Abstract
Recently, humanity has been faced with the complex task of responding to global climate change. Scholars and researchers stress the urgency of climate change mitigation and adaptation, warning decision-makers of the consequences of taking no action. Climate change mitigation is currently grounded in the minds of key actors and well established across the globe. A compelling response to the challenges associated with climate change, however, requires components of both mitigation and adaptation (e.g., Bulkeley and Tuts, Local Environ 18:646–662, 2013). This entry examines global climate change broadly and identifies the contemporary policy approach to highlight the need for adaptation. This necessity is emphasized through the experience of coastal communities which exhibit a heightened vulnerability to climate impacts. Thus, this entry focuses on examining adaptation types and challenges, to provide a thorough analysis of the process of climate change adaptation. Climate change adaptation is stressed throughout the following discourse as it is a critical element that will influence the future of vulnerable communities.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Adams H (2016) Why populations persist: mobility, place attachment and climate change. Popul Environ 37:429–448. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11111-015-0246-3
Adger WN, Huq S, Brown K et al (2003) Adaptation to climate change in the developing world. Prog Dev Stud 3:179–195. https://doi.org/10.1191/1464993403ps060oa
Agrawala S, Bosello F, Carraro C, De Cian E, Lanzi E (2011) Adapting to climate change: costs, benefits, and modelling approaches. Int Rev Environ Resour Econ 5:245–284. https://doi.org/10.1561/101.00000043
Alexander KS, Ryan A, Measham TG (2012) Managed retreat of coastal communities: understanding responses to projected sea level rise. J Environ Plan Manag 55:409–433. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2011.604193
Betzold C, Mohamed I (2016) Seawalls as a response to coastal erosion and flooding: a case study from Grande Comore, Comoros (West Indian Ocean). Reg Environ Chang 17:1077–1087. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-016-1044-x
Binder SB, Baker CK, Barile JP (2015) Rebuild or relocate? Resilience and postdisaster decision-making after Hurricane Sandy. Am J Community Psychol 56:180–196. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-015-9727-x
Birchall J (2014) New Zealands abandonment of the carbon neutral public service programme. Clim Pol 14:525–535. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2014.877224
Birchall SJ, Murphy M, Milne MJ (2015) Evolution of the New Zealand voluntary carbon market: an analysis of CarboNZero client disclosures. Soc Environ Account J 35:142–156. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969160x.2015.1061444
Birchall SJ, Murphy M, Milne M (2017) An investigation into the early stages of New Zealand’s voluntary carbon market. Carbon Management 9:71–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/17583004.2017.1418596
Birchall SJ, Bonnett N (2018) Local-scale climate change stressors and policy response: The case of Homer, Alaska. Environmental Planning and Management. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2018.1537975
Borsje BW, van Wesenbeeck BK, Dekker F, Paalvast P, Bouma TJ, van Katwijk MM, de Vries MB (2011) How ecological engineering can serve in coastal protection. Ecol Eng 37(2):113–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2010.11.027
Bosello F, Carraro C, Cian ED (2010) Climate policy and the optimal balance between mitigation, adaptation and unavoided damage. SSRN Electron J. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1606222
Bronen R, Chapin FS (2013) Adaptive governance and institutional strategies for climate-induced community relocations in Alaska. Proc Natl Acad Sci 110:9320–9325. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1210508110
Broto VC, Bulkeley H (2013) A survey of urban climate change experiments in 100 cities. Glob Environ Chang 23(1):92–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2012.07.005
Bukvic A, Smith A, Zhang A (2015) Evaluating drivers of coastal relocation in Hurricane Sandy affected communities. Int J Disaster Risk Reduct 13:215–228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2015.06.008
Bulkeley H, Tuts R (2013) Understanding urban vulnerability, adaptation and resilience in the context of climate change. Local Environ 18:646–662. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2013.788479
Cheong S-M, Silliman B, Wong PP et al (2013) Coastal adaptation with ecological engineering. Nat Clim Chang 3:787–791. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1854
Donner SD, Webber S (2014) Obstacles to climate change adaptation decisions: a case study of sea-level rise and coastal protection measures in Kiribati. Sustain Sci 9:331–345. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-014-0242-z
Duvat V (2013) Coastal protection structures in Tarawa Atoll, Republic of Kiribati. Sustain Sci 8:363–379. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-013-0205-9
Geisler C, Currens B (2017) Impediments to inland resettlement under conditions of accelerated sea level rise. Land Use Policy 66:322–330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.03.029
Goff M (2010) Evaluating habitat enhancements of an urban intertidal seawall: ecological responses and management implications. Doctoral dissertation, University of Washington
Gómez-Baggethun E, Barton DN (2013) Classifying and valuing ecosystem services for urban planning. Ecol Econ 86:235–245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2012.08.019
Harman BP, Heyenga S, Taylor BM, Fletcher CS (2015) Global lessons for adapting coastal communities to protect against storm surge inundation. J Coast Res 314:790–801. https://doi.org/10.2112/jcoastres-d-13-00095.1
Hauer ME, Evans JM, Mishra DR (2016) Millions projected to be at risk from sea-level rise in the continental United States. Nat Clim Chang 6:691–695. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2961
Henstra D (2016) The tools of climate adaptation policy: analysing instruments and instrument selection. Clim Pol 16(4):496–521. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2015.1015946
IPCC (2014) Climate change 2014: synthesis report. contribution of working groups I, II and III to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. In: Core Writing Team, Pachauri RK, Meyer LA (eds). IPCC, Geneva, 151pp
Jones HP, Hole DG, Zavaleta ES (2012) Harnessing nature to help people adapt to climate change. Nat Clim Chang 2:504–509. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1463
Kittinger JN, Ayers AL (2010) Shoreline armoring, risk management, and coastal resilience under rising seas. Coast Manag 38:634–653. https://doi.org/10.1080/08920753.2010.529038
Klein RJ, Schipper ELF, Dessai S (2005) Integrating mitigation and adaptation into climate and development policy: three research questions. Environ Sci Pol 8:579–588. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2005.06.010
Krellenberg K, Katrin B (2014) Inter- and transdisciplinary research for planning climate change adaptation responses: the example of Santiago de Chile. Interdiscip Sci Rev 39:360–375. https://doi.org/10.1179/0308018814z.00000000097
Marolla C, Sommer DA (2016) Climate health risks in megacities. CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315367323
Nicholls RJ, Wong PP, Burkett V, Woodroffe CD, Hay J (2008) Climate change and coastal vulnerability assessment: scenarios for integrated assessment. Sustain Sci 3(1):89–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-008-0050-4
Noble IR, Huq S, Anokhin YA, Carmin J, Goudou D, Lansigan FP, Osman-Elasha B, Villamizar A (2014) Adaptation needs and options. In: Field CB, Barros VR, Dokken DJ, Mach KJ, Mastrandrea MD, Bilir TE, Chatterjee M, Ebi KL, Estrada YO, Genova RC, Girma B, Kissel ES, Levy AN, MacCracken S, Mastrandrea PR (eds) Climate change 2014: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. Part A: global and sectoral aspects. Contribution of working group II to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change
Sovacool BK (2011) Hard and soft paths for climate change adaptation. Clim Pol 11:1177–1183. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2011.579315
UNFCC (2015) Paris agreement to the United Nations framework convention on climate change adopted at COP3 in Paris, France, on 12 Dec 2015
Wenger C (2015) Better use and management of levees: reducing flood risk in a changing climate. Environ Rev 23:240–255. https://doi.org/10.1139/er-2014-0060
Wise R, Fazey I, Smith MS et al (2014) Reconceptualising adaptation to climate change as part of pathways of change and response. Glob Environ Chang 28:325–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2013.12.002
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Bonnett, N., Birchall, S.J. (2019). Vulnerable Communities: The Need for Local-Scale Climate Change Adaptation Planning. In: Leal Filho, W., Azeiteiro, U., Azul, A., Brandli, L., Özuyar, P., Wall, T. (eds) Climate Action. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71063-1_87-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71063-1_87-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-71063-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-71063-1
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences