Climate-related Hazards Research Articles

Unveiling willingness to pay for green stadiums: Insights from a choice experiment

Sports stadiums have faced criticism due to their significant environmental footprint, contributing to the exacerbation of climate risks. In this context, green stadiums, developed to reduce resource consumption and promote sustainable practices, are gaining importance. Using a choice experiment with South Korean spectators attending professional sporting events, this study aims to better understand their preferences for diverse attributes comprising green stadiums and how personal and social norms regarding climate risks influence the formation of stadium preferences. Results reveal that respondents place great importance on the implementation of on-site renewable energy generation, showing their strong commitment to sustainability. Furthermore, spectators who support environmental norms are more willing to pay for green stadium features, indicating a growing recognition of climate-related hazards. Findings from the scenario analyses suggest that stadiums with sustainable technologies and practices have the potential to capture significant market share, even with higher ticket prices. These findings provide invaluable insights for stadium operators and policymakers in developing and promoting green stadiums and sustainability initiatives, addressing the urgent issues of climate change.

Climate change and adaptation strategies in rural Ghana: a study on smallholder farmers in the Mamprugu-Moaduri district

PurposeThis study aims to analyze the perceptions of smallholder farmers on climate change and events and further explores climate change adaptation strategies and associated challenges. The findings provide useful information for enhancing the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers to adjust to climate-related hazards and improve their resilience and disaster preparedness in northern Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a multistage sampling procedure and sample size of 150 farmers, the Binary Probit Model (BPM), to identify and examine the determinants of climate change adaptation strategies adopted by smallholder farmers. Also, the constraints of adaptation were analyzed using Kendall’s coefficient of concordance.FindingsThe results from the BPM and statistics of Kendall’s coefficient revealed that the farm risk level, ability to adapt, farmer’s income, age, farming experience, climate change awareness and extension visits were factors that significantly influenced the adaptation strategies of smallholder farmers (in order of importance). The majority (60%) of the farmers ranked farm risk level as the major constraint to adopting climate change strategies.Originality/valueThe findings of this study enhance understanding on access to relevant and timely climate change adaptation information such as an early warning to farmers during the start of the farming/rainy season to support their adaptive responses to climate change.

Legal Protection for Children Against Climate Change in the Southeast Asia Region Apropos of Target 13.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDG 2030)

Objective: This article seeks to elucidate children's rights to protection from climate-related hazards in the Southeast Asia region and to highlight the effects of climate change on children's development rights. Further reference is made to Target 13.3 of SDG 2030, which aims to improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning as methods to combat climate change and its impacts. Theoretical Reference: Paramount considerations in addressing the impacts of climate change on children revolve around two central principles: children's best interests and the intergenerational equity principle. These principles stress the importance of prioritizing children's well-being and rights in climate change policies. Furthermore, they underscore the significance of long-term thinking and decision-making to ensure a sustainable and habitable planet for future generations, in line with broader goals of sustainability and environmental responsibility. Method: The study is based on doctrinal legal research, using reasoning to assess statutory provisions and legal precedents. Data from library research were analyzed through content analysis, primarily focusing on legal concepts, principles, and selected statutes. Results and conclusion: The article reveals that climate change has the potential to negatively impact children's social status, safety, and health, resulting in stunted life potential and infringed development rights. In the Southeast Asia region, legal measures are in place to safeguard children's rights to a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, primarily through the promotion of climate change education. These legal protections are aligned with Target 13.3 of the SDG 2030 framework. However, for these protections to be effective, there is a need for international and national implementation. Therefore, it becomes crucial for the global community to prioritize the safeguarding and preparation of children for the climate change crisis. This involves increasing awareness, providing secure options, and encouraging active participation, particularly in the realm of children's education. Research Implications: This study emphasizes the vital link between climate change and the welfare of children in Southeast Asia, highlighting the necessity for comprehensive, international, and child-centric approaches to tackle the consequences of climate change on their rights and progress. It demands immediate action to safeguard the most susceptible individuals and guarantee every child's safe and sustainable future. Originality/Value: This study significantly increases comprehension of the complex correlation between climate change and child rights and provides a foundation for targeted actions and the development of policies.

Assessment of the Disaster Response of the Barangays (Villages) in the River Basin Communities in Southern Philippines

Threat to safety and security is the new norm faced by the Local Government Units. Climate-related hazards, especially in the barangays within the Tagoloan River Basin (TRB) area, are now part of the realities of the residents. The importance of governance as a catalyst of change in managing the community is to become responsive to the new order of the environment and the demands of public service. Results revealed that the tasks of the Barangay (Village) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committees (BDRRMCs) in the river basin communities on disaster response were partially accomplished. As a whole, the performance of the BDRRMCs is generally satisfactory (3.19). This is broken down into ‘upon alert’ (satisfactory = 3.36) and ‘during alert’ (satisfactory = 3.02). The findings further revealed that the performance of the BDRRMC in disaster response is significant when the Punong Barangay’s (Village’s Head) educational attainment, BDRRMC budget and community’s experience in flood are higher. The FGD responses indicated that the TRB barangays have issues and concerns considering the appropriate disaster response during imminent danger (upon alert) and disaster. There is a cogent need for all government offices handling the DRRM functions to provide appropriate attention at the Barangay level to properly implement the DRRM Plan.

Social vulnerability and climate risk assessment for agricultural communities in the United States

Floods and droughts significantly affect agricultural activities and pose a threat to food security by subsequently reducing agricultural production. The impact of flood events is distributed disproportionately among agricultural communities based on their socio-economic fabric. Understanding climate-related hazards is critical for planning mitigation measures to secure vulnerable communities. This study introduces a holistic approach for evaluating the combined risks associated with drought and flood hazards for agricultural communities in the United States. It accomplishes this by merging social vulnerability indicators with data on drought and flood exposure, enabling the identification of the most susceptible agricultural communities. The research seeks to offer valuable insights into the vulnerability of agricultural communities across the United States. It fills a vital research gap by conducting a comprehensive nationwide assessment of social vulnerability, considering expected annual losses related to both flood and drought hazards, and amalgamating social vulnerability with these expected annual losses. The analyses were conducted by adapting datasets and methodologies that are developed by federal institutions such as FEMA, USACE, and USDA. The study identified the 30 most socially vulnerable counties and assessed their exposure to drought and flooding, finding that Mendocino, Sonoma, Humboldt, El Dorado, Fresno, and Kern counties in California had the highest drought exposure and expected annual losses, with Humboldt (CA) and Montgomery (TX) having the highest combined risk. The study estimated over $1 billion in crop damage, with California experiencing the greatest losses, primarily affecting a diverse range of crops, while the Midwest was primarily impacted in terms of major crop types. The findings of this study can serve as supportive information for policymakers to better understand climate risks in agricultural communities and identify where risk mitigation activities should be allocated.

Impacts of Climate Change on Work Health and Safety in Australia: A Scoping Literature Review.

This scoping review explores the extant literature on climate change impacts on Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) in Australia. It maps the coverage of climate hazards, occupations at risk, and health and socio-economic impacts with the aim of identifying climate change impacts on WHS in Australia and associated knowledge gaps. We used a scoping review approach to identify and investigate 41 scholarly works at the nexus between climate change and WHS in Australia. Thematic template analysis and the NVivo software helped us identify and structure the main themes and systematically document the analysis process. The review highlighted a research focus on the impacts on WHS of heat and extreme weather events resulting from climate change. Agriculture and construction emerged as the most examined occupations, emphasising climate-related diseases and productivity loss. Other climate-related hazards, occupations, and health and socio-economic impacts were largely overlooked in the included research literature. The analysis revealed there is scope for further research relating to climate change impacts on occupational hazards (e.g., air pollution), occupations (e.g., indoor settings at risk), worker health (e.g., injuries), and socio-economic impacts (e.g., change in social practice). Furthermore, the results highlight that the main themes (hazards, occupations, health, and productivity) are interconnected, and the impacts of climate change can be 'cascading', adding complexity and severity. Hence, it is important to look at WHS as a multifaceted phenomenon in a holistic way to understand the risks and support required.

An ASSESSMENT of the DISASTER PREPAREDNESS of the BARANGAY (VILLAGE) DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES of the TAGOLOAN RIVER BASIN COMMUNITIES in SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES

Climate-related hazards pose significant threats to communities worldwide, necessitating all governments to be at all times on high alert. Local governments, as required by law, should implement measures that would mitigate risk exposure to their constituents. This study utilized three research-made data gathering tools. Results revealed that the tasks of the Barangay (Village) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committees (BDRRMCs) in the river basin communities on disaster preparedness were at the low level. As a whole, the performance of the BDRRMCs is poor (2.45). This is broken down into building of competencies (poor = 2.72) and acquisition of hardware and supply (poor = 2.18). The results indicate that the BDRRMC leadership of the Tagoloan River Basin (TRB) communities has very limited capability with respect to its level of BDRRM Committee performance in the context of Building of Competencies as a component of disaster preparedness. The data also imply that the tools/facilities/materials, as sub-indicators of BDRRMC according to disaster preparedness, are not fully in existence and not available to many of the TRB barangays. There is a cogent need for all government offices handling the DRRM functions to provide appropriate attention at the community level for the proper implementation of the DRRM Plan.

Setting Research Priorities for Effective Climate Change Management and Policymaking: A Delphi Study in Bolivia and Paraguay

Over the last few years, increased research has been carried out on climate change. Part of this research has been based on foresight methodologies to gain time in the fight against climate change and identify planning and development policies that may be effective in the future. However, more research is needed, and it is essential to continue working to determine the appropriate strategies to chart the right path in the fight against climate change. Particularly scarce attention has been given to Latin American countries and, more specifically, to collaboration between countries in identifying priority research lines in this area. In this context, this study is innovative in presenting an articulated and cooperative work between Bolivia and Paraguay in identifying strategic lines of investigation linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that might have a more significant impact on climate change management. The application of the Delphi technique within a group of experts allowed the consolidation of different perspectives and knowledge on climate change and allowed us to identify, within the SDGs, the priority lines that should be addressed to manage climate change impacts. The results identify specific priority research lines for Bolivia and Paraguay related to the genetic diversity of food crops (SDG 2), new or reemerging human viruses (SDG 3), sustainable freshwater extraction and supply (SDG 6), cleaner fossil fuel technology (SDG 7), sustainable transport (SDG 9), local impact of climate-related hazards and disasters (SDG 13), and terrestrial biodiversity (SDG 15). These research lines should not be seen as exclusive but as the priority research lines that might have the most significant impact and should be addressed in the short term.

Climate change hazards, physical infrastructure systems, and public health pathways

Climate-related hazards such as heatwaves, flooding, wildfires, and storms will increase morbidity and mortality unless infrastructure decision-makers—including urban planners, infrastructure asset managers, and utility providers—implement preventive measures to protect public health from these hazards. Existing research and policies have not systematically identified the key risk factors that these decision-makers need to manage to protect public health in a changing climate. This gap leads to unclarity regarding what infrastructure interventions are required to prevent climate-related health risks and what actors have a responsibility to manage these risks. The Climate-Health-Infrastructure-Pathways Model is introduced in this paper to address this gap and provide a conceptual map that captures the role of physical infrastructure systems in the pathways between climate-related hazards and health risks. The model surpasses what can be found in existing climate change research and policy, including the latest IPCC reporting, and is a conceptual qualitative tool that offers a typology of climate and health risks for infrastructure management. Decision-makers can use the model as a starting point to review the coverage of their current climate risk management plans and identify further opportunities to develop preventive infrastructure responses to protect public health in a changing climate.

An Index-Based Approach to Assess Social Vulnerability for Hamburg, Germany

AbstractIn this study, we set out to develop a new social vulnerability index (SVI). In doing so, we suggest some conceptual improvements that can be made to existing methodical approaches to assessing social vulnerability. To make the entanglement of socio-spatial inequalities visible, we are conducting a small-scale study on heterogeneous urban development in the city of Hamburg, Germany. This kind of high-resolution analysis was not previously available, but is increasingly requested by political decision makers. We can thus show hot spots of social vulnerability (SV) in Hamburg, considering the effects of social welfare, education, and age. In doing so, we defined SV as a contextual concept that follows the recent shift in discourse in line with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) concepts of risk and vulnerability. Our SVI consists of two subcomponents: sensitivity and coping capacity. Populated areas of Hamburg were identified using satellite information and merged with the social data units of the city. Areas with high SVI are distributed over the entire city, notably in the district of Harburg and the Reiherstieg quarter in Wilhelmsburg near the Elbe, as well as in the densely populated inner city areas of Eimsbüttel and St. Pauli. As a map at a detailed scale, our SVI can be a useful tool to identify areas where the population is most vulnerable to climate-related hazards. We conclude that an enhanced understanding of urban social vulnerability is a prerequisite for urban risk management and urban resilience planning.

Influence of exposure to climate-related hazards in the phenotypic expression of primary Sjögren's syndrome.

To analyse how the key components at the time of diagnosis of the Sjögren's phenotype (epidemiological profile, sicca symptoms, and systemic disease) can be influenced by the potential exposure to climate-related natural hazards. For the present study, the following variables were selected for harmonisation and refinement: age, sex, country, fulfilment of 2002/2016 criteria items, dry eyes, dry mouth, and overall ESSDAI score. Climate-related hazards per country were defined according to the OECD and included seven climate-related hazard types: extreme temperature, extreme precipitation, drought, wildfire, wind threats, river flooding, and coastal flooding. Climatic variables were defined as dichotomous variables according to whether each country is ranked among the ten countries with the most significant exposure. After applying data-cleaning techniques and excluding people from countries not included in the OECD climate rankings, the database study analysed 16,042 patients from 23 countries. The disease was diagnosed between 1 and 3 years earlier in people living in countries included among the top 10 worst exposed to extreme precipitation, wildfire, wind threats, river flooding, and coastal flooding. A lower frequency of dry eyes was observed in people living in countries exposed to wind threats, river flooding, and coastal flooding, with a level of statistical association being classified as strong (p<0.0001 for the three variables). The frequency of dry mouth was significantly lower in people living in countries exposed to river flooding (p<0.0001) and coastal flooding (p<0.0001). People living in countries included in the worse climate scenarios for extreme temperature (p<0.0001) and river flooding (p<0.0001) showed a higher mean ESSDAI score in comparison with people living in no-risk countries. In contrast, those living in countries exposed to worse climate scenarios for wind threats (p<0.0001) and coastal flooding (p<0.0001) showed a lower mean ESSDAI score in comparison with people living in no-risk countries. Local exposure to extreme climate-related hazards plays a role in modulating the presentation of Sjögren across countries concerning the age at which the disease is diagnosed, the frequency of dryness, and the degree of systemic activity.

Understanding vulnerability and building resilience in small-scale fisheries: the case of Davao Gulf, Philippines

ABSTRACT Global fisheries face a significant crisis, including overexploitation of fishing grounds, marine pollution, and climate change impacts. This paper aims to assess the effects of climate change impacts and the resilience of small-scale fishers (SSF) in Davao Gulf. It investigates the effects of climate change impacts, vulnerabilities, and resilience of small-scale fishers in Governor Generoso, Lupon, Malita, Sta Maria, Don Marcelino, and Davao City using focus group discussion (FGDs) (N = 9) to identify and understand climate change resilience among participants (N = 135). The results showed that all small-scale fishing communities experienced at least two to three climate hazards i.e. northeast monsoon (Amihan), southwest monsoon (Habagat), and typhoons, which bring fierce winds and heavy rains that cause flooding. Moreover, due to the availability of an alternative non-fishing income such as driving and construction work, carpentry, or other manual labour opportunities, fishers are able to recover and recoup the days lost fishing due to climate-related hazards. The policy analysis suggests that the government should provide social benefits, such as free medical check-ups, medicines, decent housing, and water, to keep fishers and fishing communities productive and healthy. In addition, local government should create seasonal jobs and replacement of fishing gear should be given to fishers to increase their resilience. Highlights Small-scale fishing communities experienced two to three climate-related hazards annually e.g. northeast monsoon (Amihan), southwest monsoon (Habagat), and typhoons; these hazards bring flooding which can result in illness e.g. dysentery, leptospirosis; Fishing communities are disrupted by these hazards and clamour for alternative jobs to ensure their livelihoods, and more inclusive social benefits from the government could deliver large benefits; Community resiliency can be enhanced as a solution to cope with climate change impacts by raising awareness, training and disaster preparedness; stronger local policies can empower affected people and communities to act in a timely way.

Evaluation of the Performance of CMIP6 Climate Models in Simulating Rainfall over the Philippines

The Philippines is highly vulnerable to multiple climate-related hazards due to its geographical location and weak adaptation measures. Floods are the most catastrophic hazards that impact lives, livelihoods, and, consequently, the economy at large. Understanding the ability of the general circulation models to simulate the observed rainfall using the latest state-of-the-art model is essential for reliable forecasting. Based on this background, this paper objectively aims at assessing and ranking the capabilities of the recent Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) models in simulating the observed rainfall over the Philippines. The Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) v2.3 was used as a proxy to gauge the performance of 11 CMIP6 models in simulating the annual and rainy-season rainfall during 1980–2014. Several statistical metrics (mean, standard deviation, normalized root means square error, percentage bias, Pearson correlation coefficient, Mann–Kendall test, Theil–Sen slope estimator, and skill score) and geospatial measures were assessed. The results show that that CMIP6 historical simulations exhibit satisfactory effectiveness in simulating the annual cycle, though some models display wet/dry biases. The CMIP6 models generally underestimate rainfall on the land but overestimate it over the ocean. The trend analysis shows that rainfall over the country is insignificantly increasing both annually and during the rainy seasons. Notably, most of the models could correctly simulate the trend sign but over/underestimate the magnitude. The CMIP6 historical rainfall simulating models significantly agree on simulating the mean annual cycle but diverge in temporal ability simulation. The performance of the models remarkably differs from one metric to another and among different time scales. Nevertheless, the models may be ranked from the best to the least best at simulating the Philippines’ rainfall in the order GFDL, NOR, ACCESS, ENS, MRI, CMCC, NESM, FIO, MIROC, CESM, TAI, and CAN. The findings of this study form a good basis for the selection of models to be used in robust future climate projection and impact studies regarding the Philippines. The climate model developers may use the documented shortcoming of these models and improve their physical parametrization for better performance in the future.

Expected Changes in Rainfall-Induced Landslide Activity in an Italian Archaeological Area

Cultural heritage is one of the most exceptional resources characterizing the Italian territory. Archaeological heritage, i.e., the archaeological sites with different types of archaeological artifacts, strongly contributes to enriching the national and international cultural heritage. Nevertheless, it is constantly exposed to external factors, such as natural deterioration, anthropic impact, and climate-related hazards, which may compromise its conservation. In Italy, many archaeological areas are affected by significant soil settlements that involve a large part of monuments. This paper focuses on the landslide hazard assessment of the archaeological site of Pietrabbondante (Molise region, Italy). The impact of the expected rainfall regimes, according to the EURO-CORDEX projections, on slope stability conditions were evaluated through the application of a physically based model that couples a hydraulic and a mechanical model to evaluate slope stability evolution due to pore pressure changes. Given the unavoidable lack of knowledge of the geotechnical soil properties in an archaeological heritage area, the proposed method considered the random uncertainty of soil parameters by means of a probabilistic approach in order to assess the stability conditions in terms of probability of occurrence of a landslide. The results of this study provide a reference for the safety assessment and preventive conservation of archaeological areas characterized by high cultural value.

Climate Change and Urban Migration in Sub-Saharan African Cities: Impacts and Governance Challenges

Abstract Urban informal settlements are rapidly expanding in countries around the world. This is due partly to high birth rates, but also because of growing in-migration driven by climate change impacts affecting rural populations. Urban informal settlements struggle with degraded and sometimes nonexistent infrastructure (such as water, sewage, and drainage systems) and service provision (health, education), and these shortcomings are aggravated by urban climate-related hazards like flooding and heat spikes. As informal settlements expand, their already overburdened infrastructure can lead to urban disasters such as flooding and landfill collapse. These challenges increase the governance and financial problems already faced by cities and create significant problems for climate resilience planning processes. Policy responses at both the national and city levels promise much but deliver little. This article reviews what is known about the environmental problems of informal settlements, particularly those in African cities, and how city governments have responded to those problems. We focus on two inland cities: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Kampala, Uganda. We find that city climate adaptation plans do not incorporate the perspective of migrants, who are both particularly vulnerable to climate change and play a role in exacerbating environmental challenges in cities.

Assessment of the Vulnerability of Riverine Cities and Their Coping Capacity against Floods (Case Study: Ahvaz Metropolis)

Based on global statistics, floods rank the first among natural disasters that severely disrupt human life, property, and the environment. Iran, as one of the flood-prone countries, is located in southwestern Asia. The geographical elevation, maritime influences, seasonal winds, and proximity to mountain ranges or deserts play a significant role in its daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations, as well as its precipitation patterns and types. According to official statistics in Iran, among climate-related hazards, some 70% of the annual funds of the Plan for Reducing the Effects of Natural Disasters have been spent on compensation for damages from floods. Yet, what augments the importance of floods and their damages is the fact that human and urban centers have been located in flood-prone areas. Therefore, considering the dense populations and financial capitals in such areas, it is necessary to assess the vulnerability of urban floods, especially in big cities like Ahvaz. This metropolis, as the capital of Khuzestan province, is located in the marshy plains with a population of over one million people. It is traversed by the country’s most water-rich river, the Karun. The aim of this study is to assess the vulnerability of Ahvaz from flood as a natural hazard and its coping capacity. The methodology of the study is descriptive-analytical and is based on its practical purpose. Fuzzy Hierarchy Model (Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process) has been used for the spatial analysis of vulnerability and the capacity to deal with floods. In summary, the findings are as follows: (a) Considering the floods that have occurred in the past six decades and comparing the affected areas with the results of this research in terms of highly vulnerable areas in the central part of the city, the model used has shown high efficiency in determining the vulnerability caused by urban flooding. (b) As far as vulnerability is concerned, location and physical–environmental conditions stimulate and reinforce other factors which are influential in determining the level of vulnerability. (c) Encroachment on river boundaries, especially limiting the river width, leads to a reduction in flood capacity and an increase in vulnerability in those areas. (d) The vulnerability level of Ahvaz to flooding, based on area, falls within five categories of vulnerability spectrum as follows: Very High 4.6%, High 8.7%, Moderate 13.4%, Low 15.2%, and Very Low 58%.

Nature-based Solutions for climate-resilient cities: A proposal of a model for successful implementation

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) were introduced by the IUCN for the first time, but today have different definitions in the literature. NbS are deemed the key to urban sustainability and aim to enhance the built environment through ecological and environmental interventions to support the built environment for future extremes of climate change and related hazards. NbS include blue and green infrastructures, ecological engineering, ecosystem services and ecosystem-based adaptation. Various frameworks defined different key considerations and the literature suggests plenty of frameworks towards successful NbS applications. Current debates critique the extent to which innovative and adaptive the solutions are, whether they are implemented by considering social values and social equity, and the financial burden they often bring which strengthens the disparities between the world cities. Uncontrolled urbanization often causes cities to become an environmental problem. This paper conducts a literature review to lay out the current debates and to highlight the multidimensionality of NbS. It focuses on the potential of NbS in disaster risk reduction and so the paper draws a framework to successfully implement and provide improvements for NbS based on the theoretical ground. NbS are investments in the life quality of the residents and preventive tools in the risk management of cities. The paper attempted to frame the NbS clearer for scholars interested in the subject.

Capacitating Strategies to Promote Climate Resilient Coconut-based Farming Systems (CR-CBFS) in Vulnerable Coconut Communities of the Philippines

Climate extremes that continuously bring unpredictable weather patterns particularly strong typhoons and rainfall events devastated many coconut-producing areas in the Philippines. These weather patterns affected the livelihood of farmers and the whole supply chain of the coconut industry. Adoption of a clustering system of farmers is a key approach to sustaining the growing needs of the coconut industry. This will ensure the continuous engagement of farmers in coconut farming where good agricultural practices are performed in developing products that meet the domestic and international market standards. However, clustering of climate-resilient integrated farming systems through participation in multi-purpose cooperatives requires scientific guidance, market-driven production and market linkages.This paper integrates learnings from past coconut and coconut-based farming system (CBFS) projects. Further, it highlights the learning-by-doing approach where core trainers are developed to train farmer groups in designing location-specific climate-resilient CBFS using a hybrid curriculum of CR – Farmers Field School (CR – FFS) and Farmer Business School. This improvement in the integrated curriculum can change individual and community perspectives, improve farm practices, reduce the impacts of climate-related hazards and risks, provide sustainable livelihoods and enhance farmers’ participation in agri-enterprises. The CR-CBFS season-long training exercises will integrate climate risks and forecasts in farmers’ decision-making, provide technical and business lenses for improved farm productivity and profitability through the integration of complementary enterprises such as intercropping, livestock, value-adding and processing that consider environmental, socio-cultural and economic factors.

Climate change and anthropogenic pressure on Bintan Islands, Indonesia: An assessment of the policies proposed by local authorities

Bintan island is one of Indonesia’s national priority regencies of climate resilience for the marine and coastal sectors. This area also has had the highest frequency of disaster events within the province over the past ten years, where climate-related hazard was dominant. Therefore, it is necessary to receive public support for climate policies within the region. From this point of view, this paper aims to explore the local evidence of climate change, anthropogenic pressure which worsens climate hazards, and the linkage with local policies. The primary data source was a climate data set of observations from 1976–2021, land use change information from 1990–2020, historical climate-related hazards, and related current policy documents. We found that the region’s air temperature has continuously increased over 45 years with the positive standardized precipitation index (SPI) being dominant. Meanwhile the wind speed was tended to decrease since 2015 with the highest extreme record occurred in February 2021. Moreover, climate-related threats occurred more than 70 times in Bintan from 2011 to 2021 where forest fire and flood were tended to worsen. Another anthropogenic source, such as land use change, also puts significant pressure on the part where the open land has increased by 187%, and vegetation area has decreased by 51.1%. This condition creates these small islands vulnerable to climate change, especially climate-related hazards. However, in the regional development plan document 2021–2026, climate change adaptation is not one of the local priority issues, but their concern about disaster mitigation is quite severe. The local authorities work on hard and soft infrastructure to implement disaster risk reduction but less for ecosystem-based solution. However, promoting adaptation efforts in the local policy document is still necessary for sustainable development at the local level.

Drought Characterization and Potential of Nature-Based Solutions for Drought Risk Mitigation in Eastern Ethiopia

Drought is one of the challenges in Ethiopia that affects the agricultural production. Ecosystems can mitigate the effects of climate-related hazards including drought. For this reason, nature-based solutions (NbS) are becoming more prominent to manage climate-related impacts in developing countries; however, there is still limited empirical evidence, which would inform NbS policy and practices. Thus, the aim of this study was to characterize droughts in Eastern Ethiopia (the case of Erer Sub-basin) and assess the effectiveness of various NbS for drought. The temporal changes in soil moisture deficit index (SMDI) (agricultural drought) and standard precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) (meteorological drought) at various timescales (1, 3, and 6 months) between 1981 and 2020 were analyzed. Qualitative analysis was used to categorize and evaluate the effectiveness of NbS to mitigate drought risk by adopting a Living Labs approach. Overall, the study revealed that droughts showed an increasing trend with more frequency, longevity, and severity. The drought analysis results showed that SPEI’s variants were less reliable than SMDI0–5 and SMDI5–100. With an increase in rainfall, SPEI showed stronger relationships with SMDI0–5 at one and two-month delays between May and July. SPEI and SMDI5–100 performed better in terms of capturing actual drought occurrences than SMDI0–5. The results of focus group discussions (FGD) suggested NbS such as habitat restoration, structural restoration, reforestation, rehabilitation, revegetation, land enclosures, conservancies, and locally managed areas have been practiced as a strategy to manage drought risks. Overall, the study indicated that a new, comprehensive approach through nature-based solutions to reduce the risk of drought is urgently needed.