A method for assessing regional climate change vulnerability : the case of tourism in Switzerland

How is vulnerability to climate change spatially distributed? Which are its causes and its effects? Which are the major climate change vulnerability hotspots in which the implementation of adaptatio

Climate Change and Tourism in Switzerland : Impacts, Vulnerability and Possible Adaptation Measures

This thesis is part of the MIADAC project (Modeling Sectoral Climate Change Policies: Mitigation, Adaptation, and Acceptance) included in Work Package 4 of the NCCR Climate. It deals with adaptation and acceptance of Switzerland for the tourism sector. In particular, it addresses the vulnerability of this domain towards climate change, the costs and benefits involved and the costs and benefits generated by the possible adaptation measures. The general objectives of this work are three: first, we will assess and evaluate the environmental, economic and social effects of climate change on tourism in Switzerland. Secondly, we will investigate and select the appropriate and most effective public and private adaptation strategies on a national, regional and/or local level. Thirdly, we will evaluate the environmental, economic and social costs and benefits of these strategies. Finally, it will help to identify the elements needed to overcome barriers in order to bring adaptation issues to the upfront of political discussion. For better analyzing the implementation of adaptation measures, their costs and benefits, a case study region of particular vulnerability (Aletsch) has been additionally selected and will be studied by means of a participative process

Swiss tourism in the age of climate change:vulnerability, adaptive capacity, and barriers to adaptation

This thesis analyses the impacts of climate change on Swiss tourism. It looks in particular at the regional vulnerability, adaptation, and barriers that hinder this process. The final goal of the work is to make a contribution in bringing about a smoother shift to a more sustainable tourism sector better adapted to the changing conditions. In the first part, the thesis examines the regional vulnerability of Swiss tourism to climate change for a 2030-2050 time horizon in order to define which regions are most in need of taking action. We analyzed in particular the impacts generated by changes in climate suitability for tourism activities, snowpack reduction, glaciers melting, permafrost melting, natural hazards, water scarcity, and changes in landscape and scenic beauty. We selected 70 indicators describing the exposure, the sensitivity and the adaptive capacity of each of the 85 defined areas. We collected, weighted and assembled simulations on the possible impacts and statistical data covering the whole country. The results obtained allowed us to identify the most important drivers influencing vulnerability. Moreover, they permitted the assessment of spatial heterogeneity in vulnerability. Finally, the data allowed us to identify hotspots, areas in which the implementation of adaptation measures is most crucial. To validate the legitimacy of the results and to analyze the perception of people working in the sector, we compared outcomes with the results of an online survey we designed. It was carried out among 566 Swiss tourism stakeholders and asked them to evaluate the vulnerability of their particular region. Differences between the two methods appeared: the outcome of the survey indicated that those living mainly in the Prealpine regions perceived their regions as the most vulnerable. Meanwhile, the outcomes of the geographic “hotspot” analysis showed that the mountainous regions, mostly in the Valais, Ticino, and Uri cantons, were the most vulnerable. Differences may be explained on one hand from the predisposition of stakeholders to be influenced by impacts already visible like snowpack reduction. Therefore, they might be more likely to identify the most vulnerable regions as the ones in which climate change is already affecting the tourism sector. On the other hand, dissimilarities also depend on the scores given by the 13 experts which weighted the various indicators used in the vulnerability map. In the second part of the thesis, we examined adaptation. We analyzed in particular which measures are already being implemented or have already been planned for the future. We also looked at how stakeholders evaluate the efficiency of these measures. Our analysis suggested that adaptation is already taking place in the country. Three categories of adaptation exist. These can be summarized as following: development of the supply, risk reduction, and communication on impacts and on implemented measures. The development of the supply can be seen both as the promotion of year-round tourism, in addition to innovation and diversification of tourism activities offered. It could also include the further development and securing of snow sports activities. The maintenance of winter tourism was a popular option in the past, with the wide spreading of snow cannons. Now, however, this strategy is beginning to show its economic and environmental limits in multiple regions. Various stakeholders in the online survey cited artificial snowmaking as efficient measures only on the short term that should be replaced by other strategies on the long run. Consequently more and more regions are focusing on diversification and innovation, putting more effort in offering year-round tourism. Our results confirm outcomes of past studies on the topic, which found similar results. Moreover, in collaboration with the ClimAlpTour project, we carried out a participative adaptation process in a selected case study region (the Aletsch region). We did this in order to study possible adaptation paths and to analyze possible impediments to the process. Finally, the last part of the thesis looked more in particular at this latter aspect, focusing on barriers to adaptation. Many elements can hinder the implementation of effective and efficient adaptation. These can have either economic, technological, social, or institutional origins. Based on stakeholders’ opinions, we saw that, for Swiss tourism, the barriers relate mainly to economic and social issues. The lack of money can clearly be an impediment to adaptation; also in addition to this, however, we found that the lack of information and coordination among stakeholders can also seriously hinder the process. This even if the willingness to act in order to adapt is high among stakeholders and the acceptability of the measures is important among the population (up to a point to which measures do not lead to maladaptation and that they do not carry too many negative impacts on the society, economy, and environment). Much is already being done at the Swiss national and local levels to combat the impacts of climate change in the country, in particular with the elaboration of the Swiss adaptation strategy. The groundwork for an effective transition of Swiss tourism seems therefore to have been laid. However, it should not be forgotten that the sector is facing many other challenges not directly linked to climate change and which also threaten the viability of the sector. Moreover, due to its significant footprint on the environment and its contribution to greenhouse gasses emission, the sector also needs to incorporate sustanaiblity in its adjustment and change

Economic Impacts of Climate Change and Adaptation Measures on Tourism in Switzerland

What will be the costs and benefits related to climate change for the Swiss tourism sector and what are the possible private and public adaptation measures on regional and national scale

Life Cycle Assessment of 21 Buildings: Analysis of the Different Life Phases and Highlighting of the Main Causes of Their Impact on the Environment

Nowadays, buildings are increasingly seen as a pressing environmental problem. By their very nature, they affect and transform the land on which they are built by changing and destroying habitats and causing loss of biological diversity. On a macro level, buildings contribute to deforestation, natural resources depletion, the risk of global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, overuse of water and acid rain by their enormous materials and energy consumption. In order to effectively improve the ecological performance of buildings, it is important to know in which life phase (the construction, the use, the refurbishment or the disposal) which environmental impacts occur and why. The aim of this work was to perform a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on a set of buildings obtained from the BKI -the German “centre for construction costs”- to assess which life phases and elements require particular attention during the effort of reducing the environmental impacts in the building and construction sectors. The LCA method allows a holistic assessment, considering the whole life cycle of a building. This avoids problems in shifting from on phase to another

Climate Change and Tourism in Switzerland: a Survey on Impacts, Vulnerability and Possible Adaptation Measures

The tourism industry is particularly affected by climate change, being very climate- and weather- dependent. Moreover, particularly in the Alpine region, it is specially exposed to natural hazards. Nonetheless, this industry is an important pillar of the Swiss economy, providing employment and generating income. Then, it becomes essential to reduce its vulnerability and starting implementing adaptation measures. In order to do so, it is important to define which areas face which problems and to recognize vulnerability hot spots. This motivation comes from the prospect that the largest environmental, social and economic damages are likely to be concentrated in vulnerable areas. This article presents an overview of the current state of the knowledge on the impacts, the vulnerability and the possible adaptation measures of the tourism industry in relation to climate change. Moreover, it presents different methods that could help assessing this vulnerability, referring in particular to the Swiss situation. This is the first step toward the establishment of the vulnerability analysis and the consequent examination of possible adaptation measures

Exploring barriers to climate change adaptation in the Swiss tourism sector

Increasingly, various sectors are affected by climate change and need to find ways to adapt with much public guidance and support. This paper examines the adaptation process of a sector that started it some time ago - Swiss Alpine tourism. It identifies barriers that may be relevant for all sectors, all along the successive phases of the adaptation process. It additionally identifies the barriers which are most important and how these can be overcome. In order to do this we use an online survey directed to Swiss tourism stakeholders. Our results indicate that both economic and social feasibility barriers are important impediments to the adjustment process, whereas the acceptability among inhabitants and the willingness to act of stakeholders appear less critical. These barriers can be overcome and adaptation facilitated with more and especially better information about the regional consequences of climate change and feasible adaptation measures, by some top-down leadership and coordination, and by providing financial support

Exploring barriers to climate change adaptation in the Swiss tourism sector

Increasingly, various sectors are affected by climate change and need to find ways to adapt with much public guidance and support. This paper examines the adaptation process of a sector that started it some time ago - Swiss Alpine tourism. It identifies barriers that may be relevant for all sectors, all along the successive phases of the adaptation process. It additionally identifies the barriers which are most important and how these can be overcome. In order to do this we use an online survey directed to Swiss tourism stakeholders. Our results indicate that both economic and social feasibility barriers are important impediments to the adjustment process, whereas the acceptability among inhabitants and the willingness to act of stakeholders appear less critical. These barriers can be overcome and adaptation facilitated with more and especially better information about the regional consequences of climate change and feasible adaptation measures, by some top-down leadership and coordination, and by providing financial support

Le Donut de l’UNIL : un outil de navigation pour la transition écologique et sociale

Afin de l’orienter dans l’élaboration et le suivi de sa Stratégie de transition, l’UNIL a fait le choix de s’appuyer sur le cadre théorique du Donut de l’économiste Kate Raworth qui, en alliant le concept des limites planétaires avec celui des besoins humains fondamentaux, dessine un espace sûr et juste pour l’humanité. En pratique, il s’agit d'une part de définir des réductions d’impacts permettant à l’institution de respecter les limites planétaires et, d’autre part, de quantifier sans complaisance les impacts environnementaux actuels de l’université. Cet exercice de déclinaison du donut à l’UNIL permet d’établir un diagnostic rigoureux mettant en évidence la "hauteur de la marche", soit l’écart entre la situation actuelle et les cibles que les connaissances scientifiques les plus récentes permettent de fixer pour l’horizon 2050 correspondant aux grandes échéances internationales issue de l’Accord de Paris notamment. Le Donut UNIL dresse un constat pour le moins préoccupant. Pour cesser de déstabiliser l’écosystème Terre et garantir des conditions de vie décentes aux populations actuelles et futures, l’UNIL doit notamment diviser par 20, par 30, ses impacts sur le climat et la biodiversité, tout en garantissant un socle social minimal à sa communauté. Ce présent rapport rend compte des méthodologies, résultats et analyses qui découlent de ce travail