Climatic Change

, Volume 84, Issue 1, pp 23–44 | Cite as

Portfolio screening to support the mainstreaming of adaptation to climate change into development assistance

  • Richard J. T. Klein
  • Siri E. H. Eriksen
  • Lars Otto Næss
  • Anne Hammill
  • Thomas M. Tanner
  • Carmenza Robledo
  • Karen L. O’Brien
Article
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Abstract

The need to mainstream adaptation to climate change into development planning and ongoing sectoral decision-making is increasingly recognised, and several bilateral and multilateral development agencies are starting to take an interest. Over the past years at least six development agencies have screened their project portfolios, generally with two goals in mind: (1) to ascertain the extent to which existing development projects already consider climate risks or address vulnerability to climate variability and change, and (2) to identify opportunities for incorporating climate change explicitly into future projects. As each portfolio screening was conducted independently, the broader lessons emerging from the screenings have not been systematically analysed. In this paper we assess the screening activities to date, focusing on both the results and the methods applied. Based on this assessment we identify opportunities for development agencies to expand their current focus on the links between climate and development. Most agencies already consider climate change as a real but uncertain threat to future development, but they have given less thought to how different development patterns might affect vulnerability to climate change. The screenings undertaken have shown the need to take a comprehensive approach to adaptation and its integration into development planning and sectoral decision-making, and a number of policy initiatives have been taken to promote such integration. We provide some initial guidance as to how portfolio screening can be carried out in a way that would allow agencies to assess systematically the relevance of climate change to their ongoing and planned development projects.

Keywords

Climate Change Climate Change Adaptation Climate Risk Global Environment Facility Development Cooperation 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007

Authors and Affiliations

  • Richard J. T. Klein
    • 1
  • Siri E. H. Eriksen
    • 2
  • Lars Otto Næss
    • 3
    • 4
  • Anne Hammill
    • 5
  • Thomas M. Tanner
    • 6
  • Carmenza Robledo
    • 7
  • Karen L. O’Brien
    • 2
  1. 1.Stockholm Environment InstituteStockholmSweden
  2. 2.Department of Sociology and Human GeographyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
  3. 3.Center for International Climate and Environment Research OsloOsloNorway
  4. 4.Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
  5. 5.International Institute for Sustainable DevelopmentChâtelaineSwitzerland
  6. 6.Institute of Development StudiesUniversity of SussexBrightonUK
  7. 7.IntercooperationBerneSwitzerland

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