Framing adaptation in the Victorian context: synthesis report

This synthesis report provides a summary of the research activity and conveys the key findings arising from the 18 month ‘Framing Adaptation in the Victorian Context’ project undertaken between 2010 and 2012. Due to the complex nature of climate change adaptation, the original research program was designed to better understand the conceptual underpinnings of adaptation and then to translate this academic knowledge into ‘accessible’ content that could be more effectively used by those responsible for local adaptation planning - in essence, to ‘develop and test an operational framing of adaptation which will act as a decision-making roadmap to better inform adaptation policy and practice by Victorian authorities at the local and regional levels’.The analysis on framing was sub-divided into three discrete, though complementary and overlapping, research activities, to better understand different aspects of climate change adaptation in the Victorian context:1) The development of an overarching framework that illuminates and makes sense of the many different components that influence local adaptation processes;2) The framing of current and future climate-related impacts, and adaptation, as viewed through an economic lens; and3) A bottom-up analysis of adaptation, with a particular focus on the adaptive capacity of individuals and communities, as captured by a social narrative approach.Due to the context specific nature of adaptation (influenced by both the climate-related hazard and local vulnerability) the research activity on framing was intentionally grounded in real world situations through direct engagement with a portfolio of case studies including Greater Bendigo, City of Melbourne, Greater Geelong, and Port Fairy. Therefore whilst the research findings will be of generic interest to a wide range of end-users, the focus for this particular project was on the co-generation of new knowledge with local authorities. The economic analysis was based on climate-related events that have impacted the State in the recent past.Additional papers from the \u27Framing Adaptation in the Victorian Context\u27 project can be found here

Enhancing the resilience of seaports to a changing climate: research synthesis and implications for policy and practice

This report synthesises the research findings from the ‘Climate Resilient Seaports’ project funded by NCCARF and conducted between 2011 and 2012. The intention of the project was to contribute to an emerging knowledge base relating to climate change and seaports, to test and refine assessment methodologies, and to develop tools to assist decision-making by port personnel. The discussion contained in this report draws directly from the research carried out for the three work packages. These include: 1) understanding future risks, 2) functional resilience of the port environs, and 3) structural resilience of core port infrastructure. As a synthesis document, the intellectual capital and inputs from each of the project teams is fully acknowledged. The report concludes with some reflections on the key challenges and opportunities facing researchers, policymakers and practitioners in making Australia’s seaports more resilient to future risks

The role of tourism in a changing climate for conservation and development. A problem-oriented study in the Kailash Sacred Landscape, Nepal

An interdisciplinary study was conducted in the Kailash Sacred Landscape region in north-western Nepal, to explore opportunities for, and barriers to, sustainable tourism as an adaptation strategy, not only for reducing community vulnerability to climate change but also as a poverty-alleviation measure. Whilst the primary focus was on interactions between tourism and climate change, the study revealed a highly complex system, with many social, economic, environmental, and institutional drivers involved. In order to bring some clarity and consistency in the exploration of these complex interactions in context, elements of the policy sciences, primarily problem orientation, were utilised. The exploratory nature of the study, including its objectives and intended use, meant that goal clarification and analyses of trends were based on limited available information. Despite these shortcomings, the study was able to elucidate and clarify on important factors to consider in consultation with relevant participants. Diversification of livelihood options as well as preserving local culture were found to be highly valued—both by the local communities that were consulted as well as for those advocating for a tourism experience that is unique to this region. Harmonising these valued outcomes could be achieved by incorporating and legitimising local traditional knowledge. Insights into further collaboration on the issue of valued outcomes would strengthen and support the knowledge base for an appraisal of possible development pathway

Climate change, equity and sustainable development goals : an urban perspective

Climate change is acknowledged as the largest threat to our societies in the coming decades, affecting large and diverse groups of residents in urban areas in this century of urbanization. The focus of climate change impact discussions conceivably shifts to who in cities will be affected how by climate change, bringing the urban equity question to the forefront and co-aligning with a set of key Sustainable Development Goals. Here we assess how climate change events may amplify urban inequity. We find that heat waves, but also flooding, landslides, and even mitigation and adaptation measures affect specific population groups more than others. As underlying sensitivity factors we consistently identify ocioeconomic status and gender. We synthesize the findings with regard to equity types, meaning outcome, procedural and context-related equity, and suggest solutions for avoiding increased equity and justice concerns as a result of climate change impacts, adaptation and itigation

Flood vulnerability and resilience in peri-urbanizing Vietnam : a case study from Ninh Binh province

Peri-urban areas in Vietnam are caught between development and conservation needs, between economic development and environmental protection, between cultural preservation and sustainable development. This chapter/article examines vulnerabilities and challenges from flooding in peri-urban communities of the city of Ninh Binh, focusing on: (a) local socioeconomic development policy and the establishment of the Khanh Phu Industrial Zone; (b) impacts caused by flooding and lack of regulations, unplanned built environments, and underdeveloped water infrastructure; and (c) the varying adaptations of different social groups of households. It also explores how institutional adaptation programmes together with household responses collectively determine the resilience of the system

Adaptation and Mainstreaming of EU Climate Change Policy: An Actor-Based Perspective. CEPS Policy Brief No. 149, 1 February 2008.

Adaptation to climate change (in comparison to the mitigation agenda) is a relatively new focus for both research and policy communities. Drawing from ongoing ‘actor-based’ research being carried out for the ADAM project, this briefing paper reports on the knowledge base being developed through a process of engagement with experts and key stakeholders across a variety of countries, landscape types, sectors, institutions and actors. The concluding discussion then focuses on some of the implications of these early findings for both EU policy and decision-making more generally

Adaptation to Climate Change: Why is it needed and how can it be implemented? CEPS Policy Briefs. No. 161, 4 June 2008

This is the 3rd study to be published in the CEPS Policy Brief series from ongoing research being carried out for the EU-funded ADAM project (ADaptation And Mitigation strategies: supporting European climate policy). Following an introduction to the aims and objectives of the ADAM project, section 2 sets out the rationales for public policy related to adaptation to the impacts of climatic change in the EU. Section 3 provides evidence from a number of stakeholders and sketches the perception of various actors towards the role of European adaptation policies and climate proofing of sectoral policies. Section 4 on the economics of adaptation argues that the economic impacts of climate change will mainly be reduced by private and autonomous response, while principal challenges are with adaptation needs that require collective action and public engagement, including public finance. Section 5 assesses monetary and socioeconomic risks from extreme weather events in Europe and points to the evidence of rising losses due to weather extremes whilst important knowledge gaps remain to project future risks. And the final section (6) deals with different concepts of uncertainties surrounding climate change and climate variability, and argues for adaptive measures to be sufficiently flexible to allow recalibration as uncertainties are reduced with time

Integrating Teaching and Learning with Inter-Disciplinary Action Research in Support of Climate Resilient Urban Development

The capital cities of the South Pacific are experiencing rapid urbanisation pressures as increasing numbers of people migrate to the primary cities either in search of employment and greater access to healthcare and education, or as a consequence of environmental ‘push’ factors. However, the limited capacity of municipal Governments to respond to the scale and pace of change is leading to a growth of informal settlements in peri-urban locations. Factors of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity combine to make these informal settlements the most vulnerable areas to natural hazards. In response to this critical urban resilience agenda, this paper looks at how participatory action research is providing inter-disciplinary scientific support for the implementation of urban resilience and climate actions in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Adaptation measures involve a combination of hard and soft actions; as well as activities designed to strengthen local capacity to respond to contemporary resilience challenges. Addressing the adaptive capacity component, this paper also highlights the opportunities for Australian universities to integrate teaching and learning with action research to achieve a substantive real-world impact in the Pacific region, as well as illustrating the capacity strengthening benefits that can be achieved through sustained engagement and collaborative partnerships with local organisations

Climate Resilient Urban Development

A combination of population growth, unprecedented rates of urbanization, and a changing climate, is leading to complex resilience challenges for Governments and societies around the world [...