Adaptation Efforts Research Articles

Assessing spatial thermal comfort and adaptation measures for the Antalya basin under climate change scenarios

The concrete damages of climate change are intensifying, and adaptation efforts of actors around the world are increasing, especially in coastal regions. Recommending adaptation measures for specific regions and sectors and determining long-term strategies for mitigating global climate change is essential for reducing vulnerability to climate change. This research aims to estimate the changes in climatic parameters and thermal comfort zones to determine concrete targets and offer suggestions for sectors affected by possible changes. The changes that will occur until 2100 in the Antalya basin, which is located in the southernmost part of Türkiye and is a significant hub for agricultural production and tourism, were monitored spatially using Discomfort Index (DI) and Effective Temperature taking wind velocity (ETv). The Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP): SSP 245 and SSP 585 predict that the quite cool areas prevailing in the area, according to ETv, will shrink by 24% and 46%, respectively, and the prevailing cold areas, according to DI, will shrink by 45% and 56%, respectively. By 2100, 5% of the area, according to SSP 245, and 25%, according to SSP 585, will turn into hot areas and move away from the comfort level. The fact that critical regions are areas with high vitality in terms of coastal tourism shows the need to prioritize adaptation policies. These discoveries are discussed in the context of critical issues such as water scarcity and food security, contributing to policy-making for effective management by suggesting specific adaptation measures.

Adaptation Strategies of Coastal Communities to Sea Level Rise Due to Climate Change

This study examines adaptation strategies employed by coastal communities in Indonesia to address sea level rise due to climate change. Utilizing a literature review method, the research identifies various adaptation strategies, their success factors, and the challenges faced by coastal communities. Findings reveal adaptation strategies including physical infrastructure development, mangrove rehabilitation, early warning systems, community education and awareness raising, livelihood diversification, resettlement, drainage infrastructure improvement, and sustainable coastal resource management. Each strategy presents its own strengths and challenges, necessitating a holistic and participatory approach for effective implementation. Recommendations include enhancing stakeholder collaboration, developing flexible policies responsive to local conditions, and increasing investments in education and infrastructure. Regular evaluation of adaptation strategy success is also advised to ensure sustainability of adaptation efforts in the future.

Indian Agriculture Under Climate Change: The Competing Effect of Temperature and Rainfall Anomalies

AbstractThe latest generation of global climate models robustly projects that monsoon rainfall anomalies in India will significantly increase in the 21st century due to global warming. This raises the question of the impact of these changes on the agricultural yield. Based on annual district data for the years 1966-2014, we estimate the relationship between weather indices (amount of seasonal rainfall, number of wet days, average temperature) and the most widely grown kharif crops, including rice, in a flexible non-parametric way. We use the empirical relationship in order to predict district-specific crop yield based on the climate projections of eight evaluated state-of-the-art climate models under two global warming scenarios for the years 2021-2100. We find that the loss in rice yield by the end of the 21st century lies on average between 3 - 22% depending on the underlying emission scenario. For the sustainable scenario impacts range from an increase of 3.2% to a decrease of 12.1% for individual districts. In the worst-case scenario, all districts are negatively affected, with a predicted decrease in rice yield ranging from 34% to a decrease of 11.5% in the long run. Potential gains due to increasing rainfall are more than offset by the negative impacts of increasing temperature. Adaptation efforts in the worst-case global warming scenario would need to cut the negative impacts of temperature by 50% in order to reach the outcome of the sustainable scenario.

A climate vulnerability assessment of the fish community in the Western Baltic Sea

Marine fisheries are increasingly impacted by climate change, affecting species distribution and productivity, and necessitating urgent adaptation efforts. Climate vulnerability assessments (CVA), integrating expert knowledge, are vital for identifying species that could thrive or suffer under changing environmental conditions. This study presents a first CVA for the Western Baltic Sea's fish community, a crucial fishing area for Denmark and Germany. Characterized by a unique mix of marine, brackish, and freshwater species, this coastal ecosystem faces significant changes due to the combined effects of overfishing, eutrophication and climate change. Our CVA involved a qualitative expert scoring of 22 fish species, assessing their sensitivity and exposure to climate change. Our study revealed a dichotomy in climate change vulnerability within the fish community of the Western Baltic Sea because traditional fishing targets cod and herring as well as other species with complex life histories are considered to face increased risks, whereas invasive or better adaptable species might thrive under changing conditions. Our findings hence demonstrate the complex interplay between life-history traits and climate change vulnerability in marine fish communities. Eventually, our study provides critical knowledge for the urgent development of tailored adaptation efforts addressing existing but especially future effects of climate change on fish and fisheries in the Western Baltic Sea, to navigate this endangered fisheries systems into a sustainable future.

Community-engaged flood mitigation and ecological restoration on a university campus

Abstract Urban flooding is a major climate change risk that can be mitigated with green infrastructure such as tree plantings and restored naturalised buffers along watercourses. The creation and maintenance of green infrastructure projects for climate change adaptation provides opportunities for community partnerships and programming with co-benefits for human well-being and biodiversity. Here we present findings of action research on a flooding adaptation and education that was implemented on an urban higher education institution’s campus in partnerships within the university and with local Indigenous peoples, the regional conservation authority, the municipal government, and the public library. Through participatory workshops, we applied bioengineering and mixed planting methods to restore a creek bank. Using a combination of oral storytelling, digital media, and visual art that integrated perspectives across disciplines and knowledge systems, we situated our creek restoration project within a framework of environmental justice, emphasising specific acts of stewardship to improve watershed health and advance reconciliation. We produced digital resources and outreach materials to disseminate lessons from the project into the community and to support similar flooding adaptation efforts at local and global scales. Our project demonstrates how incorporating partnerships into the design and implementation of nature-based solutions can build cross-cultural ecological knowledge, forge important on and off-campus relationships, and create place-based opportunities for students to take direct and measurable action on climate change.

Social disparities in flood exposure and associations with the urban environment in 44,698 neighborhoods in 276 cities in eight Latin American countries.

Climate change is expected to greatly increase exposure to flooding, particularly in urban populations in low- and middle-income countries. We examined within-city social disparities in exposure to flooding in 276 Latin American cities and associated features of the neighborhood urban environment. We used a spatially granular dataset of historical flood events from 2000 to 2018 to describe neighborhood flooding within cities across eight Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and Panama). We estimated the percentage of the population living in flooded neighborhoods, described social disparities in flooding based on neighborhood educational attainment, and compared the magnitude of disparities across and within cities. We used multilevel models to examine how city- and neighborhood-level factors are related to neighborhood flooding. We examined 44,698 neighborhoods in 276 cities from eight countries with a total of 223 million residents and 117 distinct flood events from 2000-2018. One in four residents in neighborhoods in the lowest education quintile lived in neighborhoods with flooding, compared to one in 20 residents of the highest neighborhood education quintile. Greater neighborhood flooding was associated with lower neighborhood-level educational attainment and with neighborhoods that were coastal, less dense (population or intersection), further from the city center, greener, and had steeper slopes. There was no association between city-level educational attainment and flooding. There are large social disparities in neighborhood flooding within Latin American cities. Residents of areas with lower education attainment face substantially higher risks of flooding. Policymakers must prioritize flood adaptation and recovery efforts in neighborhoods with lower socioeconomic position.

Loss & Damage Youth Grant-Making Council - a climate justice case study

ABSTRACT Climate justice has emerged as a key theme of the global climate crisis. It is widely agreed that significant funding is required to address climate challenges, but despite developed countries committing at the Paris COP meetings to providing US$100 billion annually, pledges and actual commitments have fallen well short of this goal. Moreover, the $100 billion annual commitment itself falls short of the US$6 trillion now estimated to be necessary for responding to the global climate challenge. Recently the discourse about climate justice has increasingly argued that this is a climate finance issue. This raises important questions about who will pay for mitigation and adaptation efforts undertaken by the countries that need it most – those at the forefront of the adverse impacts of climate change. Climate philanthropy offers an innovative way around this bottleneck, and is a promising vehicle of climate finance as it offers a range of financial and non-financial benefits. This article examines a case study of the Loss and Damage Youth Grant-making Council (LDYGC), a climate philanthropy initiative focused on engaging youth in responding to the climate crisis by providing grants through a competitive process.

Historical and future extreme climate events in highly vulnerable small Caribbean Islands

Small Caribbean islands are on the frontline of climate change because of sea level rise, extreme rainfall and temperature events, and heavy hurricanes. The Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina (SAI), are Caribbean islands belonging to Colombia and declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. SAI is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts but no hydroclimatological study quantified the extreme climatic changes yet. This study analyzes historical (1960s-2020, 7 stations) and future (2071–2100, CMIP6 multi-model ensemble, for four scenarios: SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5) trends in mean and extreme precipitation and temperature duration, frequency, and intensity. We find that heatwaves have more than tripled in frequency and doubled their maximum duration since the end of the ‘80 s. Precipitation is historically reduced by 5%, with a reduction recorded in 5 stations and an increase in 2, while extreme rainfall events significantly increased in frequency and intensity in most stations. The hotter-and-drier climate is amplified in the future for all scenarios, with much drier extremes (e.g., -0.5─-17% wet days, +8%─30% consecutive dry days, and +60%─89% in hot days). Although we show that hurricanes Categories IV and V near SAI (< 600 km) more than doubled since the’60 s, only a small fraction of extreme rainfall in the archipelago is associated with hurricanes or tropical storms. La Niña events also have no substantial influence on extreme precipitation. Interestingly, opposite and heterogeneous historical extreme rainfall trends are found across such small territory (< 30 km2). Thus, downscaled hydrometeorological data and model simulations are essential to investigate future extreme climatic events and strengthen small Caribbean islands' climate change adaptation efforts.

Another Gulf Is Possible

This interdisciplinary design studio engages the tensions between climate mitigation and climate adaptation efforts along the United States Gulf Coast, a region widely recognized as the domestic backbone of the oil and gas industry. Rooted in entangled narratives and tensions between economic prosperity, ecological stewardship, the systemic disenfranchisement of Indigenous and racialized communities, and industrial-scale energy production, this studio asked students to explore nuanced, nonconventional scenarios for adapting to ecosystem change, with projective considerations for new power relationships and collective ways of living on vanishing land. The pedagogical approach emphasized multiscalar systems analysis and collective world-building grounded in environmental justice organizing, to encourage students to think beyond technocratic design solutions for a changing climate.

Achieving fairness in the food system

AbstractThe challenge of feeding an additional 2 billion people by 2050 is one of the most pressing issues of our generation. The required changes in the current food system must be achieved while reducing the negative environmental impacts of current farming practices on our climate and biodiversity and avoiding deforestation. This formidable challenge must be overcome in a projected climate that is more variable and where extreme weather events are increasingly common. While the green revolution, agricultural land expansion and agrotechnological innovations have significantly increased crop productivity over the last 50 years, the gains in the yields of most major crops have reached a plateau. Moreover, global hunger remains at a record high. Climate change‐associated changes in weather patterns have decreased the yields of major crops. Further land expansion is impossible without severe trade‐offs with biodiversity and climate change mitigation. Wars and pandemics are currently severely disrupting the global agri‐food system, increasing prices and exacerbating food insecurity, with the world's poorest suffering the most. The climate change–social instability nexus will continue to cause additional stress to the agri‐food system. Here, we consider the inequities in the current food system, highlighting the weak interconnection among research, policy and societal action that is hindering mitigation and adaptation efforts. We argue that improved interconnections among research, policy, governance and societal action will unlock the potential to achieve food security while supporting climate change mitigation targets. Our analysis includes specific strategies such as strengthening small‐scale farmers, promoting fair trade practices and reducing food waste to achieve these goals.

Climate Justice and Climate Adaptation in California: Indigenous Community Climate Adaptation Leadership and Opportunities for Scientific Collaboration

Abstract Climate and weather-related disasters in California illustrate the need for immediate climate change action—both mitigation to reduce impacts and adaptation to protect our communities, relatives, and the ecosystems we depend upon. Indigenous frontline communities face even greater threats from climate impacts due to historical and political legacies of environmental injustice. Climate change adaptation actions have proven challenging to implement as communities struggle to access necessary climate data at appropriate scales, identify effective strategies that address community priorities, and obtain resources to act at a whole-community level. In this paper, we present three examples of Indigenous communities in California that have used a climate justice approach to climate change adaptation. These communities are drawing upon community knowledge and expertise to address the challenges of adaptation planning and taking actions that center community priorities. The three cases address emergency preparation and response, cultural burning and fire management, and community organizing and social cohesion. Across these spheres, they illustrate the ways in which a community-based and climate justice-focused approach to adaptation can be effective in addressing current threats while also addressing the legacy of imposed, socially constructed vulnerability and environmental injustices. Because we recognize the need for multiple knowledges and skills in adaptation actions, we include recommendations that have emerged based on what has been learned through these long-standing and engaged participatory research collaborations for climate scientists who wish to contribute to climate justice-focused adaptation efforts by using scientific data to support—not supplant—community efforts, target funding toward genuine community engagement and adaptation actions, and become aware of the historical and political legacies that created the climate vulnerabilities and injustices evident today.

Adaptation of Farmers in Bengawan Solo Watershed in Facing Climate Change

Currently, climate change poses a threat to agriculture, including in the Bengawan Solo watershed. This study aims to explore farmers' perceptions of climate change and understand the adaptations they undertake. The study was conducted in Mejuwet Village, Sumberrejo Subdistrict, Bojonegoro Regency, using qualitative. This study involved six informants, consisting of three farmers and three farm laborers. The selection of informants was based on the criterion of having more than ten years of experience in farming. Data was collected using in-depth interview and observation. Subsequently, the data were analyzed using an interactive model. The study indicates that farmers have knowledge of and can articulate the climate changes they have encountered, albeit with some limitations in understanding, and they actively participate in adaptation efforts. Farmer adaptation encompasses technical modifications like establishing planting schedules and methods, and choosing high-quality varieties. Cultural adaptation encompasses traditions like the wiwitan ceremony. Social adaptation involves using social connections and prioritizing investments in children's schooling. Lastly, economic adaptation involves broadening job opportunities and liquidating assets.

Climate Litigation

The last decade has seen an increase in the number, specificity and importance of laws codifying national and international responses to climate change. As these laws have recognised new rights and created new obligations, they have led to the initiation of lawsuits challenging either their effectiveness or their concrete application. The aim of these disputes is to force legislators and policy makers to take a more ambitious and thorough approach to climate change. In addition, litigation has continued to fill the gaps left by legislative and regulatory inaction. As a result, the courts are increasingly adjudicating disputes over actions – or inaction – in relation to climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Perception of Climate Change Vulnerability and its Impact on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Khutiya and Banganga River Basins.

Nepal is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. The drivers of climate risk include its topography, ecological diversity, climatic variability, natural resource dependency, under-development, and socioeconomic vulnerabilities. Climate change affects women and girls in unique ways. Research conducted in Asia Pacific region highlight negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes from climate change-related stressors such as droughts, floods, and air pollution, factors also linked to decreased SRH services utilization, increased maternal mortality rates, and repercussions on women's mental health. This is a mixed methods study conducted in two river basins including household surveys with 384 females ages 18-49, 12 focus group discussions, and 22 key informant interviews. We conducted descriptive and thematic analysis. More than half relied on agriculture for income (66%). Despite one-third being heads of households, land ownership was low (13%). Climate change perceptions included rising temperatures (88%), increased heat wave (70%), drying water source (99%), and delayed monsoons (83%), impacting agriculture and increasing women's workload (61%) due to displacement and male migration. 64% reported disturbances in antenatal and postnatal care visits . Inaccessible healthcare facilities during the rainy season increased maternal mortality risks. Heavy river flooding hindered female community health volunteers access leading to childbirth complications. 82% of women feared being unable to protect their children post-climate events. Moreover, 21% of women faced gender-based violence during or after climate disasters. Our findings suggest clear impacts of climate change on women and the communities. Thus, climate adaptation efforts must be designed to address the unique impacts of the crisis on women and girls, making space for their increased participation and leadership.

A Digital Preservation for the Indonesian First Terminus

Abstract The presence of modernization in Indonesia is supported by several factors, one of which is the railway network. Unfortunately, despite its importance in Indonesian history, the first terminus in Indonesia – namely, Semarang Station – has almost been forgotten. Conservation efforts are needed to describe the architectural evolution of Semarang Station, which can provide a lens to see the adaptation efforts in the development process and the global impact of the establishment of a railway network in the colony. Moreover, digital reconstruction as architectural preservation is necessary to convey the station’s historical value. Given the limited access and scarcity of architectural drawings for Semarang Station, textual sources were used to validate the information from the visual sources. The digitalization of visual data produced 2D objects that were used as the basis for making 3D models; these 2D objects were identified using textual data to see the relationship between their architectural transformation and the events related to the building. The findings of the architectural morphology analysis were then used as data to produce the 3D models, which were the main target of the digital reconstruction. The result of this process is a reconstruction of the morphology of the Semarang Station that demonstrates its historical value.

Effect of Climate Change on Crop Yield in Nigeria

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of climate change on crop yield in Nigeria. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Climate change in Nigeria has caused declining crop yields due to rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and increased frequency of extreme weather events like droughts and floods. This trend adversely affects staple crops like maize and rice, despite adaptation efforts through resilient crop varieties and better agricultural practices. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Environmental determinism, vulnerability theory &amp; resilience theory may be used to anchor future studies on effect of climate change on crop yield in Nigeria. Encourage the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices, such as conservation agriculture, agroforestry, and integrated crop-livestock systems, that enhance resilience to climate change while improving productivity and sustainability. Develop policies that support the adoption of climate-resilient agricultural practices, incentivize the use of climate-smart technologies, and facilitate access to climate information and advisory services for farmers.

A Collaborative Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Framework for the Adaptive Reuse Design of Disused Railways

With an increasing focus on sustainable development and the reuse of disused infrastructure, there is a pressing need for effective decision-making methods. This study explored the use of the PROMETHEE method within a collaborative decision-making framework to assess the adaptive reuse options for a disused railway in Sicily, Italy. Using a participatory paradigm, the research actively involves stakeholders in the assessment process. The collaborative PROMETHEE approach acts as a tool for multi-criteria decision analysis, facilitating the comparison and prioritization of different reuse alternatives based on predefined criteria. The research highlights the effectiveness of PROMETHEE in streamlining decision-making processes for adaptive reuse efforts, particularly in the context of integrated conversions of abandoned railways. By combining multi-criteria decision analysis with collaborative methods, the study contributed to the formulation of sustainable and socially responsible strategies for the valorization of disused railway infrastructure. The results underline the importance of collaborative decision-making processes and the instrumental role of PROMETHEE in assisting stakeholders in evaluating and selecting adaptive reuse options for disused railways, thereby, in turn, promoting the sustainable development of these sites.

Climate change adaptation and mitigation and historic centers preservation. Underway and repeatable technological design solutions

Since the Paris Agreement, European member countries have been committed to mitigating climate change and adapting to its effects. Climate action planning allows cities to organize their approach. It is critical to ensure that investments in infrastructure and services have a low-carbon impact and consider likely climate change perspectives. The output of this process is the climate action plan (CAP): one or more documents where a city sets out its roadmap to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen climate resilience throughout the community. Many cities have already developed and published a Paris Agreement-compatible CAP. The quality and compliance of these plans will also influence the achievement of the goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC, 2015). Thus, cities are crucial players in global climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, and how they engage in climate policy is currently under debate. The paper is intended to support technological design, selecting good practices from the latest and most complete ones for climate mitigation and adaptation in urban settings. In particular, the paper focuses on public space and built environment regeneration actions that can tangibly contribute to the global climate resilience movement. Considering the operational difficulty that could arise in planning climate adaptation measures in historical urban contexts, the study critically analyzes current strategies in sedimented landscape realities of high cultural-historical value. The goal is to draw from them a cognitive and expeditious method of intervention that can be reiterated for similar contexts and is compatible with the consistency and value of urban and built heritage. The theme is timely and falls into Sustainable Development Goals No. 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and No. 13 (climate action).

Managing Village Enterprises Effectively Boosts Community Welfare in Indonesia

This research investigates the effectiveness of managing Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) in improving community welfare in Kemiri Village, Sidoarjo. Using a qualitative method with a descriptive approach, data were collected through interviews and direct observations. The study evaluates BUMDes management using three indicators: goal achievement, integration, and adaptation. Results show that while income for food court stand owners has increased, it still depends on event frequency. Integration efforts are hampered by irregular socialization activities due to new management. However, communication is effective through accessible contacts and social media. Adaptation efforts are supported by the community, benefiting from affordable food and essential goods. The study highlights the need for structured socialization schedules and improved funding to optimize BUMDes' impact on community welfare. Highlight: Income rise tied to event frequency. Socialization lacks regular schedule. Easy communication via contacts, social media. Keyword: Village-Owned Enterprises, community welfare, qualitative research, BUMDes management, economic impact

Holistic evaluation of climate risk to prioritise adaptation measures for ecosystems

The holistic approach has been applied to disaster risk evaluation at various scales, ranging from the urban to the national level, utilising deterministic and probabilistic physical risk results that concentrate on structures, infrastructure, and population effects. This article proposes a methodology to holistically evaluate the climate risk for ecosystems. Furthermore, the article proposes a prioritisation of adaptation measures based on their results, taking into account the physical risk, the ecological fragility conditions, and the strategic relevance of ecosystems exposed to these conditions. The calculation includes three composite indicators. The ecological fragility factor (FEF) estimates the capacity (or lack of capacity) of the ecosystem to absorb and recover, revealing vulnerabilities that may not be immediately evident but that can profoundly affect the long-term health and stability of the ecosystem. The ecosystem strategic relevance factor (FSR) helps to understand its fundamental role in supporting biodiversity and ecosystem services. The physical risk assessment does not account for the environmental and ecological aspects quantified through indicators in the FEF and FSR. A total risk index, RT, is calculated based on a probabilistic climate risk evaluation and the previously mentioned factors. This methodology is applied to the climate risk evaluation of Colombian ecosystems. The authors conducted this evaluation in close collaboration with Colombia's Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank. Its application yields crucial insights for informed decision-making and strategic planning in climate adaptation efforts.