Implementing adaptation - Options & implementation - training for adaptation

Training for Adaptation
Implementing Adaptation:
Options and Implementation

Process Stage 3
Implementing Adaptation: Options & Implementation

Implementing Adaptation Measures

This module outlines how to implement measures and how to incorporate actions into existing projects
and strategies

Climate Adaptation
C. Aall & D. Davies, 2012
Online Training Resource

Process Stage 3
What is adaptation?

Adaptation is an evolutionary process. It occurs in physical,
ecological, and human systems and addresses many factors and
stresses, not simply climate change alone.

Adaptation refers both to the process of adapting and to the
condition of being adapted (Grothman & Pratt, 2005) and has
specific interpretations in particular disciplines.

Within ecology, adaptation is the process by which organisms or
species becomes better suited to its environment

In the social sciences, it refers to adjustments by individuals, or
collective behaviour within a system.

In the field of climate change and number of definitions are
available…

Grothmann, T. & Patt, A. (2005)
Adaptive capacity and human cognition: the process
of individual adaptation to climate change

Climate Adaptation

Process Stage 3
What is adaptation?

IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) defines climate change adaptation as:
An adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their
effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities
UKCIP 2011
‘any action taken to minimise the adverse effects or to take advantage of any beneficial effects of
climate change’

Climate Adaptation

Process Stage 3
What is adaptation?

Of course adaptation is nothing new. Societies and individuals
have been adapting to changing conditions for millennia and
existing natural and human systems are - in their very nature - an
adaptive response to spatial differences in climate.

Adaptation to climate variability can be seen in social and
economic systems such as agriculture, forestry, industry,
transportation, settlements etc.These have all evolved to
accommodate inherent temporal variates from normal conditions.

However, the advent of this new era of climate change brings
new challenges that question the inherent adaptability of natural
and human systems.

Climate Adaptation

Process Stage 3
What is adaptation?

So when looking at climate change adaptation it is good practice
to consider the following:

• Changes in social and environmental processes
• Perceptions of climate risk
• Practices and functions to reduce risk
• Exploration of new opportunities to cope with the changed
environment

To determine adaptation needs, it is crucial to identify and
comprehend issues of:
• Vulnerability,
• Resilience,
• Exposure,
• Sensitivity,
• Capacity to adapt.

Climate Adaptation

Process Stage 3
Implementing Adaptation Measures

The UK Climate Impacts Programme report ‘Identifying
Adaptation Actions’ (2007) advises that;

‘adaptation measures should be ﬁt for purpose, be
based on a good evidence base, involve all
stakeholders and aim to achieve SMART" [Speciﬁc,
Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timed]
objectives’.

Climate Adaptation

Process Stage 3

© 2010 UK Climate
Impacts Programme

Climate Adaptation

Process Stage 3
Implementing Adaptation

Effect-oriented: Cause-oriented:
(Measures to reduce possible (Measures to reduce society’s
negative effects of expected exposure to the effects of climate
climate change) change)

Technical e.g. constructing avalanche e.g. preventing construction of
level protection walls houses in risk-prone areas
(technical
means)

Strategic e.g. making a ﬂood-protection plan e.g. incorporate risk zones related to
level expected effects of climate change in
(planning) existing land-use plans

WNRI/VESTLANDSFORSKING, 2011
Climate Adaptation

Process Stage 3
Effect Versus Cause Orientated Measures

Effect-oriented adaptation measures:

– Measures to reduce possible negative effects of expected climate change (e.g. constructing
avalanche protection walls), or trying to exploit possible positive effects (e.g. growing plants adapted
to higher average temperatures). Effect- oriented measures are by nature often technical or physical.
They are often associated with high economic costs.

Cause-oriented adaptation measures:

– Measures to reduce society’s exposure to the effects of climate change, and in turn reducing the
likelihood that negative effects of climate change occur in the ﬁrst place (e.g. preventing construction
of houses in risk-prone areas). Cause- oriented measures tend to be of a regulatory nature, such as
land-use planning. Therefore, these measures often come at a high political (rather than economic)
cost.

Climate Adaptation

Process Stage 3
Technical Versus Strategic Level Measures

The strategic level:

– Encompasses planning processes such as rehabilitation plans for water and sanitation; the use of
land-use plans to plan ﬂood drainage channels and ocean- rise zones; plans for adaptation of
culverts; and securing roads, buildings and other infrastructure in relation to various risk zones.

The technical level:

– Encompasses a choice of climate-proof building materials and resilient technical building
solutions; minimum height requirements for new harbours and dimensioning of piers; detailed
planning and dimensioning of water and sanitation systems; etc.

Climate Adaptation

Process Stage 3
Final key points

Adaptation cannot avoid all impacts and realistically the following need to be considered in the
selection and implementation of adaptation measures

• There are ecological and physical thresholds
- melting Arctic, coral bleaching etc
• There are economic thresholds,
- where the costs of adaptation exceed the costs of impacts averted, this is particularly
the case in preventing/limiting geo-hazard risks and the building of sea defences
• There are technological thresholds,
-where available technologies cannot avoid climate impacts
• There are social limits,
-where groups judge adaptation actions to have failed

Climate Adaptation

Implementing adaptation - Options & implementation - training for adaptation

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