Summary
Adaptation & Mitigation concept and
definitions
Mitigation: measures to reduce emissions
Adaptation: measures to adjust to impacts of climate change
- Autonomous adaption or reactive adaption: reactive to what is happening
- Anticipatory or proactive adaption: preparing for something
- Planned adaption
Introduction of adaptation in climate literature:
- 1992: UN Conference on Environment and Development
o Rio de Janeiro
o Results in UNFCCC (Framework Convention on Climate Change)
Uses both mitigation and adaptation
Later formalised by IPCC
- IPCC (2007):
o Defines mitigation as:
Technological change and substitution that reduce resource inputs and
emission per unit of output
With respect to climate change, mitigation means implementing policies to
reduce GHG emissions and enhance sinks
2016 European Environment Agency report on climate change, impacts and vulnerability:
- Objectives:
o Present climate change and impacts
o Identify sectors and regions most at risk
o Identify main sources of uncertainty
o Demonstrate how monitoring and scenario development can improve knowledge
base
, - Previous reports: 2004, 2008 and 2012
o More than 60 authors and contributors
o Content
o Data sources
IPCC framework and definitions:
- Exposure:
o Nature and degree to which a system is
exposed to significant climatic variations
Exposed: what is at risk
Population
Resources
Property
Climate change that affected
system will face
Sea level
Temperature
Precipitation
Extreme events
- Sensitivity:
o Degree to which a system is affected,
either adversely or beneficially, by
climate related stimuli
o Direct:
Reduction in crop yield caused
by increased drought conditions
o Indirect:
Damage to properties from
coastal flooding caused by sea level rise
o Primary production systems (agriculture, forestry) more sensitive compared to
secondary and tertiary sectors (manufacturing (fabricage) and services)
o Exposure + sensitivity = impact
, - Adaptive capacity:
o Ability of a natural or human system to adjust to potential damage, to take an
advantage of opportunities or to cope with consequences
o Determined by access to:
Wealth
Technology
Education
Institutions
Information
Infrastructure
Social capital
o Possession of adaptive capacity does not guarantee that adaptation takes place
Adaptive capacity + motivation (realisation) adaptation
o Difficult to include in research, most stop at impact
o Impact + adaptive capacity = vulnerability
- Vulnerability:
o Degree to which a system is susceptible (vatbaar) to,
or able to cope with, adverse effects of climate
change
o Function of:
Exposure
Sensitivity
Adaptive capacity
o More exposure and sensitivity will increase
vulnerability
o More adaptive capacity decreases vulnerability
assessment of vulnerability should consider
all three factors
Vulnerability Assessment:
- Investigation of
o (Causes of) potential adverse (nadelige) consequences & opportunities
- Seeks answers to questions such as
o Who (or what) is vulnerable?
o To what are they vulnerable?
o Why are they vulnerable?
- Supports
o What responses can reduce vulnerability (or take advantage of opportunities)
o Identification of adaption needs
- Tools:
o Qualitative
Participatory
Semi-structured interviews
o (semi) quantitative
Surveys
Indicators
Single measure of a characteristic
Index: composite measure of several indicators or indices
Purpose
o Capture spatial variation in vulnerability
o Used for
Guiding decision-making
Prioritising intervention
Mapping
, - Limitations:
o Caution
Complex nature of vulnerability
Difficulty in capturing diversity and sensitivity
High aggregation obscures causes of vulnerability
o Reflect explicit conceptual framework of vulnerability
Can’t compare indicators that assess different temporal and spatial scales
Units of measurement are often inconsistent
Adaptation:
- adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or
their effects, which moderates harm of exploits beneficial opportunities
o notice: actual (realized) or expected (future) changes in climate
- Distinguish between:
1. Autonomous adaptation or reactive adaptation tends to be what people and
systems do as impacts of climate change become clearly visible
2. Anticipatory or proactive adaptation are measures taken to reduce potential
risks of future climate change
- Distinguish between:
1. Autonomous adaptation what people and systems unconsciously do as impacts
of climate change become as impacts of climate change become apparent
2. Planned adaptation are measures planned (e.g. by governments) to reduce
current or potential future risks
Different research questions and different conceptualisations of adaptation:
1. Early adaptation assessments (UNFCCC)
2. Adaptation options for a particular system (ranking of options)
3. Focus on (causes of) vulnerability
o Many approaches to assess adaptation
o Important distinction:
Impacts:
Also known as first generation or top down
Vulnerability:
Second generation or bottom up
4. Adaptation process
o Adaptation cycle:
Identifying adaptation needs
Identifying adaptation measures
Appraising (beoordelen) adaptation options
Implementing adaptation actions
Monitoring and evaluation
5. Contribute to practical implementation
6. Develop a specific adaptation type
o Technological or engineered (hard)
To manage the impact both to buffer against climate’s effects and to
facilitate a change in society’s practice
o Soft/green/ecosystem-based
o Behavioural and/or institutional
Modification of practices of individuals, groups or institutions
Regulation, risk zoning, evacuation routes, financial mechanisms (insurance)
o Incremental (stapsgewijs) or radical
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