Climate Change Adaptation Efforts Research Articles

“I’m Fixing a Hole Where the Rain Gets in, and Stops My Mind from Wandering”: Approaching Sustainable Climate Change Adaptations

Abstract Sustainable development is a challenging field of research, colored by the paradoxes of modernity and development, and the trade-offs involved in balancing the “sustainable” and “development” sides of the various sustainable development goals. We must take these overarching challenges into account when entering a more specific discussion of what a concept of sustainable climate change adaptation may entail. This article reviews the history of this concept, including insights provided by the recent publications composing a special collection of Weather, Climate, and Society on the topic of sustainable climate change adaptation. This collection reflects on why and how the term sustainable development should be included in our understandings of and efforts toward climate change adaptation and proposes a preliminary framework for distinguishing between conventional and sustainable adaptation. Significance Statement This article reviews the history of the term “sustainable climate change adaptation” and reflects on the relationship between sustainable development and climate change adaptation efforts. It ends by proposing a framework for distinguishing between conventional and sustainable adaptation.

Future climate change for major agricultural zones in China as projected by CORDEX-EA-II, CMIP5 and CMIP6 ensembles

Understanding future climate change is crucial for securing and managing water supplies necessary for agricultural activities in China, particularly in rainfed agriculture regions. This paper evaluates the projected climate change for nine major agricultural zones in China, using ensembles of regional climate models (RCMs) simulated under the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment-East Asia second phase (CORDEX-EA-II) framework. The simulations were conducted for two climate scenarios (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5) at a 25 km grid spacing, with three RCMs (RegCM4, REMO, and WRF) driven by multiple CMIP5 global climate models (GCMs). The study compares the RCM simulations to the driving CMIP5 and the recent CMIP6 ensembles, focusing on surface temperature, precipitation, and surface relative humidity for the present day (1981–2010), mid-future (2036–2065), and far future (2070–2099) periods. The model evaluations indicate that the GCM and RCM simulations are consistent with observations, with RCMs showing better performance than the driving GCMs. The results show that both GCMs and RCMs project increased temperature and precipitation in most agricultural zones of China in the future, with the CMIP6 ensembles projecting the largest temperature increase and the CORDEX-EA-II ensemble showing the finest spatial details. Relative humidity is projected to decrease over major rice-producing areas of South China in the CORDEX-EA-II, CMIP5, and CMIP6 ensembles. This study provides valuable information to support climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in China, particularly in the agricultural sectors.

What are the concerns with New European Bauhaus initiative? Vernacular knowledge as the primary driver toward a sustainable future

The revolutionary aspect and core values of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) are highly praised, but the initiative's success can only be judged by its approach to defining those values. The local climate plays an inextricable role in informing vernacular architecture, as do other physical, social, economic, and cultural determinants. On the NEB initiative website, it states that the NEB "calls on all of us to imagine and build together a sustainable and inclusive future," with inclusive defined as "encouraging a dialogue across cultures, disciplines, genders, and ages." Such a high-level vision is positive and encouraging, but the detailed action plans outlined in the NEB concept paper presented in June 2021 to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, fell short of real evolutionary thinking about how to integrate vernacular knowledge. The NEB concept paper stated, "Both frontier technologies and vernacular techniques must be equally embraced. Advanced and emerging technologies must be balanced by other locally accessible tools, techniques, and strategies." The fundamental problem with such a statement is that it positions "vernacular techniques" at the other end of "frontier technologies," indicating that vernacular techniques are not "advanced and emerging." On the contrary, we believe that vernacular (or indigenous understanding) is the more advanced scientific knowledge in understanding the symbiotic relationship between the built environment and the natural environment.Hence, it should play a leading role in all climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.

Climate action for the shipping industry: Some perspectives on the role of nuclear power in maritime decarbonization

The shipping industry is a major enabler of globalization, trade, commerce and human welfare. But it is still heavily served by fossil fuels, which make it one of the foremost greenhouse gas emitting sectors operational today. It is also one of the hardest to abate segments of the transport industry. As part of the economy-wide climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, it is necessary to consider a low carbon energy transition for this segment as well. This study examines the potential role of nuclear power and cogeneration towards greening this sector and identifies the associated techno-commercial and policy challenges associated with the transition. Quantitative estimates of the economics and investments associated with some of the possible routes are also presented. Alternatives such as nuclear-powered ships along commercial maritime trading routes, ships working on nuclear derived green hydrogen, ammonia or other sustainable power fuels will enable not only decarbonization of the shipping industry but also allow further diversification of the nuclear industry through non-electric applications of nuclear power and new sector coupling opportunities. In the run-up to the UNFCCCCOP28 meeting in 2023 in UAE, nuclear equipped nations heavily engaged in and dependent on maritime trade and commerce should definitely consider nuclear driven decarbonization of shipping and some of the options presented here as part of their climate action strategies.

Socio-Economic Assessment of Value for Climate Services Case Study, Uganda and Kenya

Socio-Economic Assessment of Value for Climate Services Case Study, Uganda and Kenya

Incorporating Indigenous voices in regional climate change adaptation: opportunities and challenges in the U.S. Pacific Northwest

As the impacts of climate change increasingly and disproportionately affect indigenous peoples, equitable approaches to regional climate change adaptation must center the voices, needs, and priorities of Indigenous communities. Although the tribal climate change principles identify actionable recommendations to address the unique needs of Indigenous peoples in the contexts of climate change adaptation efforts undertaken at the Federal level in the United States (U.S.), there has yet to be exploration of how such principles might be applied at the regional level. Through semi-structured qualitative interviews with 18 representatives from inter-Tribal organizations and non-Tribal organizations engaged in regional climate adaptation in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, this research sought to describe challenges faced by, and opportunities available to, non-Tribal entities when engaging with Tribes on regional climate adaptation initiatives. All respondents reported high levels of motivation to work with Tribes on climate adaptation and identified several perceived benefits of integrating Tribal partnerships and indigenous ways of knowing into regional climate adaptation initiatives. Respondents underscored the need for strong, trusted relationships that respect the sovereignty and priorities of Tribal nations to guide engagement. However, non-Tribal organizations’ own capacity constraints, perceived Tribal capacity constraints, and institutional cultures rooted in colonialism and structural racism were discussed as obstacles to meaningful engagement. As such, we identify an urgent need to prioritize sustained investments in both Tribal and non-Tribal actors’ partnership capacities and climate change adaptation capabilities to place Indigenous voices and needs at the forefront of regional climate change adaptation planning and implementation.

Green bonds as a bridge to the UN sustainable development goals on environment: A climate change empirical investigation

AbstractThe United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) made an urgent call for action by all the countries across the globe, with an aim to end poverty, improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all of this is intended to be achieved while tackling climate change and working to protect environment and preserve earth. However, these goals cannot be achieved unless money is mobilised to finance climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts across the world. In response, various manifestations of green bonds have appeared in the market and these are considered as a bridge to the achievement of the SDGs – this is because climate mitigation and adaptation are integral to successful implementation of the SDGs. Using the Capital Asset Pricing Model, Fama–French Three Factor, Carhart Four Factor and Fama–French Five Factor pricing models, our study provides empirical evidence that the announcement of green bonds issuance lead to positively abnormal return on stocks. We divided our dataset into two parts. The first part of the dataset is from 01/01/2013 to 30/06/2018 and later part analyses the period from 01/07/2018 to 30/06/2022. The consistent results highlight the firms' and investors' efforts towards climate action (SDG13) and strongly suggest that green bonds play an important role as a bridge to the SDGs.

Conservation decision makers worry about relevancy and funding but not climate change

AbstractStakeholders fundamentally shape the success of wildlife management, yet little is known about how one of the most important stakeholder groups, wildlife agency decision makers, view emerging conservation challenges. Wildlife agency decision makers collectively shape how wildlife conservation unfolds in North America, but their perspectives are generally absent in the literature. Challenges including climate change, conservation funding models, and wildlife disease make understanding how wildlife decision makers view the future of wildlife conservation essential. We interviewed 48 directors and supervisory board members of wildlife agencies in the southeast United States from July 2019 to January 2020 to gauge their assessment of future conservation challenges and preferred response strategies. Declining agency relevancy and insufficient funding were the 2 most commonly identified challenges, while climate change was rarely mentioned as an issue because decision makers believed it was a relatively slow‐moving background condition. Decision makers described improving relevance through education and outreach as their primary response to conservation challenges. Our results suggest that climate change‐informed wildlife management may benefit from a 2‐pronged approach. First, we suggest decision makers should be informed about the challenges posed by climate change, and second, existing efforts to promote diversity among constituents should include engaging groups who support tackling the threat climate change poses to wildlife conservation. Increasing the priority given to climate change adaptation efforts in wildlife agencies will likely require future research to discern which approaches can most improve the perceived salience of climate change to decision makers.

Sustainable development goal 13 and switching priorities: addressing climate change in the context of pandemic recovery efforts

The COVID-19 pandemic has had many deep social and economic impacts that go beyond health issues. One consequence is that the pandemic has made it even harder to mobilize the financial resources needed to pursue SDG 13 (Climate Action) as a whole and to fund climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts in particular. This is especially acute in respect of the efforts to achieve the targets set by the Paris Agreement and by the recent decisions in Glasgow. This paper looks at how the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated poverty and undermined climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, as a result of the switches in priorities and funding. Using a review of the recent literature, an analysis of international trends, and a survey among climate scientists, it identifies some of the impacts of the pandemic on climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts and discusses their implications. The findings indicate a decrease in funding to climate change research since the pandemic crisis. The bibliometric analysis reveals that a greater emphasis has been placed on the relationship between COVID-19 and poverty when compared to the interrelations between COVID-19 and climate change. Addressing climate change is as urgent now as it was before the pandemic crisis started, and efforts need to be made to upkeep the levels of funding needed to support research in this field.

Climate change adaptation behaviour of forest growers in New Zealand: an application of protection motivation theory

Climate change is likely to have significant impacts on the forestry sector in New Zealand. However, an understanding of how forest growers are reducing their risks from climate change impacts is still in its infancy. This paper applies the protection motivation theory to identify socio-psychological factors influencing forest growers’ adaptation to climate change. This study presents the survey results from 60 forest growers who have the combined responsibility for managing more than 70% of New Zealand’s plantation forests. We investigated whether their perceived response efficacy, self-efficacy and their understanding of response costs are predictors of their protective or adaptive measures. Based on our survey, risk reduction and risk spreading are the two types of protective measure frequently reported by the respondents to deal with climate risks. Consistent with the protection motivation theory, our findings show that respondents who are more likely to implement protective or adaptive measures if they perceive the threat severity to be high have high self-efficacy and resource efficacy, and exhibit low maladaptive responses such as evading and postponing behaviours. Furthermore, our findings also suggest that there is a low self-efficacy belief with strong maladaptive behaviour among the respondents that negatively influence their motivation to implement adaptation measures. This result provides guidance to policy makers, researchers and forest companies on how to make climate change adaptation efforts effective by considering the forest growers motivation to adapt to climate change.

Assessing Uncertainties in Climate Change Adaptation and Land Management

The entire cascade of scenario generation, global and regional climate modeling, as well as concrete measures towards climate adaptation are subject to uncertainties. An exact prediction of how the climate will change in the coming years, and how it will affect land use, is not possible. There is thus a perceived need to identify ways via which uncertainties can be addressed. Based on the need to address the research gap in this area, this paper reports the findings of a study on uncertainty in a climate change adaptation context, and how it is perceived. It consists of a multi-stakeholder survey among climate change professionals, including academic staff at universities, representatives from international agencies, members of NGOs, policymakers, and representatives of industry from 50 countries, including a balanced representation of industrialized and developing nations. The results obtained suggest that uncertainties are often a hindrance to engagement in climate change adaptation efforts, and to land management. Furthermore, there is a range of tools to reduce climate change adaptation uncertainties, whose deployment may help to address them. The paper concludes by providing a list of lessons learned and suggestions as to how uncertainty can be better communicated, and by doing so, how a reduction in the levels of climate change vulnerability may be achieved, and how land management may be fostered.

Investor-state dispute settlement: obstructing a just energy transition

ABSTRACT Governments that revoke licenses and permits or take other measures to restrict the development of oil and gas in their territory will face claims from investors for compensation. When investors are foreign, they can seek compensation for ‘lost future profits’ in investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), even if they had not commenced production. ISDS cases are likely to obstruct a just transition by chilling supply-side climate measures and diverting public funds away from climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. Using a dataset of ISDS-protected assets in the upstream oil and gas sector, we demonstrate that the global distribution of legal and financial risks is highly unjust. More than two thirds of the net-present value of 1.5°C-incompatible and treaty-protected oil and gas assets are found in low- and middle-income countries, including those highly vulnerable to climate change. The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) is the most significant single treaty obstructing the transition. While protection of fossil fuels in some countries may soon be phased-out of this treaty, the protection of the assets identified in our study will remain for at least ten more years. To limit ISDS risk, states should: (1) immediately cease the issuance of new permits/leases for oil and gas developments; (2) terminate investment treaties (including the ECT) and (3) develop binding rules that cap the amount of compensation that can be awarded to investors.

Integrasi Perencanaan Spasial Desa sebagai Safeguard dalam Upaya Mitigasi dan Adaptasi Perubahan Iklim Lokal

This study aims to addressing the urgency of regulating spatial plans or village spatial planning as a safeguard in efforts to climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as the legal position of village spatial planning in statutory regulations. Because Indonesia's involvement in various international conferences and has declared itself to be committed to reducing the effects of greenhouse gases also influences the direction of state policy. This commitment is contained and interpreted into various regulations that form the basis of development. In overcoming the rate of climate change, it must be in line with national to local scale policies. The relationship between the rate of climate change and mitigation and adaptation efforts starts from the structure of the smallest administrative area of the state, namely the village. Villages in the context of spatial planning are given the authority to regulate their land use according to local wisdom. In the regulatory aspect, village spatial planning requires regulations that can be used as guidelines and technical guidelines for village spatial planning by implementing sustainable and environmentally friendly development.

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.

Assessing the Influence of Financial Inclusion on Environmental Degradation in the ASEAN Region through the Panel PMG-ARDL Approach

The rise of financial inclusion in recent years has attracted the attention of environmental economists to assess its role in environmental degradation. Therefore, this study was carried out with the aim of exploring the impact of financial inclusion on environmental degradation in the ASEAN region using balanced panel data for the period 2000–2019. First, panel unit root tests were employed to examine each data series for stationarity. Findings of the panel unit root tests depicted that all data series are stationary at the first difference. Second, Westerlund and Edgerton’s error correction panel cointegration test was employed to handle heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence. Third, the PMG-ARDL approach was used to explore the long- and short-term effects of financial inclusion on environmental degradation. Findings of the PMG-ARDL found that financial inclusion, energy use, economic growth and urbanization are causing environmental degradation in the ASEAN region. Furthermore, the financial inclusion coefficient is 0.15, which is statistically significant at 5%. In the short run, a 1% increase in financial inclusion results in a 0.15% increase in environmental degradation, ceteris paribus. In the long run, financial inclusion and CO2 have a positive association that is statistically significant at 5% and has a coefficient value of 0.42. This implies that a 1% increase in financial inclusion results in a 0.42% increase in environmental degradation in the long run. Finally, this study recommends that financial inclusion must be incorporated into climate change adaptation efforts at the local, national and regional levels to address the side effects of increased CO2 emissions.

Soil and Water Bioengineering (SWB) is and has always been a nature-based solution (NBS): a reasoned comparison of terms and definitions

Nature-based solutions (NBS) is a collective term for solutions that are based on natural processes, in healthy or restored ecosystems, and their services to address the three pillars of sustainability, including climate-related challenges. Soil and Water Bioengineering (SWB or SWBE) is a hazard mitigation and restoration discipline formally established and structured since the aftermath of World War II, but finding its roots in age old applications, which have many objectives in common with NBS. However, a structured comparison of SWB and NBS terminologies and objectives is lacking, and this is much needed to highlight that SWB are amenable to the concept of NBS in the context of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction (DRR). This work presents a comparison between the definition of SWB, NBS, and other terminologies that fall under the NBS concept. A matrix was created to compare NBS and NBS-related terminologies with the three main aspects of the SWB practice: “main aims”, “fields of application” and “other objectives”. Results from the comparison confirm that NBS is a unifying concept to prioritise nature to integrate climate change adaptation, mitigation, and disaster reduction efforts, embracing also many aspects of SWB criteria and applications. Thus, SWB can and should be recognized as having always been an NBS.

Projected changes in rainfall over Uganda based on CMIP6 models

Information about likely future patterns of climate variables is important in climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. This study investigates future (2021–2100) changes in rainfall based on CMIP6 datasets over Uganda. The projection period is divided into two sub-periods: 2021–2060 (near future) and 2061–2100 (far future), relative to the baseline period (1985–2014). Two emission scenarios: SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5, are considered. The results reveal a larger decrease (increase) in rainfall during March–April (November–December) under both SSPs. Moreover, an enhanced decline (increase) is projected under SSP2-4.5 (SSP5-8.5). The spatial distribution of future changes in seasonal rainfall reveals a decrease in MAM rainfall in the near future over most parts of the country under both emission scenarios. However, a recovery is exhibited towards the end of the century with more increase in the south-western parts of the country, and a higher magnitude under SSP5-8.5. In contrast, SON rainfall reveals wetter conditions during both timelines and emission scenarios. Maximum (minimum) wet conditions are expected in the north-western parts of the country (around the Lake Victoria basin). The linear trend analysis shows a non-significant (z = − 0.714) decreasing trend for MAM rainfall during the historical period. This pattern is reflected in the near future with z-scores of − 0.757 and − 1.281 under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5, respectively. However, a significant increase for MAM and annual rainfall (z-scores of 2.785 and 3.46, respectively) is projected towards the end of the century under SSP5-8.5. These findings provide guidance to policy makers in devising appropriate adaptation measures to cope with expected changes in the local climate. Given the increase in intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall over the study region, future work should focus on examining projected changes in rainfall extremes under different global warming scenarios with consideration of model performance and independence.

Increasing 2020‐Like Boreal Summer Rainfall Extremes Over Northeast Indian Subcontinent Under Greenhouse Warming

AbstractExtreme persistent rainfall poses serious impacts on human and natural systems, predominately through its related hydrogeological disasters. Due to sustained heavy downpours, the summer of 2020 was the second wettest on record over Northeast Indian subcontinent since 1901. Here, we find that this orographically anchored extreme rainfall event was largely associated with the anomalous anticyclone (AAC) over the Indo‐Northwest Pacific region and La Niña‐induced Walker circulation intensification. The overall effect of anthropogenic forcings contributed little to the occurrence probability of this event, because the warming and wetting effects of greenhouse gases were almost negated by anthropogenic aerosols. Climate models project a prominent increasing trend of such extreme event under future greenhouse‐induced warming due to increase in atmospheric water vapor and 2020‐like AAC frequency. Our findings thus call for scaling up climate change adaptation efforts for increasingly extreme persistent rainfall in highly populated but low‐resilience South Asian developing countries.

Decolonizing Digital Citizen Science: Applying the Bridge Framework for Climate Change Preparedness and Adaptation

Research has historically exploited Indigenous communities, particularly in the medical and health sciences, due to the dominance of discriminatory colonial systems. In many regions across Canada and worldwide, historical and continued injustices have worsened health among Indigenous Peoples. Global health crises such as climate change are most adversely impacting Indigenous communities, as their strong connection to the land means that even subtle changes in the environment can disproportionately affect local food and health systems. As we explore strategies for climate change preparedness and adaptation, Indigenous Peoples have a wealth of Traditional Knowledge to tackle specific climate and related health issues. If combined with digital citizen science, data collection by citizens within a community could provide relevant and timely information about specific jurisdictions. Digital devices such as smartphones, which have widespread ownership, can enable equitable participation in citizen science projects to obtain big data for mitigating and managing climate change impacts. Informed by a Two-Eyed Seeing approach, a decolonized lens to digital citizen science can advance climate change adaptation and preparedness efforts. This paper describes the ‘Bridge Framework’ for decolonizing digital citizen science using a case study with a subarctic Indigenous community in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Deploying artificial intelligence for climate change adaptation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is believed to have a significant potential use in tackling climate change. This paper explores the connections between AI and climate change research as a whole and its usefulness in climate change adaptation efforts in particular. Using a systematic review of the literature on applications of AI for climate change adaptation and a questionnaire survey of a multinational and interdisciplinary team of climate change researchers, this paper shows the various means via which AI can support research on climate change in diverse regions, and contribute to efforts towards climate change adaptation. The surveyed articles are classified under nine areas, e.g., Global/Earth Related; Water-related Issues and agriculture, 95% of which are related to adaptation. The areas that have attracted the most studies about AI applications are water-related management issues (38%). In terms of the survey results, the most robust agreements were noted concerning the capacity of digitisation and AI to strengthen governance practices and afford policy coherence in climate change. Evidence gathered in the study suggests that, provided that due care is taken, the use of AI can provide a welcome support to global efforts to better understand and handle the many challenges associated with a changing climate.