Bibliometric Analysis using VOSviewer

Using a bibliometric analysis, this study aims to map the research trends and thematic developments in climate change adaptation to flood disasters. Data from 812 publications, spanning from 1996 to 2023, were retrieved from the Scopus database and analyzed using VOSviewer software to visualize keyword co-occurrence networks. The analysis identified five key thematic clusters: adaptation strategies and resilience (180 publications), urban planning and green infrastructure (150 publications), flood risk management (85 publications), early warning systems (60 publications), and socio-economic impacts such as health and displacement (100 publications). Over time, research output has significantly increased, particularly after 2015, with publications peaking at 150 in 2023. Regionally, Asia leads the research output with 200 publications, followed by Europe (180 publications) and North America (120 publications). The findings highlight a shift toward sustainable, nature-based solutions and the integration of advanced technologies such as machine learning in flood management. The increasing focus on the socio-economic dimensions of flood adaptation, particularly in vulnerable communities, underscores the need for more inclusive approaches. Future research should prioritize underrepresented regions, such as Africa and Latin America, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration to address the complex challenges of climate-induced floods.