National Adaptation Strategies Research Articles

A story of (in)coherence: climate adaptation for health in South African policies.

Climate adaptation strengthens and builds the resilience of health systems to future climate-related shocks. Adaptation strategies and policies are necessary tools for governments to address the long-term impacts of climate change and enable the health system to respond to current impacts such as extreme weather events. Since 2011 South Africa has national climate change policies and adaptation strategies, yet there is uncertainty about: how these policies and plans are executed; the extent to which health policies include adaptation; and the extent of policy coherence across sectors and governance levels. A policy document analysis was conducted to examine how South African climate change, development and health policy documents reflect the health adaptation response across national and Western Cape levels and to assess the extent of coherence across key health and environment sector policy documents, including elements to respond to health-related climate risks, that can support implementation. Our findings show that overall there is incoherence in South African climate adaptation within health policy documents. Although health adaptation measures are somewhat coherent in national level policies, there is limited coherence within Western Cape provincial level documents and limited discussion on climate adaptation, especially for health. Policies reflect formal decisions and should guide decision-makers and resourcing, and sectoral policies should move beyond mere acknowledgement of adaptation responses to a tailored plan of actions that are institutionalized and location and sector specific. Activities beyond documents also impact the coherence and implementation of climate adaptation for health in South Africa. Clear climate risk-specific documents for the health sector would provide a stronger plan to support the implementation of health adaptation and contribute to building health system's resilience.

INSTITUTIONS AND MANDATES FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN BULGARIAN RURAL AREAS

Climate change is undeniably the leading challenge in the 21st century (IPCC 2022). Agriculture is simultaneously a major driver of climate change and is seriously affected by it (EEA, 2019). The adaptation efforts and the level of readiness to adapt to climate change vary between regions, countries and sectors (e.g. agriculture and environment). The overall goal of the research is to assess the level of readiness for climate change adaptation of the agricultural and environmental institutions in Bulgaria. The specific objective of the paper is to analyse their institutional setups and mandates for adapting to climate change in the Bulgarian rural areas. The research findings and results will support the identification of enabling conditions and key barriers to stronger institutional adaptation capacities of the main agricultural and environmental institutions in the country. The assessment is based on documentary analysis of the national climate adaptation strategy and the legal acts, regulating the institutions’ mandates and functions. The methodological approach is motivated by the conceptual model developed by Ford and King (2015) for assessing the climate adaptation readiness by governments at various scales. The focus is on three of their adaptation readiness factors – political leadership on adaptation, institutional organisation for adaptation and adaptation decision making. The results indicate a reactive rather than proactive political leadership on climate adaptation in Bulgaria. The institutional organisation for adaptation suffers serious understaffing in the Ministry of Environment and Water and in the relevance sectoral ministries. The Strategy on Climate Change and Adaptation stated the need for increased capacities and training in sectoral institutions and stakeholders in 2019. In 2023, there is only one environmental institution with an official mandate on climate change – the Climate Policy Department in the Ministry of Environment and Water. Its mandate is on policy development at the global, European and national level addressing both mitigation and adaptation needs; and it is the smallest unit in the ministry in terms of staff numbers. The other environmental institution with a mandate on climate change is the Executive Environmental Agency which monitors the greenhouse gas emissions and the related permits and registers, with no explicit mandate on climate adaptation. As regards the agriculture and rural development institutions, the Rural Development Directorate in the Ministry of Agriculture has a mandate to propose measures addressing climate change needs during the programming of the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan 2023-2027. The identified needs (i.e. introduce climate adapted breeds and plant species) relate to the farming sector and not to the rural areas. Overall, the key weakness of the Bulgarian climate adaptation approach in rural areas is its reactive and ad-hoc basis. It either is driven by EU regulations and requirements or is implemented when project opportunities arise, without systemic planning and ownership of responsibility in the agriculture or environmental institutions. Key words: climate change governance, adaptation readiness, agriculture JEL code: Q54, Q58, Q18

Implementation of climate adaptation in the public health sector in Europe: qualitative thematic analysis

Abstract Background Adaptation, to reduce the health impacts of climate change, is driven by political action, public support and events (extreme weather). National adaptation policies or strategies are limited in addressing human health risks and implementation of adaptation in the public health community is not well understood. Aim To identify key issues in climate change adaptation implementation for public health in Europe. Methods Key informant interviews with decision-makers in international, national and local city governments in 19 European countries. Participants were recruited if a senior decision-maker working in public health, environmental health or climate adaptation. Interviews addressed Barriers and levers for adaptation, policy alignment, networks and evidence needs. Results Thirty-two interviews were completed between June and October 2021 with 4 international, 5 national and 23 city/local government stakeholders. Respondents reported inadequate resources (funding, training and personnel) for health-adaptation implementation and the marginal role of health in adaptation policy. A clear mandate to act was key for implementation and resource allocation. Limited cross-departmental collaboration and poor understanding of the role of public health in climate policy were barriers to implementation. Conclusions Across Europe, progress is varied in implementation of climate adaptation in public health planning. Providing appropriate resources, training, knowledge mobilization and supporting cross-departmental collaboration and multi-level governance will facilitate adaptation to protect human health.

Stakeholder mapping: regional comparisons in adaptation implementation

Abstract Background Health adaptation planning is rapidly progressing but implementing actions on key health and climate change priorities is slow. We summarise and compare findings on progress in health adaptation in Europe and East and Southern African regions. Methods A desk-review of national health adaptation plans and strategies (NAPs) was conducted in 20 European countries and 14 East and Southern African countries to identify adaptation priorities. Key informant interviews were conducted with government representatives, non-governmental organizations, development partners, and civil society organisations. Participants were identified through partner networks and snowballing. The WHO framework was followed in mapping stakeholders’ interests, knowledge, and influence on health adaptation. Interview responses were transcribed and analysed in Nvivo to identify key themes. Results 34 NAPs were reviewed (20 in Europe, 14 in Africa). Interviews were conducted with 48 stakeholders (32 in Europe, 16 in Africa). Across Europe, more than half of the countries have policies addressing infectious diseases (12) and heat-related risks (14). In Africa, infectious diseases were a national priority for all countries, but heat management plans were largely absent (only one nation had a heat management plan). In both regions, adaptation action was driven by national policies, high stakeholder interest and knowledge, and the presence of focal points or joint working groups. Key barriers included: limited interagency or institutional collaborations, a need for evidence-based practice-oriented research, and funding for health adaptation activities. Conclusions There are similarities in drivers and barriers to health adaptation in Europe and Africa. Progress on implementation is uneven, with heat-health planning largely lacking in East and Southern Africa.

6.E. Workshop: Evaluating progress in adaptation in the European public health sector

Abstract Most national climate adaptation plans and strategies mention risks to human health. However, this is not often translated to specific policies, measures or targets to reduce these risks. The ENBEL project, funded by the European Commission under the H2020 program LC-CLA-22-2020, aims to support European policy making on climate change and health. In this workshop we present the results of recent research on the implementation of adaptation measures in Europe and review the evidence needs of EU, national and international decision makers. The workshop aims to support evidence translation for adaptation that prioritises health protection and equity. The workshop will include presentations on stakeholder mapping and interviews with key decion makers, as well as a comparison of current policies in health adaptation. We review the recent European policies on COIVID recovery and evaluate whether these will benefit adaptatoin. Economic evaluations are important for decision making and we review economic assessments for local climate action and for climate services for health. Key messages • Public health professionals can support adaptation actions through intersectoral working. • Post-COVID recovery is missed opportunity to improve adaptation in Europe.

Diffusion of climate policy integration in adaptation strategies: translating the EU mandate into UK and Danish national contexts

In this paper, we examine how the EU Climate Adaptation Strategy and especially its pivotal principle of policy integration of climate adaptation has diffused into the climate adaptation strategies of Member States. We explore how this quest for climate adaptation policy integration (CPI) was pushed by vertical diffusion of the framing and policy mixes launched at the EU level. To do so, we analyse and compare national climate adaptation strategies in two EU Member States—the UK and Denmark—during 2013–2021, which witnessed Brexit and increased attention to climate impacts. Conceptually and analytically, we draw on the policy diffusion literature centring on four potential drivers of vertical policy diffusion: interests, rights, ideology and recognition. Furthermore, to scrutinize what is diffused, we conceptualize climate policy integration including the rationale and policy instruments for climate policy integration. We find that both countries’ approaches to climate change adaptation have been shaped by rights-based diffusion in a mixture of shadow hierarchy, soft power and activation of other policy areas with binding directives and observe how what appears to be asymmetrical diffusion has strong elements of symmetrical diffusion. We further identify divergence between the cases before and after Brexit and in mandating local level actions.

PyClim-SDM: Service for generation of statistically downscaled climate change projections supporting national adaptation strategies

The climate change impact and adaptation communities need future scenarios with sufficient high resolution, which are frequently achieved by applying Statistical Downscaling Models (SDMs) over global climate models. A large variety of SDMs exists, and some can be more suitable than others for each specific purpose. For this reason, it is important to develop tools to facilitate the evaluation and generation of downscaled scenarios following different approaches. In this paper we present a service, ‘pyClim-SDM’, which allows users to generate and evaluate their own downscaled scenarios with a very simple and user-friendly graphical interface. This tool includes a large collection of state-of-the-art methods belonging to different families to downscale daily data of the following surface variables: temperature, precipitation, wind, relative humidity and cloud coverage. Additionally, the software is prepared to be applied over any other user-defined target variable. Thus, multivariable indexes can be tackled as target variables themselves, instead of being calculated from the downscaled primary variables. With this possibility, potential intervariableinconsistencies are avoided. An application example for a Fire Weather Index, dependent on temperature, wind, humidity and precipitation, is shown. The service here presented -mainly based on a new downscaling software and a user-friendly graphical interface- is an essential piece for evaluating and generating high-resolution projection data within the Spanish national climate change adaptation strategy which includes, among other elements, a common database for all sectors, viewer and data distribution portal, etc.

Strategies for public health adaptation to climate change in practice: social learning in the processionary Moth Knowledge Platform.

Social learning theory can support understanding of how a group of diverse actors addresses complex challenges related to public health adaptation. This study focuses on one specific issue of public health adaptation: oak processionary moth (OPM) adaptation. With a social learning framework, we examined how public health adaption strategies gradually develop and are adjusted on the basis of new knowledge and experiences. For this qualitative case study, data were collected through 27 meetings of the Processionary Moth Knowledge Platform in the Netherlands and six additional interviews. Results indicate that relations between stakeholders, including experts played a major role in the learning process, facilitating the development and implementation of OPM adaptation and connecting local challenges to national adaptation strategies. Uncertainties regarding knowledge and organization were recurrent topics of discussion, highlighting the iterative and adaptive nature of public health adaptation. The study emphasizes the importance of building relationships among stakeholders and small steps in the learning process that can lead to the creation of new strategies and, if successful, the prevention of negative health impacts.

Canada and ocean climate adaptation: tracking law and policy responses, charting future directions

This research article provides a law and policy summary of climate change adaptation initiatives in Canada at the ocean-climate nexus. Three levels of governance are examined (national, provincial, and Indigenous) with a focus on the Atlantic region. The research method was the review of relevant and newly amended laws, regulations and policy statements, and related commentaries. The roles of the federal government are first described with key developments including the launch of a Climate Adaptation Platform in 2012 to share adaptation experiences and information and release of a National Adaptation Strategy and accompanying Adaptation Action Plan in November 2022. Federal adaptation efforts in the areas of fisheries, aquaculture and shipping are also reviewed along with progress in establishing marine protected areas (MPAs) and other effective area-based conservation measures. Provincial adaptation initiatives are next summarized with a focus on the four Atlantic provinces. Those provinces have established a regional hub, CLIMAtlantic, to provide climate information and advance climate-related research and training. Each province has developed a climate action plan which includes climate adaptation priorities. Indigenous-led climate engagement and adaptation initiatives are finally described including the publication in 2019 of a National Inuit Climate Change Strategy, regional initiatives of the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat, and the development of climate adaptation plans by select First Nation communities in the Atlantic region. The paper concludes by discussing future law and policy directions to make Canada more “climate ready.” Adoption of climate adaptation strategies for governmental departments and agencies with ocean and coastal responsibilities should be a priority. Incorporating climate change adaptation responsibilities through legislative and regulatory changes also needs to be considered, for example, by amending Canada’s Oceans Act to recognize the role of oceans in climate adaptations and mitigation, to authorize the designation of MPAs as climate refuges and to require adaptive and dynamic MPA management plans through strict monitoring and timely review provisions. Indigenous peoples must be effectively included in all climate adaptation discussions and planning.

Climate change and the livelihoods of food crop farmers in Lesotho: Lessons for the implementation of the national climate change adaptation strategy.

The vast majority of Lesotho's rural population is reliant on agriculture for survival. However, Lesotho, Southern Africa is extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which has a negative impact on rural livelihoods. Furthermore, despite the fiscal challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Lesotho's National Climate Change Policy Implementation Strategy has been hampered by implementation issues and has yet to be implemented. This sparked the necessity for this research, which aims to inform the government of Lesotho on how farmers are combating climate change in their own tiny way. This study employs a survey to gather data from 200 farmers from farming villages across the country's 10 regions. According to the findings of this study, farmers have experienced climate change in the areas of drying rivers, delayed on-set of rainfall, and excessive frost or cold. As a result of these events, farmers have experienced poorer agricultural yields, increased insect and disease attacks, and lower-than-normal harvests. The adaptation methods the farmers are using include the employment of indigenous technology for pest and disease control, fruit tree planting, conservation agriculture (water and soil conservation), and rainwater harvest storage for use during dry seasons. Some of these adaptation strategies are feared to cause further environmental challenges for Lesotho. Therefore, in order to enhance the lives of Lesotho's farmers, the government of Lesotho should consider implementing the National Climate Change Policy Implementation Strategy.

Temperature characteristics over the Carpathian Basin‐projected changes of climate indices at regional and local scale based on bias‐adjusted CORDEX simulations

AbstractThe present research focuses on temperature change signals over the Carpathian Basin with a special focus on selected lowland and mountainous subregions. High‐resolution (0.11°) EURO‐ and Med‐CORDEX regional climate model (RCM) simulations of near‐surface air temperature are analysed based on raw and bias‐adjusted data. The mini‐ensemble consists of eight RCM simulations driven by five different general circulation models for the period 1976–2099 under the high‐end RCP8.5 scenario. The high‐resolution, homogenized and quality controlled CARPATCLIM was used as a reference dataset. The selected subregions cover eight municipalities located at diverse altitudes: Bratislava, Budapest, Brassov, Debrecen, Hoverla, Novi Sad, Pécs and Poprad. The following climate indices are assessed: summer days, ice days, frost days, tropical nights, the coldest day, the warmest day, the coldest night and the warmest night. In general, for the reference period (1976–2005) bias‐adjusted RCM data showed almost perfect match with observations. Accordingly, no best performing RCM is found for all indices. The ensemble mean of the bias‐adjusted RCM simulations projects an increase (decrease) of 32% and 112% (18% and 25%) in the annual number of summer days and tropical nights (frost days and ice days) for the period 2021–2050. For 2070–2099 we can expect more frequent tropical nights (about five times) with respect to the reference period and the frequency of frost days can be halved. Profound warming manifests in the increase of the warmest temperature of day of up to 2–3°C by the near future and of 5–7°C by the end of the 21st century, which means the absolute maximum temperature can reach 44–47°C for the period 2070–2099. Our results also highlight the need for bias‐adjusted data adapted by different sectors (human health, agriculture, transport, disaster management, heritage conservation) under the national adaptation strategies.

Australia's political engagement on health and climate change: the MJA-Lancet Countdown indicator and implications for the future.

Australia's political engagement on health and climate change: the MJA-Lancet Countdown indicator and implications for the future.

The Role of Nigeria’s National Adaptation Strategy (NASPA-CCN) in Achieving Her Proposed 2060 Net Zero Target

The Role of Nigeria’s National Adaptation Strategy (NASPA-CCN) in Achieving Her Proposed 2060 Net Zero Target

Threatification, riskification, or normal politics? A review of Swedish climate adaptation policy 2005–2022

While the securitization of climate change has attracted considerable attention in academia, there is less research on the securitization of climate adaptation. We study securitization trends in Swedish climate adaptation policy from 2005 to 2022 and investigate whether Swedish climate adaptation policy adheres to threatification, riskification, or normal politics. More specifically, we look at i) discourses, ii) actor constellations, and iii) tools and resources. We find that in 2005, extreme weather events triggered a discourse shift in climate adaptation from a non-political issue towards riskification. Sweden adopted a national climate adaptation strategy in 2018, framing climate change as a risk that can be controlled through adaptation. So far, climate adaptation is managed using existing tools and strategies including research and decision support, recommendations from expert agencies, and climate risk assessments. In a similar vein, actor constellations resemble the normal governance structure. Climate adaptation appears to be integrated into business-as-usual politics rather than enforcing risk governance, and managed through existing tools and strategies instead of prompting extraordinary measures beyond day-to-day operations.

Supporting adaptation of the transport system to climate change and extreme weather events – From national to international research perspectives and back to local action

To address the challenge of providing climate resilient transportation, national and international action is needed. This includes awareness rising, capacity building and activities with regard to future transport planning as well as the implementation of climate adaptation measures. In Germany, a research Network of Federal Agencies under the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transportation (BMDV) – the BMDV Network of Experts – addresses these challenges. The DAS core service “Climate and Water” forms the bridge from research to operational services to support the German national adaptation strategy (DAS). Experiences of these national networks are shared and discussed internationally within the UNECE Group of Experts on Assessment of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation for Inland Transport. Methods and approaches discussed internationally are feed back to the national networks.

Climate change adaptation in Central America: A review of the national policy efforts

AbstractThe latest comparative studies of climate policies reinforce the fundamental importance of employing adaptation planning alongside national development strategies. While these studies are necessary to document and share the knowledge of the practices and experiences undertaken at the national level, documents are still scarce on regions of interest such as Central America. This article scrutinizes the state of adaptation planning through an exhaustive investigation of adaptation policy documents, consisting of National Adaptation Strategies, National Climate Legislation, and National Adaptation Action Plans, which are common in all six Central American countries. The findings reveal a region with an intricate yet progressive trend toward adaptation policies, with each country showing different speeds and qualities of adoption. An increasing learning curve has allowed for the emergence of two generations of adaptation policies with several improved features, including horizontal and vertical coordination, monitoring systems, and the inclusion of heterogeneous instruments to implement these systems. Yet, institutional challenges outside the adaptation realm could hinder the progress attained, due to factors such as political and economic crisis and institutional fragility. Further research into the broader political and governance landscape is needed, focusing on if and how climate policies should address political instability and institutional fragility as vulnerability stressors.

Heat and health prevention in European Region under a changing climate: the urgent need for a faster roll-out of Heat-Health Action Plans (HHAPs)

Background and aim: adverse health effects from extreme heat remain a major risk, bound to increase in a changing climate. This paper assesses the status of heat impacts on health and their prevention in the European Region and discusses successes, failures and necessary action. Methods: results are based on a survey among the WHO European Region member states, a series of literature reviews intended to inform the update of the WHO Heat Health Action Planning guidance from 2008, and a review of the EEA Climate and Health observatory and Climate Adapt database. Results: though urbanization, population ageing and climate change are increasing heat vulnerability, heat-related mortality has decreased in several European countries. Heat health action plans (HHAP) progressively adopted since 2003 may have contributed to that reduction, although so far only 17 of the 53 member states of the WHO European Region have a HHAP, most (14) of them EU countries. All plans implemented basic core elements like alert systems and information plans, but most lack M&E, real time surveillance or influence over urban planning to reduce heat exposure. Involvement of subnational authorities remains low, and many plans are inadequately resourced and infrequently reviewed. Despite HHAPs being a prime example of climate change adaptation, their explicit presence in national adaptation plans and strategies in member states is far from generalized. Conclusions: our findings suggest limited progress in the adoption and rollout of HHAPs, with many European countries lacking one, particularly outside the EU. Many core HHAP elements are still insufficiently implemented and only better M&E will clarify their effectiveness and allow for improvements. The EU Mission on Adaptation could support progress in HHAPs and contribute to attaining the objectives of the EU climate change adaptation strategy and the WHO Ostrava Declaration. Keywords: Heat health action plans, Europe, Climate change, Adaptation

Perception on coastal erosion: An assessment of how national level coastal resilience strategies promote indigenous knowledge and affect local level adaptation in Ghanaian communities

Coastal resilience strategies are vital for managing the impacts of climatic shocks and stresses that bedevils coastal zones globally. Coastal strategies that reflect indigenous knowledge and practices as well as local adaptation efforts are productive in promoting resilience to coastal erosion at the local level. However, there has been less common research in conventional literature on how national level strategies impact adaptation measures by local governance institutions and coastal dwellers in addressing coastal erosion. Using an explorative qualitative case study of selected coastal communities in Ghana, the paper contributes to this gap by assessing how national level strategies impact adaptation to coastal erosion at the local level. It also examines the institutional and community perception of coastal erosion, its causes and impacts. Findings indicate that all the coastal dwellers in the study communities are aware of coastal erosion with most of the community interviewees attributing the phenomenon to sea-level rise as the main driver of coastal erosion. Also, interviews with local government authorities and state agencies found that the national level coastal erosion adaptation strategies to a large extent do not promote local innovation in addressing climatic shocks and stresses of coastal communities. The paper contributes to contemporary debates in indigenous knowledge in climate change mitigation and adaptation by multilevel governance towards coastal resilience by recommending a collaborative effort between coastal communities and the District Assemblies in promoting indigenous knowledge in climate change adaptation and the preparation of coastal management plans that incorporates indigenous knowledge in adaptation to coastal erosion.

Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Towards Reducing Vulnerability to Drought in Northern Ghana

The impacts of climate change especially on water resources are beginning to manifest both globally and regionally. More disturbing is the fact that developing countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, are the most affected by these impacts due mainly to their high exposure, sensitivity, and low adaptive capacity. For Ghana, the general climate change has manifested in rising temperatures, declining rainfall, high extreme weather conditions, and rising sea levels. In response to these challenges, the country has developed national adaptation strategies for implementation at regional, district, community, and individual levels. Key among the strategies for reducing the impacts of climate change on the water are the conservation of water resources, improving and sustaining the quality of water, and increasing the availability of water for domestic and agricultural purposes. However, the level of vulnerability to climate change is influenced by both social and spatial factors because of the different ecological zones whose characteristics significantly influence both the physical and socio-economic dimensions of the various areas differently. Additionally, the decentralized implementation of the national climate change adaptation strategy has largely failed to achieve any significant results due to a lack of capacity on the part of the implementation partners at the various levels, as well as the overambitious nature of the strategy. A more ecologically tailored approach with an emphasis on the district and community levels is recommended for going forward. Improvements on the various components of vulnerability with regard to water management are recommended for reducing the effects of droughts.

Thriving in turbulent times: Livelihood resilience and vulnerability assessment of Bolivian Indigenous forest households

Climate change affects ecosystems and the well-being of rural households relying on ecosystem services for their livelihoods. The ability to withstand the adverse effects of climate change depends on their livelihood resilience. The relationship between natural resource dependence and livelihood resilience of Indigenous forest households in the Amazon region is still poorly understood. We used a case study approach to identify factors contributing to the livelihood resilience and vulnerability of 45 households in the Communal Land of Origin Tacana I area in the Bolivian Amazon. Household income data were collected before (2013) and after (2015) an extreme weather event. We combined a theoretical resilience framework with a practical indexing method to calculate the factors contributing to livelihood resilience and vulnerability. Additionally, conditions, regulatory and policy frameworks shaping vulnerability and resilience at the local level were reviewed. Our results show that income activity choice influences households’ livelihood resilience and vulnerability. Regarding natural resources, a low vulnerability was linked to selling game and fish or pursuing a wage livelihood strategy, while high resilience was related to hunting and cattle. Our results underline the importance of social networks and capital for low cash-income households to provide support. National development policies prioritize economic growth based on strengthening the energy, agro-livestock sector and boosting oil and mining sectors with industrialization. Some of these priorities may threaten the resilience and increase the vulnerability of Indigenous forest-dependent peoples and their subsistence livelihoods. External pressure on forest resources, including fish, requires a holistic focus on livelihood resilience in national adaptation strategies. Anchoring sustainable natural resources management and monitoring strategies at all policy and operative levels is crucial to the livelihood resilience of forest-dependent (Tacana) households and forest ecosystem health. Risk management approaches need to be developed inclusively and have an integrated socio-ecological focus to avoid adverse spill-over effects.