שינויים אקלימיים בישראל - ממצאי השירות המטאורולוגי

השירות המטאורולוגי הישראלי 2015

Recent articles and publications

2024

A framework for climate change adaptation of port infrastructures

Adaptation of port infrastructures to climate change and sea level rise effects is highlighted as a key field among transportation systems’ lines of action for adaptation, given their highly exposed location in coastal areas and position as critical nodes in logistic chains and local, regional and national economies.

2024

Urban Overheating and Adaptation Measures - An Analysis at EU, National, and Local Level

This report by the World Bank on Urban Overheating & Adaptation Measures explores the adaptation strategies employed across the European Union (EU) to mitigate the impacts of urban heat.

2024

Measuring Progress in Adapting to a Changing Climate

this report provides insights into current OECD country practices in measuring climate adaptation

2024

Accounting for adaptation when projecting climate change impacts on health: A review of temperature-related health impacts

Exposure to high and low ambient temperatures can cause harm to human health. Due to global warming, heat-related health effects are likely to increase substantially in future unless populations adapt to living in a warmer world.

2024

WMO Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update – 2024-2028

The Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update is issued annually by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). It provides a synthesis of the global annual to decadal predictions produced by the WMO-designated Global Producing Centres and other contributing centres for 2024-2028.

2024

Climate Change and the Escalation of Global Extreme Heat: Assessing and Addressing the Risks

this new report from scientists at World Weather Attribution, the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, and Climate Central assesses the influence of human-caused climate change on dangerous heat waves over the past 12 months (May 15, 2023 to May 15, 2024).

2024

Seaport adaptation and capacity investments under inter-port competition and climate-change uncertainty

Climate-related disasters are causing increasing damage to seaports, necessitating investment in climate-change adaptation to enhance resilience.

2024

Willingness to incur private costs for climate adaptation? Public support for undergrounding electricity transmission lines in California

Climate mitigation policies face a political challenge because they tend to impose local costs to create a global public goods benefit.

2024

'Responding to climate change impacts on human health in Europe: focus on floods, droughts and water quality’

The EEA report 'Responding to climate change impacts on human health in Europe: focus on floods, droughts and water quality’ draws attention to the water-related impacts of climate change on health and well-being that are already felt across Europe and include deaths, injuries, outbreaks of infectious diseases and mental health consequences.

2024

The 2024 Europe report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: unprecedented warming demands unprecedented action

Record-breaking temperatures were recorded across the globe in 2023. Without climate action, adverse climate-related health impacts are expected to worsen worldwide, affecting billions of people. Temperatures in Europe are warming at twice the rate of the global average, threatening the health of populations across the continent and leading to unnecessary loss of life. The Lancet Countdown in Europe was established in 2021, to assess the health profile of climate change aiming to stimulate Europ

2024

Urban adaptation in Europe: what works? - Implementing climate action in European cities

Average temperatures across Europe are rising faster than the global average, and
Europe's cities are feeling the impacts of climate change more regularly and more
severely. With the summer of 2023 breaking temperature records, the case for
investing in societal resilience to climate change has never been clearer.

2024

Designing water markets for climate change adaptation

Water markets have the potential to lessen some costs of climate change. However, they need to be designed to address the unique institutional and physical features of water.

2024

A Move towards Developing Usable Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Services for the Agricultural Sector

Dryland farming is at the center of increasing pressure to produce more food for the growing population in an environment that is highly variable and with high expectations for the standard of their production systems. While there is mounting pressure for increased productivity, the responsibility to protect the environment and diminish the agricultural sector’s carbon footprint is receiving growing emphasis.

2024

Cooling effects in urban communities: Parsing green spaces and building shadows

The thermal environment in urban communities significantly impacts the comfort and well-being of residents. Reducing the surface temperature in these areas is critical for improving the quality of life of residents and mitigating the urban heat island effect.

2024

Identifying constraints and limits to climate change adaptation in Austria under deep uncertainty

Although humanity has always been adapting to a changing environment, the accelerated rate of climate change in combination with continued socioeconomic development and the delay in climate action result in deep uncertainties, further challenging policy, and decision making. A main are of concern, triggered by the increasing frequency and intensity of climatic hazards are growing uncertainties regarding the effectiveness of prevailing adaptation strategies, as well as constraints and eventually

2024

Food security and sustainability through adaptation to climate change: Lessons learned from Nepal

Climate change adaptation strategies play a crucial role in smallholder farm households' food security and sustainability, particularly under climate change extremes.

2024

London Climate Resilience Review

The London Climate Resilience Review (the Review) is an independent review
commissioned by the Mayor of London to take stock of London’s preparations for
climate change and to make recommendations to advance London’s climate
resilience.

2024

Innovation and Adaptation in the Climate Crisis: Technology for the New Normal

In a new report, Innovation and Adaptation in the Climate Crisis: Technology for the New Normal, the World Economic Forum looks at six data-driven and digital technologies that can play a “mission-critical” role in global climate adaptation.

2024

Participant perspectives on effective elements and impacts of climate change adaptation workshops in the United States

Communities in the United States are increasingly relying on place-based climate adaptation workshops to aid attempts to prepare for—and cope with—climate change, but there is limited empirical evidence about what participants believe these workshops can achieve and what elements they find most valuable.

2024

Urban Greening in the Process of Climate Change Adaptation of Large Cities

Cities—being places where both growth at large and human activity concentrate to the maximum extent, as well as being places of creation, innovation, and development—have been facing the challenge of adaptation to changing climate conditions. Successive greening of urban spaces is becoming an indicator of civilisational progress and one of the most important aspects of sustainable urban development and quality of life of city dwellers. It also represents a part of the sustainable management of n

2024

Extreme Weather Events and Climate Change: Economic Impacts and Adaptation Policies

This article reviews the literature on the economic impacts of disasters caused by extreme weather and climate events to draw lessons on how societies can better manage these risks. While evidence that richer, better governed societies suffer less and recover faster from climate extremes suggests adaptation, knowledge gaps remain, and little is known about the efficiency of specific adaptation actions.

2024

Climate change adaptation for biodiversity in protected areas: An overview of actions

Protected Areas (PAs) have been a cornerstone of conservation policy in the past but are generally static and thus might be less useful under climate change as species move away from reserves designated for them

2024

The Global Risks Report - 2024

The Global Risks Report explores some of the most severe risks we may face over the next decade, against a backdrop of rapid technological change, economic uncertainty, a warming planet and conflict.

2023

State and Trends in Climate Adaptation Finance 2023

The report covers global status and trends of adaptation finance.

2023

Heat-related mortality in Europe during the summer of 2022

Heat in the 2022 summer caused more than 61,000 excess heat-related deaths among the European population, according to a study published in Nature Medicine.

2023

Socio-economic projections in urban climate change adaptation planning: Practices and prospects for just adaptation

Urban climate change adaptation efforts have often been criticized for exacerbating the inequitable impacts of climate change by failing to address the social, economic, and environmental impacts of adaptation. There is an urgent need to incorporate equity and justice concerns in adaptation planning as well as approaches and tools that enable such integration.

2023

To understand climate change adaptation, we must characterize climate variability: Here’s how

Climate change adaptation involves the management of climate-related risks, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says we must prioritize adaptation immediately. However, researchers and policymakers have little systematic understanding of which adaptations are effective at reducing risks, including under different climate conditions.

2023

How are European forest ecosystems doing?

To sustain their multiple services, forests must be both resistant and resilient. Resistance refers to a forest's ability to resist or withstand external pressures such as pests, disease or natural disturbances. Resilience refers to a forest's ability to recover and adapt after a disturbance.

2023

Creating Resilient Futures

This open access report critically examines a coherence building opportunity between Climate Change Adaptation, the Sustainable Development Goals and Disaster Risk Reduction agendas through presenting best practice approaches, and supporting Irish and international case studies.

2023

Unpacking the theory-practice gap in climate adaptation

Climate change adaptation (CCA) is an urgent global challenge that requires transdisciplinary efforts to deliver effective, aligned, useful, and sustainable outcomes. Current approaches and tools have been slow to translate into robust action, however, leading to a widening gap between adaptation theory and actual on the ground implementation

2023

Understanding climate change adaptation in Ghana: The role of climate change anxiety, experience, and knowledge

This study examines the effect of climate change knowledge, anxiety, and experience on climate adaptation using survey data from 874 farmers in the Western North Region of Ghana.

2023

Climate adaptation: Why local governments cannot do it alone

Given the direct impacts of climate change are felt first and foremost at the local level, many have called for climate adaptation to be a local responsibility.

2023

Provisional State of the Global Climate in 2023

The WMO provisional State of the Global Climate report confirms that 2023 is set to be the warmest year on record.

2023

Socio-economic projections in urban climate change adaptation planning: Practices and prospects for just adaptation

2023

The 2023 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: the imperative for a health-centred response in a world facing irreversible harms

The Lancet Countdown is an international research collaboration that independently monitors the evolving impacts of climate change on health, and the emerging health opportunities of climate action. In its eighth iteration, this 2023 report draws on the expertise of 114 scientists and health practitioners from 52 research institutions and UN agencies worldwide to provide its
most comprehensive assessment yet.

2023

Is Europe on track towards climate resilience? Status of reported national adaptation actions in 2023

This briefing presents the current status of national adaptation actions across Europe, with an emphasis on recent developments and lessons learned since the reporting in 2021.

2023

Adaptation Gap Report 2023

In 2023, temperature records toppled, while storms, floods, droughts and heatwaves caused devastation. UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report 2023: Underfinanced. Underprepared – Inadequate investment and planning on climate adaptation leaves world exposed finds that progress on climate adaptation is slowing when it should be accelerating to catch up with these rising climate change impacts.

2023

Effectiveness of urban tree planting for city cooling varies between European regions

This study in Global Change Biology reports differences in cooling efficiency trends of urban trees between European regions, and highlights issues that affect cooling benefits.

2023

Climate change adaptation: How short-term political priorities trample public well-being

Climate change looms, with many communities already suffering from worsening impacts. Despite ample research into how to adapt, attempts have been slow and often inadequate in practice.

2023

Participatory modeling for local and regional collaboration on climate change adaptation and health

Climate change-related flooding and sea-level rise have important direct and indirect health effects.

2023

The need to include wild foods in climate change adaptation strategies

Declining wild food use has been reported around the world for decades, with important implications for nutrition and well-being.

2023

What drives local climate change adaptation? A qualitative comparative analysis

Climate change impacts vary wildly across different geographical contexts and their effects are primarily felt on the local level, generating demand for local solutions.

2023

Perceptions and preferences of urban residents for green infrastructure to help cities adapt to climate change threats

Green infrastructure in cities is increasingly acknowledged as a way to contribute to tackling the challenges posed by climate change. However, studies analyzing urban inhabitants' attitudes towards green infrastructure when dealing with climate change effects are still scarce.

2023

Approaching Climate and Disasters in an Age of Uncertainty

Over the past years, climate science became increasingly clear on the links between climate change impacts and natural disasters, particularly water-related disasters.

2023

Investing in nature-based solutions. State-of-play and way forward for public and private financial measures in Europe

Nature-based solutions are cost-effective interventions that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits and build resilience. This report highlights the challenges involved in financing nature-based projects and draws on the European Investment Bank’s experience in implementing the Natural Capital Financing Facility pilot programme in Europe.

The analysis looks at nature-based solutions across six ecosystems and landscapes. The in-depth report also presents key recommendations on ho

2023

Taming Wildfires in the Context of Climate Change

This report provides a global assessment and outlook on wildfire risk in the context of climate change

2023

OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Israel 2023

Climate change adaptation efforts are at an early stage

2023

Adaptation measurement: Assessing municipal climate risks to inform adaptation policy in the Slovak Republic

Climate change presents a major social, economic and political challenge for the Slovak Republic.

2023

Progress in local climate change adaptation against sea level rise: A comparison of management planning between 2013 and 2022 of Swedish municipalities

This paper uses content analysis of urban planning and guiding documents to research and evaluate relative adaptation approaches by categorising and comparing relevant indicators of progress. The scope of the paper is covering the 33 coastal municipalities that experience particularly exposure to negative consequences of climate change induced sea level rise.

2023

WHO/Europe report on valuing urban green and blue spaces for health and well-being

Green and blue spaces, such as parks, gardens, green walls, street trees and water bodies, function among others as nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation through, for example, providing urban cooling and reducing flood risks.

2023

What happens after climate change adaptation projects end: A community-based approach to ex-post assessment of adaptation projects

Over the last decade, hundreds of climate change adaptation projects have been funded and implemented. Despite the importance of these first-generation adaptation projects for establishing funders and implementors’ “best practices,” very little is known about how early adaptation projects have endured, to what ends, and for whom.

2023

Global transportation infrastructure exposure to the change of precipitation in a warmer world

Transportation infrastructures are generally designed to have multi-decadal service lives. Transport infrastructure design, however, is largely based on historical conditions.

2023

Enhancing the insurance sector’s contribution to climate adaptation

Insurance coverage plays an important role in protecting households, businesses and governments from the financial impacts of climate-related disasters.

2023

US farmers' adaptations to climate change: a systematic review of adaptation-focused studies in the US agriculture context

Farmers in the US are adopting a range of strategies to deal with climate change impacts, from changing planting dates to using advanced technologies.

2023

Urban Heat Mitigation towards Climate Change Adaptation: An Eco-Sustainable Design Strategy to Improve Environmental Performance under Rapid Urbanization

Rapid urbanization has led to drastic land-use/cover changes (LUCCs) and urban heat islands (UHIs), negatively altering the urban climate and air quality.

2023

More frequent, persistent, and deadly heat waves in the 21st century over the Eastern Mediterranean

Heat waves are extreme events characterized by sweltering weather over an extended period. Skillful projections of heat waves and their impacts on human mortality can help develop appropriate adaptation strategies. Here, we provide nuanced projections of heat wave characteristics and their effect on human mortality over the Eastern Mediterranean based on ERA5 reanalysis and CORDEX ensemble simulations.

2023

State of Finance for Nature in Cities 2023

Nature-based solutions (NbS) can help cities become more resilient, healthy and equitable. But for urban nature to reach its full potential, investments need to be substantially scaled up. In 2020, NbS received just 0.3% of overall spending on urban infrastructure, and investments are unequally distributed across and within cities.

2023

IPCC- AR6 Synthesis Report (SYR) : Climate Change 2023

The SYR outline agreed at the 52nd Panel Session of the IPCC consists of an introduction and three main sections arranged by timeframes. The first section, ‘Current Status and Trends’, covers the historical and present period. The second section, ‘Long-term Climate and Development Futures’, addresses projected futures up to 2100 and beyond. The final section is ‘Near-term Responses in a Changing Climate’, considers current international policy timeframes, and the time interval between now and 20

2023

Literature Review on Incorporating Climate Change Adaptation Measures in the Design of New Ports and Other Maritime Projects

Due to their nature and location, ports and other maritime projects are particularly sensitive to climate change actions.

2023

Adaptation to climate change: A study on regional climate change adaptation policy and practice framework

Although planning and policy instruments are important for climate change adaptation, the implementation of these measures is critical for success. This paper studies different climate change adaptation strategies by analysing the measures adopted by stakeholders in charge of government policy development and implementation to minimise the impacts of climate change in the northern tropical region of Queensland, Australia.

2023

Governance of densification and climate change adaptation: How can conflicting demands for housing and greening in cities be reconciled?

Urban green spaces are important for climate change adaptation, in particular to reduce the negative impacts of heat waves on human well-being. However, in growing cities urban green spaces are under pressure due to increasing housing demand and densification. Municipalities face the challenge of addressing both the housing shortage and the need for climate change adaptation on limited space.

2023

Tracking the money for climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction

This issue paper zooms in on public finance for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and provides an overview of the latest international and country trends in tagging budgets and tracking public expenditures on climate and disaster resilience.

2023

Assessing the costs and benefits of climate change adaptation

Climate change is happening. To reduce its economic impact, adaptation and mitigation actions are urgently needed. Decision-makers need to understand their benefits and costs compared to not acting at all. This briefing summarises the main assessment concepts, key methods and related challenges and constraints, and provides practical examples of approaches relevant to the EU.

2023

Cooling cities through urban green infrastructure: a health impact assessment of European cities

This study, published in The Lancet, models how increasing urban tree coverage to 30% can lower temperatures by 0.4°C, which could reduce heat-related deaths by over a third.

2023

Provisional State of the Global Climate in 2022

The State of the Global Climate in 2022 is produced on an annual basis, complementing the most
recent long assessment cycle provided by the sixth IPCC Assessment Report.

2023

Special Issue: Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation: An Interdisciplinary Approach

The UN member states adopted three international agreements for the post-2015 agenda: the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, the Paris Agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Climate change is exacerbating disaster risks worldwide, forcing countries to enhance disaster reduction measures. Approaches geared toward adapting to climate change involve a wide range of measures that reduce disaster ri

2023

Global mapping of urban nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation

Many cities around the world are experimenting with nature-based solutions (NbS) to address the interconnected climate-, biodiversity- and society-related challenges they are facing (referred to as the climate–biodiversity–society, or CBS, nexus), by restoring, protecting and more sustainably managing urban ecosystems.

2023

Legal culture and climate change adaptation: An agenda for research

While climate change adaptation research has increasingly focused on aspects of culture, a systematic treatment of the role of legal culture in how communities respond to climate risk has yet to be produced. This is despite the fact that law and legal authority are implicated in most, if not all, of the ways in which actors seek to reduce the risks posed to communities by climate change.

2023

Climate change adaptation in agriculture: Learning from an international labour mobility programme in Australia and the Pacific Islands region

Climate change is expected to seriously affect agricultural livelihoods and food security in all Pacific Island countries. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation contends that, to adapt, both ‘modern’ and Indigenous agricultural practices and knowledge are needed.

2023

Climate change adaptation through agroforestry: opportunities and gaps

This review highlights the current state of knowledge about the socioeconomic and biophysical role of agroforestry for climate change adaptation, identifies three knowledge gaps, and discusses the role of agroforestry in adaptation policy processes.

2023

Climate Risk Analysis and Adaptation in Companies

Companies increasingly have to deal with climate risks and, if necessary, implement adaptation measures. To this end, there are clear requirements in the EU taxonomy, the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and other frameworks that are mandatory for some companies to apply. This document contains recommendations for conducting a "robust climate risk and vulnerability assessment" according to the requirements of the Climate Delegated Act as a draft - changes and addition

2022

Climate adaptation: Measuring performance, defining targets and ensuring sustainability

This study, published by the European Committee of the Regions, aims to support local and regional authorities with practical recommendations on how adaptation measures can be assessed, their progress measured, and targets defined. The study combines insights from academic and grey literature as well as examples of local and regional adaptation plans.

2022

Key Environmental Impacts along the Mediterranean Coast of Israel in the Last 100 Years

In the last 100 years, the population of the land of Israel has increased dramatically, accompanied by a very intense and accelerated economic and industrial growth. The objective of the present review is to reveal how these major changes have affected the Mediterranean marine and coastal environment. The present review analyzes the global, regional, and local factors and processes that cause substantial environmental changes affecting a variety of marine habitats and taxa.

2022

Policies and practices of climate change education in South Asia: towards a support framework for an impactful climate change adaptation

South Asia is one of the most vulnerable regions to the impacts of climate change. While it has contributed the least to global greenhouse gas emissions, the people in the region face imminent threats to their health and well-being due to extreme weather events and a range of other climate-induced challenges, such as biodiversity loss and monsoon floods.

2022

Scientists' warning of threats to mountains

Mountains are an essential component of the global life-support system. They are characterized by a rugged, heterogenous landscape with rapidly changing environmental conditions providing myriad ecological niches over relatively small spatial scales. Although montane species are well adapted to life at extremes, they are highly vulnerable to human derived ecosystem threats.

2022

World Cities Report 2022: Envisaging the Future of Cities

Envisaging the Future of Cities seeks to provide greater clarity and insights into the future of cities based on existing trends, challenges and opportunities, as well as disruptive conditions, including the valuable lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, and suggests ways that cities can be better prepared to address a wide range of shocks and transition to sustainable urban futures.

2022

Advancing towards climate resilience in Europe: status of reported national adaptation actions in 2021

This EEA report provides an overview of how all EU Member States and Türkiye are adapting to climate change and are reporting on their adaptation actions. The report summarises how these countries are progressing through the adaptation policy cycle. It gives a snapshot of the situation in 2021, but where possible, compares this with earlier information to describe progress throughout recent years.

2022

Forests at the heart of sustainable development - Investing in forests to meet biodiversity and climate goals

Forests, forestry and forest-based industries are moving towards a sustainable forest-based bioeconomy. The European Green Deal includes the EU Forest Strategy for 2030. This strategy, together with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, shapes the policy framework for the forestry sector in line with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

2022

Nature-based solutions - A tool for climate adaptation and other societal challenges

This report defines and explains nature-based solutions, while offering guidance on implementation together with a selection of real-world cases that demonstrate nature-based solutions in different landscape types including wetlands, urban areas, coastal areas, forests and agricultural landscapes.

2022

World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency 2022

We are now at “code red” on planet Earth. Humanity is unequivocally facing a climate emergency. The scale of untold human suffering, already immense, is rapidly growing with the escalating number of climate-related disasters. Therefore, we urge scientists, citizens, and world leaders to read this Special Report and quickly take the necessary actions to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

2022

Ocean conservation boosts climate change mitigation and adaptation

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are increasingly being promoted as an ocean-based climate solution. However, such claims remain controversial because of the diffuse and poorly synthesized literature on climate benefits of MPAs.

2022

Enhancing Nature-Based Solutions in Serbia : The role of ecosystems in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation

Serbia is exposed to various natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods, landslides, droughts, wildfires and storms and faces major environmental challenges and climate-related risks, calling for a stronger agenda to improve the national resilience to and mitigation of climate change.

2022

Adaptation Gap Report 2022 - Too Little, To Slow: Climate adaptation failure puts world at risk

The report looks at progress in planning, financing and implementing adaptation actions. At least 84 per cent of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have established adaptation plans, strategies, laws and policies – up 5 per cent from the previous year. The instruments are getting better at prioritizing disadvantaged groups, such as Indigenous peoples.

2022

Climate service driven adaptation may alleviate the impacts of climate change in agriculture

Building a resilient and sustainable agricultural sector requires the development and implementation of tailored climate change adaptation strategies.

2022

Youth Engagement with the Global Goal on Adaptation

The Paris Agreement established countries’ first collective commitment on adaptation, known as the Global Goal on Adaptation. Countries are seeking to assess progress towards the Global Goal on Adaptation and are thereby defining it. It is crucial that young people’s needs and priorities are reflected in the Global Goal on Adaptation, as young people will live with the consequences of a warming planet the longest.

2022

Climate change as a threat to health and well-being in Europe: focus on heat and infectious diseases

Unprecedented heatwaves — as seen earlier this year across Europe — are the greatest direct climate-related health threat to Europe’s population. Heatwaves already account for numerous deaths and illnesses. This burden is set to increase without more climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. Heat-health action plans, urban greening, better building design and adjusting working times can contribute to better protect the most vulnerable groups in society.

2022

Scientists' warning on climate change and insects

Climate warming is considered to be among the most serious of anthropogenic stresses to the environment, because it not only has direct effects on biodiversity, but it also exacerbates the harmful effects of other human-mediated threats.

2022

Scientists' warning on population - 2022

Humanity must commit to transformative change on all levels in order to address the climate emergency and biodiversity collapse.

2022

The Coldest Year of the Rest of their Lives: Protecting children form the escalating impacts of heatwaves

The climate crisis is rapidly accelerating and with it, heatwaves are becoming longer, stronger, more widespread and more frequent. Heat is especially damaging to children’s health and affects their education and future livelihoods. This report provides yet more evidence that children are on the front lines of the climate crisis.

2022

The 2022 Europe report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: towards a climate resilient future

In the past few decades, major public health advances have happened in Europe, with drastic decreases in premature mortality and a life expectancy increase of almost 9 years since 1980. European countries have some of the best health-care systems in the world.

2022

Harnessing the potential of nature-based solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change

Although many governments, financial institutions, and corporations are embracing nature-based solutions as part of their sustainability and net-zero carbon strategies, some nations, Indigenous peoples, local community groups, and grassroots organizations have rejected this term.

2022

Limited climate change mitigation potential through forestation of the vast dryland regions

Forestation of the global drylands has been suggested to be a way to decrease global warming, but how much promise does it actually have? Rohatyn et al. found that the climatic benefits are minor.

2022

Forest-based climate change mitigation and adaptation in Europe

Forests and forestry play a key role in policy targets to achieve climate neutrality. In a comprehensive new European Forest Institute study, a multidisciplinary team of 12 authors from 7 countries have analysed how much forests and wood use can contribute to climate change mitigation, and how that contribution can be maximised.

2022

Financial Innovation for Climate Adaptation in Africa - 2022

There is a pressing need to accelerate finance from all sources for climate adaptation in Africa over the coming decade. The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of 51 African countries cumulatively show a need for an estimated $579 billion in investment for adaptation through 2030.

2022

Science for climate action: EU research contribution to IPCC working group II on impacts, adaptation and vulnerability : providing solutions, enabling resilient development

Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing humanity, and the window to take action and secure a liveable future is closing fast. The European Commission presented in 2021 its new EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change, setting out how the EU can adapt to the unavoidable climate impacts.

2022

Towards a deeper understanding of barriers to national climate change adaptation policy: A systematic review

As adaptation have received increasing attention, national adaptation policies and plans have been substantially developed. Despite the significant roles of national policy for adaptation, barriers to national adaptation policy have been overlooked and our understanding of the barriers is not sufficient as we expect.

2022

Public Health Aspects of Climate Change Adaptation in Three Cities: A Qualitative Study

Climate change presents an unprecedented public health challenge as it has a great impact on population health outcomes across the global population. The key to addressing these health challenges is adaptation carried out in cities through collaboration between institutions, including public health ones.

2022

Extreme climate events in sub-Saharan Africa: A call for improving agricultural technology transfer to enhance adaptive capacity

This study seeks to provide a critical overview of the existing evidence on extreme climate events and the adaptation options of the affected population in order to help scholars navigate the field. The study examined the recent extreme climate events that occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the climate change adaptation options mentioned in the literature, and the need for international technological transfer in SSA.

2022

Deploying artificial intelligence for climate change adaptation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is believed to have a significant potential use in tackling climate change. This paper explores the connections between AI and climate change research as a whole and its usefulness in climate change adaptation efforts in particular.

2022

Heatwaves and vulnerable populations: Mapping their needs in The Hague

This applied research project "The Effect of heatwaves on vulnerable population groups in The Hague" aimed to generate a better understanding of the effects of heatwaves on vulnerable population groups in the municipality of The Hague, and suggest ways in which the municipality can help such groups to cope with these heatwaves.

2022

Quality Criteria for Health National Adaptation Plans

A Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP) is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a plan developed by a country’s Ministry of Health as part of the NAP process.

2022

The inequality labor loss risk from future urban warming and adaptation strategies

Heat-induced labor loss is a major economic cost related to climate change. Here, we use hourly heat stress data modeled with a regional climate model to investigate the heat-induced labor loss in 231 Chinese cities. Results indicate that future urban heat stress is projected to cause an increase in labor losses exceeding 0.20% of the total account gross domestic product (GDP) per year by the 2050s relative to the 2010s.

2022

Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation for Coastal Transport Infrastructure: a Compilation of Policies and Practices

Ports and other coastal transport infrastructure (i.e. coastal roads, railways and airports) will be particularly affected by climate variability and change. The projected increase in sea level will cause permanent and / or recurrent flooding of seaports, coastal airports, and other transport infrastructure in many regions.

2022

Climate Change Risks for European Aviation

The study carried out by Egis and the UK Met Office on behalf of EUROCONTROL sets out how the aviation industry faces increasing disruption on the ground and in the air from climate change and highlights the growing danger that climate change poses to all parts of the aviation sector.

2022

Towards ‘just resilience’: leaving no one behind when adapting to climate change

Despite efforts to adapt to climate change in Europe, the most vulnerable groups in society are still the most affected. Projected climate change, an ageing society and persisting socio-economic inequalities mean that differences in vulnerability and exposure to climate change are likely to continue. In addition, adaptation responses may worsen existing inequalities or even create new ones. This briefing looks at how climate change affects vulnerable groups and how these impacts can be prevented

2022

Agriculture, irrigation and drought induced international migration: Evidence from Mexico

There is now substantial empirical evidence that climatic variability increases international migration, but relatively little is known about the mechanism driving the association and about adaptations that may reduce it. We use detailed data on migrants from Mexico to the U.S. to provide evidence in support of the hypothesis that drought induced migration from Mexico to the U.S. is mediated by agricultural income shocks.

2022

Small green spaces can help keep cities cool during heat waves

Many studies have shown that urban forests can reduce the urban heat island, and many policies focus their attention on large green spaces. Small green spaces, such as yards, rooftops and small parcels of undeveloped land, can make impressive contributions to lowering urban heat, but they are often overlooked when developing strategies for urban cooling.

2022

The triple differential vulnerability of female entrepreneurs to climate risk in sub-Saharan Africa: Gendered barriers and enablers to private sector adaptation

The ability of businesses to adapt effectively to climate change is highly influenced by the external business enabling environment. Constraints to adaptive capacity are experienced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across sub-Saharan Africa, regardless of the gender of the business owner. However, gender is a critical social cleavage through which differences in adaptive capacity manifest and in Africa most entrepreneurs are women.

2022

Urban planning, design and management approaches to building resilience – an evidence review

As part of WHO’s Protecting environments and health by building urban resilience project, a broad literature review of urban planning, design, management and preparedness related to disasters was carried out. Academic literature published during 2015–2021 applicable to cities in the WHO European Region was compiled, and risk-informed urban planning strategies for improved local-level resilience were extracted. A brief selection of recent international reports and guidelines was also included as

2022

Beating the urban heat: Situation, background, impacts and the way forward in China

This paper reviews urban heat (UrHT) challenges following the SBAR (situation, background, assessment and recommendation) framework. The results indicate that heatwaves become more frequent, lasting and intense, especially after 1990s. Above 1960s level, heatwaves across China doubled in both magnitude and frequency by 2018.

2022

Adaptation to climate change: A study on regional urban water management and planning practice

Advancing knowledge on how climate change impacts on water resources is considered a priority in the academic world. This paper studies the strategies adopted by urban water professionals in the tropical region of Queensland, Australia to minimise the impacts of climate change on the regional urban water supply network.

2022

The strengths and weaknesses of future visioning approaches for climate change adaptation: A review

Adaptation to climate change is about planning for the future while responding to current pressures and challenges. Adaptation scientists are increasingly using future visioning exercises embedded in co-production and co-development techniques to assist stakeholders in imagining futures in a changing climate. Even if these exercises are growing in popularity, surprisingly little scrutiny has been placed on understanding the fundamental assumptions and choices in scenario approaches, timeframes,

2022

HELP Guiding Principles for Drought Risk Management under a Changing Climate

Disaster risk reduction mainly focused on flood events in the past decades. However, one of the most impactful water-related climate risks to both nature and humanity is considered to be droughts, many regions in the world have already been hit hard by drought events in recent years. Drought impacts are far-reaching and include degraded ecosystems, limited availability of drinking water and loss of food production. To be better prepared for future drought events, the High-level Experts and Leade

2022

Adapt biodiversity targets to climate change

Although the climate crisis is interrelated with biodiversity loss, the decade-old targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have barely addressed climate change impacts (1). So far, the post-2020 global biodiversity framework continues to miss opportunities: The first draft, released in July 2021 (2), overlooks climate-biodiversity interactions and provides no explicit solutions to anticipate climate change—related risks. These issues persist after the latest input of scientific e

2022

Case Studies on Adaptation and Climate Resilience in Schools and Educational Settings

This publication documents 15 innovative ideas and actions adopted and implemented by educational institutes in Africa, and across the globe. The purpose of this knowledge product is to provide case study examples on adaptation and climate resilience in schools, to offer insights to schools based in Africa, and to amplify real life climate adaptation actions, designed and implemented in different countries across the world.

2022

Ghana: Roadmap for Resilient Infrastructure in a Changing Climate

Adaptation action is essential to achieving and safeguarding development outcomes in the face of more frequent and intense climate hazards.

This report is the culmination of a 21-month partnership between Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Environment (MESTI), the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), the University of Oxford, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to identify and propose solutions to addre

2022

Climate adaptation guidance: New roles for hydroeconomic analysis

Climate water stress internationally challenges the goal of achieving food, energy, and water security. This challenge is elevated by population and income growth. Increased climate water stress levels reduce water supplies in many river basins and elevate competition for water among sectors. Organized information is needed to guide river basin managers and stakeholders who must plan for a changing climate through innovative water allocation policies, trade-off analysis, vulnerability assessment

2022

GAR 2022 - Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction

This sixth edition of the United Nations Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction – Our World at Risk: Transforming Governance for a Resilient Future offers valuable recommendations to reduce risk and increase resilience. It also details how innovations in systemic risk modelling offer a promising mechanism to better anticipate and respond to risk.

2022

Greening cities through urban planning: A literature review on the uptake of concepts and methods in Stockholm

Nature-based solutions (NBS) represent the most recent of several "greening" concepts proposed to support spatial planning and decision-making towards sustainable metropolitan regions. Despite similarities, the concepts stem from different disciplines and policy arenas and reflect various models of people-nature relations. This paper aims to analyze the uptake of greening concepts in scientific planning literature focusing on (urban) nature and landscape in the metropolitan region of S

2022

Biodiversity, climate change, and adaptation in the Mediterranean

Potential for, and limits to, adaptation to environmental changes are critical for resilience and risk mitigation. The Mediterranean basin is a mosaic of biodiversity-rich ecosystems long affected by human influence, whose resilience is now questioned by climate change.

2022

Climate-sensitive disease outbreaks in the aftermath of extreme climatic events: A scoping review

Outbreaks of climate-sensitive infectious diseases (CSID) in the aftermath of extreme climatic events, such as floods, droughts, tropical cyclones, and heatwaves, are of high public health concern. Recent advances in forecasting of extreme climatic events have prompted a growing interest in the development of prediction models to anticipate CSID risk, yet the evidence base linking extreme climate events to CSID outbreaks to date has not been collated and synthesized.

2022

The development process and significance of the 3rd National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (2021–2025) of the Republic of Korea

The Republic of Korea has developed its 3rd National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (2021–2025) through joint work between government departments in 2020. This follows the Framework Act on Low Carbon, Green Growth, which was enacted in 2010. In this paper, we presented the development process, main contents, significance, and limitations of the 3rd Adaptation Plan as a helpful case for the international community to consult in formulating their national adaptation plans.

2022

Climate change impacts on infrastructure: Flood risk perceptions and evaluations of water systems in coastal urban areas

The importance of public perceptions and their role in climate change adaptation for infrastructure has been highlighted in previous studies. However, public perception of water infrastructure at risk of flooding has not been explicitly addressed. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate flood risk perception, the factors that influence it, and evaluations of water infrastructure systems.

2022

Adaptive planting design and management framework for urban climate change adaptation and mitigation

Implementing measures to adapt and mitigate climate change effects in cities has been considered increasingly urgent since the quality of life, health, and well-being of urban residents is threatened by this change. Novel communities of plant species that emerge and thrive in the harsh conditions of cities may represent a promising opportunity to address climate change adaptation and mitigation through the planting design and management of urban green spaces. The objective of this study is to de

2022

Climate change increases risk of extreme rainfall following wildfire in the western United States

Post-wildfire extreme rainfall events can have destructive impacts in the western United States. Using two climate model large ensembles, we assess the future risk of extreme fire weather events being followed by extreme rainfall in this region. By mid-21st century, in a high warming scenario (RCP8.5), we report large increases in the number of extreme fire weather events followed within 1 year by at least one extreme rainfall event.

2022

Everybody should contribute, but not too much: Perceptions of local governments on citizen responsibilisation in climate change adaptation in the Netherlands

Arguments for so-called citizen responsibilisation, the transfer of responsibilities for public services to citizens, are increasingly put forward in several Western-European countries. An important domain in which citizen responsibilisation is advocated is that of urban climate change adaptation.

2022

GAR Special Report on Drought 2021

The GAR Special Report on Drought 2021 explores the systemic nature of drought and its impacts on achievement of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the SDGs and human and ecosystems health and wellbeing. Droughts have deep, widespread and underestimated impacts on societies, ecosystems, and economies. They incur costs that are borne disproportionately by the most vulnerable people.

2022

IPCC Sixth Assessment Report - Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change

The IPCC has finalized the third part of the Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change, the Working Group III contribution. It was finalized on 4 April during the 14th Session of Working Group III and 56th Session of the IPCC.

2022

Mitigation co-benefits of climate change adaptation: A case-study analysis of eight cities

This research explores the approaches eight cities – Durban, Cape Town, London, Manchester, Surat, Indore, Montreal, and Vancouver – are taking to plan for mitigation co-benefits of adaptation strategies. The approaches set out in city adaptation plans are analysed and compared to provide insight into the uptake of mitigation co-benefits in terms of the extent to which they are strategically planned for and the types of measures utilised.

2022

Effective climate change adaptation means supporting community autonomy

Communities want to determine their own climate change adaptation strategies, and scientists and decision-makers should listen to them — both the equity and efficacy of climate change adaptation depend on it. We outline key lessons researchers and development actors can take to support communities and learn from them.

2022

Impacts of Climate Change on Water Management. Stocktaking, scope for action and strategic fields of action

In December 2020, the German Working Group on Water Issues of the Federal States and the Federal Government (LAWA) prepared a comprehensive report on the concerns, potential responses and strategic fields of action in water resources management, updating the previous work released in 2017.

The application-oriented report briefly describes how changes in climate elements (temperature, precipitation, wind, etc.) affect surface water, groundwater and the ecology of water bodies.

2022

The diffusion of climate change adaptation policy

Adapting to some level of climate change has become unavoidable. However, there is surprisingly limited systematic knowledge about whether and how adaptation policies have diffused and could diffuse in the future. Most existing adaptation studies do not explicitly examine policy diffusion, which is a form of interdependent policy-making among jurisdictions at the same or across different levels of governance.

2022

Policy Brief: Gender-Responsive Disaster Risk Reduction

This policy brief explores challenges faced in gender-responsive disaster risk reduction. Gender inequality, coupled with climate and environment crises, is the greatest sustainable development challenge of the present time.

2022

Plan of approach for exceptional low water events in the Meuse basin

The Meuse International River Basin District faced several consecutive years of the summer drought between 2017 and 2020. In order to be able to adapt to these events, which are likely to occur more often because of climate change, the International Meuse Commission has drafted a plan of approach to deal with exceptional low water events, published at the end of 2020.

The document aims to answer three questions:

What is an exceptional low-water event in the Meuse basin?
What are their con

2022

Everyday limits to adaptation

Adaptation to climate change, in terms of both academic and policy debates, has been treated predominantly as a local issue. This scalar focus points towards local agency as well as the contested responsibilization of local actors and potential disconnects with higher-level dynamics. While there are growing calls for individuals to take charge of their own lives against mounting climatic forces, little is known about the day-to-day actions people take, the many hurdles, barriers, and limits they

2022

A framework for climate change adaptation indicators for the natural environment

Impacts of climate change on natural and human systems will become increasingly severe as the magnitude of climate change increases. Climate change adaptation interventions to address current and projected impacts are thus paramount. Yet, evidence on their effectiveness remains limited, highlighting the need for appropriate ecological indicators to measure progress of climate change adaptation for the natural environment.

2022

IPCC Sixth Assessment Report - Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability

The IPCC has finalized the second part of the Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, the Working Group II contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report. It was finalized on 27 February 2022 during the 12th Session of Working Group II and 55th Session of the IPCC.

2022

Spreading like Wildfire: The Rising Threat of Extraordinary Landscape Fires

Climate change and land-use change are making wildfires worse and anticipates a global increase of extreme fires even in areas previously unaffected. Uncontrollable and extreme wildfires can be devastating to people, biodiversity and ecosystems. They also exacerbate climate change, contributing significant greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere.

2022

Economic losses and fatalities from weather- and climate-related events in Europe

The EU adaptation strategy aims to build resilience and ensure that Europe is well prepared to manage the risks from and adapt to the impacts of climate change, including limiting economic losses and other harm. All regions of Europe face economic losses and fatalities from weather and climate extremes every year. To support policy processes on climate change adaptation, data on these losses must be collected and reported across EEA member countries and in a coherent way over decades.

2022

Who benefits from nature in cities? Social inequalities in access to urban green and blue spaces across Europe

Parks, urban forests, tree-lined streets and riverbanks support urban well-being by providing space for rest, relaxation and exercise, and by keeping temperatures down. However, not everyone across Europe enjoys equal access to green space in cities. This briefing reviews the evidence of socio-economic and demographic inequalities in access to the health benefits derived from urban green and blue spaces across Europe. It showcases examples of green spaces that were designed to meet the needs of

2022

Building a Resilient Canada

The report examines current practices and emerging actions to reduce vulnerability and exposure to natural hazards through the integration of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. Although the report mainly refers to Canada, it can provide a conceptual framework and examples relevant for governments, businesses, individuals, and other stakeholders of European countries and beyond.

2022

Supporting urban adaptation to climate change: What role can resilience measurement tools play?

Cities are emerging as leading forces for climate change adaptation and resilience. Many approaches and tools have been developed and used to measure climate resilience in cities. In this study, we explore if and how such tools can be or have been used to support decision-making for building urban climate resilience.

2022

Increasing Heat-Stress Inequality in a Warming Climate

Adaptation is key to minimizing heatwaves' societal burden; however, our understanding of adaptation capacity across the socioeconomic spectrum is incomplete. We demonstrate that observed heatwave trends in the past four decades were most pronounced in the lowest-quartile income region of the world resulting in >40% higher exposure from 2010 to 2019 compared to the highest-quartile income region. Lower-income regions have reduced adaptative capacity to warming, which compounds the impacts of

2022

Nature-based solutions and global climate protection: Assessment of their global mitigation potential and recommendations for international climate policy

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) build synergies between biodiversity conservation and societal challenges such as climate change. This paper derives a working definition of NbS based on an evaluation of existing definitions. It assesses the global mitigation and adaptation potential of NbS in relevant studies for forests, croplands, grasslands, terrestrial and coastal wetlands as well as settlements. Recommendations for international climate policy are derived. The study finds that it is likely tha

2022

UK Climate Change Risk Assessment - 2022

As required by the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK government has undertaken the third five-year assessment of the risks of climate change on the UK. This is based on the Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk, the statutory advice provided by the Climate Change Committee (CCC), commissioned by the UK government and devolved administrations.

2021

Assessment Frameworks of Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction

Nature-based solutions (NBS) play an important and increasing role in both adaptation and disaster risk management. This is also recognized within several global and European agreements and policies (e.g., UN’s SFDRR, EU Green Deal, the EU Adaptation Strategy) which embed NBS as a means to address climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) as well as other societal challenges (e.g., biodiversity loss, climate mitigation). This calls for fit-for-purpose assessments, which c

2021

Just transition in the context of adaptation to climate change

Climate change impacts affect people in different ways and some members of society will find it more demanding to adapt their living and working conditions and their livelihood to changing climate conditions. Managing climate change adaptation and transition to a climate resilient society in a just and inclusive manner requires awareness about which conditions generate injustice with burdens from climate impacts shared and costs and benefits from adaptation measures distributed in a fair and equ

2021

Managing extreme weather and climate change in UK agriculture: Impacts, attitudes and action among farmers and stakeholders

Although the need for agriculture to adapt to climate change is well established, there is relatively little research within a UK context that explores how the risks associated with climate change are perceived at the farm level, nor how farmers are adapting their businesses to improve resilience in the context of climate change.

2021

Zero regrets: scaling up action on climate change mitigation and adaptation for health in the WHO European Region.

This paper is aimed at policy-makers, particularly from the health sector, and civil society representatives – with the intent to raise awareness about the links between health and climate change, as well as the policy options that can maximize the benefits for health and the environment. It further aims to equip them with evidence and messages to support an active engagement in national preparatory consultations for and negotiations at COP26 and indicate areas for action and collaboration acros

2021

Urban tree canopy has greater cooling effects in socially vulnerable communities in the US

Cities are home to around half of the global population but face intensified and unevenly distributed heat stresses. Trees are utilized to adapt to urban heat; however, most tree planting is prioritized by either biophysical or social metrics, rather than an integration of the two. It therefore remains unclear how to maximize ecological and social benefits of tree planting in the context of environmental justice. Here, we analyze social vulnerability to heat and the cooling capacity of trees acr

2021

Global Environment Outlook For Cities - Towards Green and Just Cities

GEO for Cities aims to inform, engage and support dialogue among decision makers and other actors involved in urban issues. The GEO-6 report identified urbanization as one of five main drivers of environmental change and also looked at the impact on cities and city residents of related challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. The GEO for Cities looks at these issues but also presents the types of solutions that can lead to environmentally sustainable and just cities.

2021

Effective risk communication for environment and health: a strategic report on recent trends, theories and concepts

This report provides a strategic overview of effective risk communication for environment and health (‎EH)‎ globally, with a focus on Europe. An overview is provided of the latest trends, theories and concepts of risk communication for EH, and key challenges and good practices are identified. T he report’s findings are complemented by three cases studies: promoting indoor air quality in schools in Hungary; water contamination in the Veneto region, Italy; and heat health action in Styria, Austria

2021

Adaptation Gap Report 2021: The Gathering Storm

Even as the world looks to step up efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the need to adapt to the impacts of climate change already locked in are just as important. The sixth edition of the UNEP Adaptation Gap Report: The Gathering Storm looks at how the world is doing in adapting to these intensifying impacts.

2021

Beating the Heat: A Sustainable Cooling Handbook for Cities

Beating the Heat: A Sustainable Cooling Handbook for Cities, states that by the end of this century, many cities could warm as much as 4 °C if GHG emissions continue at high levels. Even at 1.5°C of warming, 2.3 billion people could be vulnerable to severe heat waves. The new guide offers planners an encyclopedia of proven options to help cool cities.

2021

Financial Innovation for Climate Adaptation in Africa - 2021

Current adaptation finance flows to Africa are insufficient to meet growing adaptation needs on the continent. This report provides an overview of existing adaptation finance flows in Africa and identifies opportunities to increase the volume and efficacy of that finance.

2021

Israel’s State of Climate Tech 2021

Technological innovations play a crucial role in the global challenge to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Israel is renowned as a global leader of technological innovation and this report sets out to examine, for the first time, Israel’s state of climate tech and the potential of its “problem solving” entrepreneurs to provide solutions for the world’s greatest challenge.

2021

The way forward: Supporting climate adaptation in coastal towns and small cities

This article summarizes and reflects upon the work presented in ‘The Unusual Suspects in Climate Change Adaptation – Small Coastal Cities and Towns’ special issue. Across the special issue the challenge of adapting coastal towns and small cities to the impacts of climate change was clearly evident. In order to address some of the challenges, an initial way forward is outlined here to act as a pathway for future research. The areas requiring particular focus include: building a network of coastal

2021

Infrastructure for Climate Action

By providing quantitative evidence of the influence of infrastructure on sustainable development and climate mitigation and adaptation, Infrastructure for Climate Action highlights the key role that infrastructure plays in fostering climate compatible development.

2021

Narratives of ice loss: New approaches to shrinking glaciers and climate change adaptation

This article explores an as-yet overlooked component of glacier melt: how competing narratives of ice loss are embedded in divergent climate change adaptation debates. This analysis of regional narratives of ice loss exposes the contested role of glacial meltwater amongst local residents, framing glaciers not just as physical features but also as nodes of discourse and imagination that influence climate change adaptation. Peru's Cordillera Blanca offers an excellent case study for this new n

2021

Long-term sea-level rise necessitates a commitment to adaptation: A first order assessment

Without adaptation, sea-level rise (SLR) will put more people at risk of flooding. This requires a timely and adequate commitment to adaptation. In this paper, we show how adaptation needs to unfold over time to manage climate-induced SLR. We use a novel scenario-neutral approach, applied globally and subsequently combined with SLR and population scenarios, to assess when, where, and how fast to adapt up to 2150.

2021

Interactions between two existential threats: COVID-19 and climate change

The COVID-19 pandemic and climate change are complex existential threats, unpredictable in many ways and unprecedented in modern times. There are parallels between the scale and scope of their impacts and responses. Understanding shared drivers, coupled vulnerabilities, and criteria for effective responses will help societies worldwide prepare for the simultaneous threats of climate change and future pandemics. We summarize some shared characteristics of COVID-19 and climate change impacts and i

2021

Drivers of and pressures arising from selected key water management challenges — A European overview

This report aims to give a European overview of the main drivers and pressures that are at the core of key water management challenges and which put European water bodies most at risk of not achieving key environmental objectives. Identifying the pressures from and drivers of key water management challenges at the European level can help in prioritising the main issues that should be tackled with measures.

2021

State of the Climate in 2020

This is the 31st issuance of the annual assessment now known as State of the Climate, published in the Bulletin since 1996. As a supplement to the Bulletin, its foremost function is to document the status and trajectory of many components of the climate system. However, as a series, the report also documents the status and trajectory of our capacity and commitment to observe the climate system.

2021

IPCC Sixth Assessment Report - AR6 Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis

The Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report addresses the most up-to-date physical understanding of the climate system and climate change, bringing together the latest advances in climate science, and combining multiple lines of evidence from paleoclimate, observations, process understanding, and global and regional climate simulations.

2021

Satellite imaging reveals increased proportion of population exposed to floods

Flooding affects more people than any other environmental hazard and hinders sustainable development1,2. Investing in flood adaptation strategies may reduce the loss of life and livelihood caused by floods3. Where and how floods occur and who is exposed are changing as a result of rapid urbanization4, flood mitigation infrastructure5 and increasing settlements in floodplains6. Previous estimates of the global flood-exposed population have been limited by a lack of observational data, relying ins

2021

A Practical Guide to Climate-resilient Buildings & Communities

This practical guide demonstrates how buildings and community spaces can be constructed to increase their resilience to climate change, especially in developing countries where structures are largely self-built. The publication provides an overview of the fundamental types of interventions at the building scale, including the use of nature-based solutions.

2021

Health effects from heat waves in France: an economic evaluation

Scarcity of data on the health impacts and associated economic costs of heat waves may limit the will to invest in adaptation measures. We assessed the economic impact associated with mortality, morbidity, and loss of well-being during heat waves in France between 2015 and 2019.

2021

Climate change adaptation in fisheries

We conducted a global systematic literature review of climate change adaptation in fisheries. We addressed three specific questions: (i) What are fisheries adapting to? (ii) How are fisheries adapting? and (iii) What research gaps need to be addressed? We identified, characterized and examined case studies published between 1990 and 2019 that lie at the intersection of the domains of climate change, adaptation and fisheries.

2021

A Systematic Review of the health co-benefits of urban climate change adaptation

The recent and projected upward trends in the frequency and intensity of climate induced events in cities have enhanced the focus on adaptation. In addition to enhancing the capacity of cities to prepare for and absorb risk, adaptation measures provide multiple co-benefits. However, health co-benefits are among the least explored. These are now seen as increasingly important with the renewed focus on public health since the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reviews literature focused on the health

2021

Rethinking resilient agriculture: From Climate-Smart Agriculture to Vulnerable-Smart Agriculture

Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is seeking to overcome the food security problem and develop rural livelihoods while minimizing negative impacts on the environment. However, when such synergies exist, the situation of small-scale farmers is often overlooked, and they are unable to implement new practices and technologies. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to improve CSA by adding the neglected but very important element “small-scale farmer”, and introduce Vulnerable-Smart Agriculture (VSA

2021

Defining region-specific heatwave in China based on a novel concept of “avoidable mortality for each temperature unit decrease”

The distribution of temperature and temperature-health association varied largely across different regions in China, a region-specific definition for heatwave was therefore needed. We collected the data on daily mortality, meteorological factors and air pollution in 84 Chinese cities during 2013−2016, which was divided into seven regions. Based on the association between daily maximum temperature and mortality in each city in a threshold distributed lag non-linear model, where the threshold was

2021

Index for climate change adaptation in China and its application

With the increasing awareness of the risks and impacts of climate change, scholars tend to pay more attention to the applications of indicators, which access the effectiveness of climate change adaptation. This study aims to evaluate the overall progress of climate change adaptation in China during 2010‒2018 in a quantitative manner. The Index for Climate Change Adaptation in China (ICCAC) has been thus developed by adopting the analytic hierarchy process weighting and expert scoring method. Nam

2021

2019 Monitoring Report on the German Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change

Within the framework of the German Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (DAS), the Federal Government is now presenting the second monitoring report in 2019. It informs the public and decision-makers in all areas of social life about the observed consequences of climate change. The message of the monitoring report is that the future has already reached us. Germany is in the midst of global warming, with far-reaching consequences for the environment, society and health. Urgent action must be

2021

The impact of climate change on mental health and emotional wellbeing: current evidence and implications for policy and practice

Climate change and mental health are two of the most significant and pressing challenges facing societies across the world. Yet, growing awareness of these global issues has not been met with sufficient action to mitigate their impacts. Mental illness – or the disabling effects of distress – already affects around a billion people globally, while the effects of climate change are increasingly apparent. Both of these issues are projected to increase and stand to affect many more people without su

2021

Food Systems at Risk: Transformative Adaptation for Long-Term Food Security

This report examines how climate change is impacting agriculture and threatening national and global food systems, particularly in climate hotspots, and how these trends are projected to intensify over the coming decades. The report defines and details transformative adaptation for agriculture and why such longer-term, systemic approaches are needed to protect the lives and livelihoods of millions of small-scale farmers and herders. Transformative adaptation in agriculture resilience by continua

2021

Council endorses new EU strategy on adaptation to climate change

The Council today approved conclusions endorsing a new strategy that outlines a long-term vision for the EU to become a climate-resilient society that is fully adapted to the unavoidable impacts of climate change by 2050.
The Council supports the strategy’s focus on better gathering and sharing data to improve access to and exchange of knowledge on climate impacts and adaptation, including by enhancing the Climate-ADAPT platform.
In its Conclusions, the Council recognises the importance of cl

2021

Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk-Advice to Government For the UK's third Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA3)

The Adaptation Committee’s Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk sets out the priority climate change risks and opportunities for the UK. The report draws on an extensive programme of analysis, consultation and consideration by the Committee involving over 450 people, 130 organisations and more than 1,500 pages of evidence and analysis.

2021

Power-sensitive design principles’ for climate change adaptation policy-making in South Asia

Despite the proliferation of power approaches to study climate change, there is little focus on how to deal with the negative effects of power in climate change adaptation (CCA) policy-making. CCA literature provides little insight into understandings of manifestations of power that can create negative effects, especially in the context of South Asia.

2021

The burden of heat-related mortality attributable to recent human-induced climate change

Climate change affects human health; however, there have been no large-scale, systematic efforts to quantify the heat-related human health impacts that have already occurred due to climate change. Here, we use empirical data from 732 locations in 43 countries to estimate the mortality burdens associated with the additional heat exposure that has resulted from recent human-induced warming, during the period 1991–2018. Across all study countries, we find that 37.0% (range 20.5–76.3%) of warm-seaso

2021

Cities on the route to 2030

We stand at a major crossroads for city climate action. As we mark a decade of cities disclosing climate data through CDP, there are less than ten years left to halve global emissions. Our new report reveals the huge progress in disclosure and action over the last decade – and where cities must now urgently ramp up their ambition and efforts to secure a resilient, green recovery from COVID-19, and a climate-safe future.

2021

Evaluating the impact of nature-based solutions- A handbook for practitioners

The Handbook aims to provide decision-makers with a comprehensive NBS impact assessment framework, and a robust set of indicators and methodologies to assess impacts of nature-based solutions across 12 societal challenge areas.

2021

Transformative climate adaptation in the United States: Trends and prospects

Successfully responding to the impacts of climate change will be a challenge for many communities, especially cities. Considering the situation in the United States, Shi and Moser examine how stakeholders can help to build urban resilience even in the absence of federal leadership. They discuss how local and state governments, private industry, and civil society can engage to adapt to the extreme weather events and other consequences of changing climate that are expected in the future. Preparing

2021

Urban landscapes and climate change: the contribution of Landscape Architects to improve the quality of life

The Report, which is concerned with the practice of Landscape Architecture to improve the quality
of life in cities, outlines the context of climate change in terms of the science, the politics and
aspirations, both in Europe and globally. It discusses how cities are changing, how their resident
populations are at risk, and how Covid-19 has further complicated the situation, perhaps advancing even more urgently the need for action. It notes two major studies commissioned by the European Unio

2021

Nature-based solutions in Europe: Policy, knowledge and practice for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction

Working with nature and enhancing the role of ecosystems can help reduce the impacts of climate change and increase resilience to climate change. Such an approach can deliver multiple benefits, including lowering pressures on biodiversity, improving human health and well-being, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building a sustainable economy. This EEA report provides up-to-date information for policymakers on how to apply nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and disaster risk

2021

Mapping the evolution and current trends in climate change adaptation science

Research on climate change adaptation has increased in number and significance since the 1970s. Yet, the volume of information on adaptation is now difficult to manage given its vast scope and spread across journals, institutions, disciplines and themes. While an increasing number of researchers have used systematic literature reviews to analyse particular themes within this rapidly growing field of research, there is still missing an overall analysis of the current state of climate change adapt

2021

Business-as-usual will lead to super and ultra-extreme heatwaves in the Middle East and North Africa

Global climate projections suggest a significant intensification of summer heat extremes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). To assess regional impacts, and underpin mitigation and adaptation measures, robust information is required from climate downscaling studies, which has been lacking for the region. Here, we project future hot spells by using the Heat Wave Magnitude Index and a comprehensive ensemble of regional climate projections for MENA. Our results, for a business-as-usual path

2021

Inventories of extreme weather events and impacts: Implications for loss and damage from and adaptation to climate extremes

Extreme and impactful weather events of the recent past provide a vital but under-utilised data source for understanding present and future climate risks. Extreme event attribution (EEA) enables us to quantify the influence of anthropogenic climate change (ACC) on a given event in a way that can be tailored to stakeholder needs, thereby enhancing the potential utility of studying past events. Here we set out a framework for systematically recording key details of high-impact events on a national

2021

The old and the climate adaptation: Climate justice, risks, and urban adaptation plan

With the transition to carbon-free economy, concerns have grown about the “green divide” – the separation of society into different social groups whose socioeconomic status determines one’s well-being from climate change impacts. Studies in environmental justice concur that the adverse effects of urban climate change are disproportionately greater for the demographically vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, the children, and the socially marginalized. Yet, little is known about how these

2021

Responding to the health risks of climate change in Europe

A new briefing by the Lancet Countdown and the European Environment Agency (EEA), explores the health impacts of climate change in Europe and suggests key opportunities for increased ambition with a focus on adaptation.
The briefing ’Responding to the health risks of climate change in Europe’ highlights key health impacts from climate change including wildfires, heatwaves and extreme temperatures, the spread of infectious diseases and droughts. It outlines the opportunities to reduce climate-re

2021

Accelerating climate research and action in cities through advanced science-policy-practice partnerships

Cities have become increasingly recognized as key sites for climate research and action. Recently, these efforts have been significantly advanced through science-policy-practice partnerships. The objective of this paper is to assess how these partnerships are structured, the research and action agenda that underpins them, and how this agenda is being articulated and implemented. The assessment also helps to define some of the conceptual and operational gaps faced by the science-policy-practice c

2021

Determinants of flood adaptation: Parametric and semiparametric assessment

Flood adaptation measures are indispensable to offset agricultural losses emanating from the increasing frequency and intensity of floods. Therefore, it is necessary to identify key precursors of adaptation for the success of flood‐related adaptation programs. Using cross‐sectional household survey data from rice farmers of eastern Nepal, this study explores existing adaptation practices along with the factors influencing farmers' adaptation strategies. Both parametric and semiparametric for

2021

Heat and health in the WHO European Region: updated evidence for effective prevention

The WHO Regional Office for Europe published guidance on heat–health action planning in 2008, and intends to update this to include the latest evidence. An in-depth review was initiated, based on recent epidemiological and environmental research and lessons learned from implementation in practice.
This publication collates and summarizes the most relevant evidence published since 2008, focusing primarily on Member States in the WHO European Region. Findings are organized around the elements the

2021

Changing Lengths of the Four Seasons by Global Warming

How long will the four seasons be by 2100? Increasing evidence suggests that the length of a single season or in regional scales has changed under global warming, but a hemispherical-scale response of the four seasons in the past and future remains unknown. We find that summer in the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes has lengthened, whereas winter has shortened, owing to shifts in their onsets and withdrawals, accompanied by shorter spring and autumn. Such changes in lengths and onsets can be mai

2021

Governing heatwaves in Europe: comparing health policy and practices to better understand roles, responsibilities and collaboration

The expectation that climate change will further exacerbate extreme weather events such as heatwaves is of primary concern to policymakers and scientists. Effective governance is fundamental to preparedness for and response to such threats. This paper explores the governance structures of European heat health action plans and provides insights into key stakeholders, roles, responsibilities and collaboration.

2021

Toward sustainable climate change adaptation

Industrial ecology (IE) has made great contributions to climate change mitigation research, in terms of its systems thinking and solid methodologies such as life cycle assessment, material flow analysis, and environmentally extended input–output analysis. However, its potential contribution to climate change adaptation is unclear. Adaptation has become increasingly urgent in a continuously changing climate, especially in developing countries, which are projected to bear the brunt of climate‐chan

2021

Co-benefits and synergies between urban climate change mitigation and adaptation measures: A literature review

Accounting for over 70% of global CO2 emissions, cities are major contributors to climate change. Acknowledging this, urban climate change adaptation and mitigation plans are increasingly developed to make progress toward enhancing climate resilience. While there is consensus that focusing on both adaptation and mitigation is necessary for addressing climate change impacts, better understanding of their interactions is needed to efficiently maximize their potentials.

2021

Living with water: climate adaptation in the world’s deltas

Over the centuries, deltas have given rise to some of the world’s greatest cities—and those cities have always been open to the world. They have thrived not only in the trade of goods, but also in the exchange of ideas. Today, as the world faces up to the need to adapt to climate change, it has never been more important for delta countries to learn from one another. That is the thinking behind this ‘lighthouse’ report, which brings together inspiring case studies from around the globe to galvani

2021

State and Trends in Adaptation Report 2020

The Global Center on Adaptation presents the first in a series of reports that will assess progress on climate adaptation and provide guidance and recommendations on best practice in adapting to the effects of a changing climate and building resilience to climate shocks.

2021

Understanding the Links Between Climate Change Risk Perceptions and the Action Response to Inform Climate Services Interventions

Understanding what motivates people to act on climate change provides an opportunity to design more effective interventions, in particular, climate services interventions, by aligning them with factors that strongly influence action. Climate change risk perceptions have been shown to underlie action on climate change. Therefore, this study performs exploratory research to understand how various determinants of risk perceptions contribute and interact to influence climate change risk perceptions

2021

The Global Risks Report - 2021

The 16th edition of the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report analyses the risks from societal fractures—manifested through persistent and emerging risks to human health, rising unemployment, widening digital divides, youth disillusionment, and geopolitical fragmentation. Businesses risk a disorderly shakeout which can exclude large cohorts of workers and companies from the markets of the future. Environmental degradation—still an existential threat to humanity—risks intersecting with socie

2021

Urban adaptation in Europe: how cities and towns respond to climate change

EEA assessment report presenting the status quo of adaptation to climate change at the local government level, with particular focus on cities. The assessment presents the overview of climate risks to cities, types of adaptation responses, extent of adaptation planning and actions at the loal level in Europe and opportunities to scale up and speed up implementation of adaptation to climate change at the local level.

2021

Adaptation Gap Report 2020 - UNEP

The UNEP Adaptation Gap Report 2020 finds that while nations have advanced in planning, huge gaps remain in finance for developing countries and bringing adaptation projects to the stage where they bring real protection against climate impacts such as droughts, floods and sea-level rise.

2021

Healthy environment, healthy lives: how the environment influences health and well-being in Europe

Nature provides the basis for the good health and well-being of the European population. Clean air, water and food are essential for sustaining life; natural environments provide space for recreation, relaxation and social interaction; and raw materials feed into our production systems to provide the comforts of contemporary life.
At the same time, environmental pollution is unavoidable. We are exposed to pollution in our homes, in our workplaces, in the outdoor environment and when we eat, pla

2020

Climate and Environmental Change in the Mediterranean Basin Current Situation and Risks for the Future - 1st Mediterranean Assessment Report

The First Mediterranean Assessment Report (MAR1) prepared by the independent network of Mediterranean Experts on Climate and environmental Change (MedECC) founded in 2015 is now finished.
MedECC assesses the best available scientific knowledge on climate and environmental change and associated risks in the Mediterranean Basin in order to render it accessible to policymakers, stakeholders and citizens. The report includes a Summary for Policymakers (SPM), which comprises the key messages of the

2020

Health System Adaptation to Climate Variability and Change

Climate change is already causing avoidable injuries, illnesses, and deaths, and is damaging healthcare and public health facilities. The magnitude and distribution of future climate-sensitive health outcomes and of risks to health systems will depend on the level and timing of investment in adaptation and on the chosen greenhouse gas emission pathway. If no additional actions are taken, then over the coming decades substantial increases in morbidity and mortality are expected, as well as breakd

2020

The 2020 report of The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: responding to converging crises

The Lancet Countdown is an international collaboration established to provide an independent, global monitoring system dedicated to tracking the emerging health profile of the changing climate.
The 2020 report presents 43 indicators across five sections: climate change impacts, exposures, and vulnerabilities; adaptation, planning, and resilience for health; mitigation actions and health co-benefits; economics and finance; and public and political engagement. This report represents the finding

2020

Risks and Impacts of Environmental Change in the Mediterranean Basin - Infographic

New MedECC infographic on drivers and impacts of climate and environmental change is available

2020

Climate change strategic narratives in the United Kingdom: Emergency, Extinction, Effectiveness

Achieving policy, business and behaviour change necessary to mitigate climate change is one of the most formidable challenges of the twenty-first century. Increasingly, researchers have argued that communicating purposively designed stories – ‘strategic narratives’ – may be effective in building support for the policy measures necessary to limit anthropogenic warming to 2˚C above pre-industrial levels. Recently, following the release of the IPCC's 1.5˚C special report, novel dynamics have em

2020

Greening schoolyards - An urban resilience perspective

Greening schoolyards and redesigning them to be better playgrounds delivers multiple benefits.

Greening schoolyards is a highly distributed urban intervention that can enhance city resilience as a whole.

Integrating resilience into project design and implementation requires a practical resilience framework.

A resilience framework is described in connection to greening schoolyards.

2020

Adaptation to health effects of climate change in Europe

The main impacts on health in Europe are from heat and heat-waves, changing patterns of infectious and vector-borne diseases, and from extreme disasters like floods and fires. This opinion presents the challenges for the health sector caused by the need for adapting to the increased risks from climate change, and provides recommendations aimed to strengthen the resilience of the health sector in Europe in view of climate change impacts.

2020

World Cities Report 2020: The Value of Sustainable Urbanization

The World Cities Report 2020 shows that the intrinsic value of sustainable urbanization can and should be harnessed for the wellbeing of all. The Report provides evidence and policy analysis of the value of urbanization from an economic, social and environmental perspective, including the unquantifiable value that gives cities their unique character; and also explores the role of innovation and technology, local governments, targeted investments and the effective implementation of the New Urban

2020

Climate Change Adaptation for Transportation Systems

Climate Change Adaptation for Transportation Systems examines the international state of knowledge on climate change and weather and their potential impacts on the planning, design and serviceability of transportation networks. The book describes alternative frameworks for adapting to climate change in the planning, provision and management of transportation systems.

2020

Principles, drivers, and policy tools for just climate change adaptation in legacy cities

Climate change adaptation presents an opportunity for legacy cities to address growing social, racial, and economic inequality, or engage in just climate change adaptation. While the importance of just and equitable climate change adaptation is well understood, the policy and politics that underlie such efforts are less well understood. This paper focuses on the development of just climate change adaptation strategies in legacy cities, particularly those in the Great Lakes region of the U.S., wh

2020

Monitoring and evaluation of national adaptation policies throughout the policy cycle

The Global Goal on Adaptation aims to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change. Given the impact of climate-related hazards, the question is not whether adaptation is necessary, but what are the adaptation options to increase resilience.

2020

United Nations Climate Change Annual Report 2019

Greater efforts are required to adapt to the impacts of climate change and to
protect people and the planet. The UNFCCC interacts with governments and
partners in searching for ways to increase developing countries’ capacity to adapt.
This year in adaptation was marked by the secretariat’s provision of support to
countries for developing their national adaptation plans, the work of the
Adaptation Committee on climate finance, the enhancement of partnerships
under the Nairobi work programme

2020

Global Biodiversity Outlook 5

Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO) is the flagship publication of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It is a periodic report that summarizes the latest data on the status and trends of biodiversity and draws conclusions relevant to the further implementation of the Convention

2020

Accelerating Climate Action in Israel

This report analyses the actions necessary in the near and medium term to reduce Israel’s GHG emissions in three sectors– electricity, residential and transport, for which specific policy recommendations are developed.
The report will serve as input to the roadmap that will be developed to support the country’s long-term low-emission strategy (LT-LEDS). The report adopts a “well-being lens” that aims to integrate climate action and broader societal priorities, such as affordable housing, better

2020

Nature-based solutions for adapting to water-related climate risks

Healthy ecosystems, and their associated services, can provide effective natural protection against water-related climate risks. Nature-based solutions (NbS) have recently gained momentum in international policy discussions due to their potential to foster synergies between ecosystem health and human wellbeing, while also offering economic benefits. This paper provides an overview of the use of NbS to date in OECD countries and finds that in most cases ambition for NbS does not match practice. F

2020

Breathing life into climate change adaptation

The exploration of evolutionary biology and biological adaptation can inform society's adaptation to climate change, particularly the mechanisms that bring about adaptability, such as phenotypic plasticity, epigenetics, and horizontal gene transfer. Learning from unplanned autonomous biological adaptation may be considered undesirable and incompatible with human endeavor. However, it is argued that there is no need for agency, and planned adaptation is not necessarily preferable over autonom

2020

Global hunger and climate change adaptation through international trade

International trade enables us to exploit regional differences in climate change impacts and is increasingly regarded as a potential adaptation mechanism. Here, we focus on hunger reduction through international trade under alternative trade scenarios for a wide range of climate futures. Under the current level of trade integration, climate change would lead to up to 55 million people who are undernourished in 2050. Without adaptation through trade, the impacts of global climate change would inc

2020

Collaboratively Developing Tools for Climate Change Adaptation-Lessons for Research and Policy

Climate change is causing extreme weather events to increase in frequency and intensity, putting cities, home to most of Europe’s population, at rapidly increasing risk

2020

Green climate change adaptation and the politics of designing ecological infrastructures

There is a distinctive ecological turn within contemporary urban infrastructure design linked to the embrace of green approaches to climate adaptation and new ‘ecological’ and ‘landscape infrastructures’ which combine green and grey features. These promise a wide range of ecological, social and cultural benefits and have been accompanied by distinctive new design visions and imaginaries.

2020

Standardisation in local climate change adaptation: benefits, myths and recommendations

This policy brief provides an outline of the urban standardisation landscape in Europe, covering the benefits of (and barriers to) using standards for local climate change adaptation, outlining existing relevant standards for local governments, busting persistent myths about using them, and concluding with a set of recommendations for local governments and creators of standards.

2020

Care-full and just: Making a difference through climate change adaptation

In the small city of Dunedin, on the south-east coast of Aotearoa New Zealand, sea-level rise and increased flood events are affecting communities. The potential for climate change impacts in South Dunedin to exacerbate existing inequalities is high. Floods in 2015 became a catalyst for a different way of ‘doing’ climate change adaptation suggesting more care-full and just intentions and practices.

2020

A diagnostic tool for supporting policymaking on urban resilience

Urban resilience has become a popular notion among urban policymakers and scientists, as a way to deal with the many complex issues that cities face. While it has positive connotations and resonates with local urban agendas, it is not always clear what it means and what factors contribute to resilience. Additionally, critical literature observes that people's views on what resilience means can differ strongly and the many choices that are made in planning and implementing resilience are ofte

2020

Shifting to climate change aware cities to facilitate the city resilience implementation

Climate change (CC) is one of the most urgent threats to modern societies, having direct and indirect consequences on the rapid growth of urban areas. Cities are attempting to both reduce their impact on the environment and build resilience to be able to face the irreversible effects of CC through plans and strategies. However, barriers, such as the fact that cities are complex systems and the uncertainty posed by CC have led to less engaged and committed city stakeholders, which have hampered t

2020

How does private adaptation motivation to climate change vary across cultures? Evidence from a meta-analysis

Natural hazards, exacerbated by climate change, increasingly affect societies worldwide. The accelerating risks entail that private adaptation complement more traditional public climate change adaptation measures. Culture plays an important role in framing how individuals experience hazards and behave toward them. Yet, empirical research explicitly measuring whether and how climate change adaptation varies across cultures is lacking. To address this gap, we collect meta-analytic data on factors

2020

What is ecosystem-based adaptation?

Healthy ecosystems can reduce the negative impacts of climate change. For instance, coastal habitats like mangroves provide natural flood defences, well-protected lakes retain water sources during droughts, and healthy forests reduce the risk of devastating wildfires. Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is an approach that uses these ecosystem services as part of a holistic adaptation strategy. Often through win-win outcomes, EbA protects vulnerable communities from extreme weather while simultaneo

2020

Financing Water Supply, Sanitation and Flood Protection

The OECD and the Directorate-General for Environment, the European Commission department responsible for EU policy on the environment, joined forces to examine current and future water-related financing challenges faced by EU member states. These include investments needed to comply with EU regulation for water supply, wastewater collection and treatment, and flood protection. As part of the research, new data was produced on current levels of expenditure for water supply, sanitation and flood p

2020

Three steps to integrate climate change adaptation and development: Addressing resilience in Danish development policy

The world needs resilient societies. In order to achieve this, adaptation to climate change is key. Denmark’s development cooperation should take a leading role in the integration of climate change adaptation and development.

2020

A Method for Enhancing Capacity of Local Governance for Climate Change Adaptation

The lack of capacity for climate change adaptation at the subnational level has been highlighted as a key barrier to implementing the UNFCCC National Adaptation Plans. At the same time, the adaptive capacity of local governance is highly context sensitive, making a “one-size fits all” approach inappropriate. Thus, a versatile methodological approach for application in various local contexts is required. There are several indicator-based local governance assessment methods for evaluating the effe

2020

What makes climate change adaptation effective? A systematic review of the literature

Increased understanding of global warming and documentation of its observable impacts have led to the development of adaptation responses to climate change around the world. A necessary, but often missing, component of adaptation involves the assessment of outcomes and impact.

2020

Exploring potential adaptation options for policy and decision-makers: The Climate-ADAPT Catalogue

Adaptation options are measures and actions that can be implemented to manage climate risks to an acceptable level, taking advantage of any positive opportunities that may arise from climate change. Climate-ADAPT provides a catalogue of potential adaptation options that can be explored by climate impacts and adaptation sectors of interest. The catalogue aims at supporting policy and decision-makers, in particular at the local and regional scale, in their efforts to cope with the effects of clima

2020

Accelerating invasion potential of disease vector Aedes aegypti under climate change

Vector-borne diseases remain a major contributor to the global burden of disease, while climatechange is expected to exacerbate their risk. Characterising vector development rate and its spatio-temporal variation under climate change is central to assessing the changing basis of human disease risk. We develop a mechanistic phenology model and apply it to Aedes aegypti, an invasive mosquito vector for arboviruses (e.g. dengue, zika and yellow fever)

2020

The Dasgupta Review – Independent Review on the Economics of Biodiversity- Interim Report

he Dasgupta Review is an independent, global review on the Economics of Biodiversity led by Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta (Frank Ramsey Professor Emeritus, University of Cambridge). The Review was commissioned last year by HM Treasury and is supported by an Advisory Panel drawn from public policy, science, economics, finance and business.

2020

Multi-Dimensional Data Preparation: A Process to Support Vulnerability Analysis and Climate Change Adaptation

Agriculture is the backbone of a country’s economic system, considering that it not only provides food and raw materials but also employment opportunities for a large percentage of the population. In this way, determining the degree of agricultural vulnerability represents a guide for sustainability and adaptability focused on changing future conditions. In many cases, vulnerability analysis data is restricted to use by authorized personnel only, leaving open data policies aside

2020

A Snapshot of Global Adaptation Investment and Tracking Methods

The intensity and frequency of extreme weather events and chronic climate-related changes are increasing, globally. With these changes, there is a pressing and clear need for communities worldwide to invest in adapting to climate change. According to the UN Environment Programme, in developing countries alone, adapting to climate change will require USD 280 billion to USD 500 billion per year by 2050 (UNEP 2016). The 46 countries that included adaptation cost estimates in their Nationally Determ

2020

UNDRR Annual Report 2019

Annual report for the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction 2019

2020

Building resilience against biological hazards and pandemics: COVID-19 and its implications for the Sendai Framework

Year 2020 has become the year of coping with Covid-19
This year was to be the “super year” for sustainability, a year of strengthening global actions to accelerate the transformations required for achieving the 2030 agenda. We argue that 2020 can and must be a year of both. Thus we call for more utilisation of the health-emergency disaster risk management (Health-EDRM) framework to complement current responses to COVID-19 and the patent risk of similar phenomena in the future

2020

Exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 mortality in the United States

United States government scientists estimate that COVID-19 may kill between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans. The majority of the pre-existing conditions that increase the risk of death for COVID-19 are the same diseases that are affected by long-term exposure to air pollution. We investigate whether long-term average exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) increases the risk of COVID-19 deaths in the United States

2020

How our responses to climate change and the coronavirus are linked

The coronavirus pandemic may lead to a deeper understanding of the ties that bind us on a global scale Well-resourced healthcare systems are essential to protect us from health security threats, including climate change The support to resuscitate the economy after the pandemic should promote health, equity, and environmental protection

2020

The projected timing of abrupt ecological disruption from climate change

As anthropogenic climate change continues the risks to biodiversity will increase over time, with future projections indicating that a potentially catastrophic loss of global biodiversity is on the horizon1,2,3. However, our understanding of when and how abruptly this climate-driven disruption of biodiversity will occur is limited because biodiversity forecasts typically focus on individual snapshots of the future.

2020

UN World Water Development Report 2020 - Water and Climate Change

The 2020 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report (UN WWDR 2020) entitled ‘Water and Climate Change’ aims at helping the water community to tackle the challenges of climate change and informing the climate change community about the opportunities that improved water management offers in terms of adaptation and mitigation.

2020

Migration, environment and climate change: Responding via climate change adaptation policy

With the advance of climate change and environmental changes threatening livelihoods, their impacts on migration and displacement are receiving increasing attention in research, politics, and civil society. The issue is complex and multi-dimensional, with environmental changes affecting human mobility in diverse ways. The three reports in this series thus evaluate the evidence base for policymaking, and provide entry points for responses in the field of climate change adaptation.

2020

Global warming to increase violent crime in the United States

Recent studies have revealed large and robust correlations between seasonal climate and violent crime rates at regional scales within the continental United States, begging the question of how future climate change will influence violent crime rates. Here, we combine empirical models from previous studies with 42 state-of-the-art global climate models to make such projections, while accounting for key factors like regionality and seasonality, and appropriately combining multiple of sources of un

2020

Floodplains: a natural system to preserve and restore

Floodplains are part of Europe’s natural capital, covering 7 % of the continent's area and up to 30 % of its terrestrial Natura 2000 site area. Studies have shown that 70-90 % of floodplains have been environmentally degraded. The objective of this work is to showcase that natural floodplains support achieving multiple EU policy objectives.

2020

From incremental to transformative adaptation in individual responses to climate-exacerbated hazards

In this Review of scholarship on behavioural adaptation, we find that most empirical studies focus on the affective and cognitive drivers of behaviours with largely private benefits. Few examine behaviours with collective benefits or explore the moderating role of social factors on affective and cognitive cues.

2020

The Global Risks Report 2020

The Global Risks Report 2020 presents the major risks the world will be facing in the coming year. The global economy is facing an increased risk of stagnation, climate change is striking harder and more rapidly than expected.

2020

Economy-wide effects of coastal flooding due to sea level rise: a multi-model simultaneous treatment of mitigation, adaptation, and residual impacts

The article presents a multi-model assessment of the macroeconomic impacts of coastal flooding due to sea level rise and the respective economy-wide implications of adaptation measures for two greenhouse gas (GHG) concentration targets, namely the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP)2.6 and RCP4.5, and subsequent temperature increases.

2019

Adaptation’s Thirst: Accelerating the Convergence of Water and Climate Action

Water has long been recognized as a central component of climate change impacts as well as a tool to ensure effective adaptation. In the words of Carter Roberts, CEO, WWF-US, at the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen in 2009, “The language of water is the language of climate change.” Nevertheless, miscommunication and misunderstanding remain an issue between the water and climate change commun

2019

The Role of Domestic Budgets in Financing Climate Change Adaptation

With climate-induced shocks and stresses threatening fiscal stability and undermining the achievement of broader development goals, governments across the world are recognising the need to mobilise more and smarter investment in climate adaptation. This paper considers the role of domestic budgets as an under-examined but vitally important and sustainable source of adaptation finance at scale. It does so based on the premise that in many developing countries, domestic budgets are already the lar

2019

State of Climate Services 2019 - Poster

2019

Climate Finance and Sustainable Cities

The theme of the 2019 SCF Forum was “Climate finance and sustainable cities”. The objective of the Forum was toenhance understanding of how to accelerate the mobilization and delivery of climate finance for the development of sustainable cities

2019

Yearbook of global climate Action 2019

The Yearbook identifies opportunities and challenges for mitigation and resilience in the seven thematic areas of the Marrakech Partnership (land use, oceans and coastal zones, water, human settlements, transport, energy and industry) and the cross-cutting area of finance.

2019

2019 National Preparedness Report

The National Preparedness Report evaluates annual preparedness progress and challenges facing the whole community. The 2019 National Preparedness Report highlights the diverse range of preparedness challenges the Nation faces—from terrorism and active shooter incidents, to cyber attacks, to natural disasters, as well as how stakeholders across the Nation are using preparedness grant funding to invest in preparedness improvements

2019

Meeting the looming policy challenge of sea-level change and human migration

Minimizing the adverse consequences of sea-level change presents a key societal challenge. New modelling is necessary to examine the implications of global policy decisions that determine future greenhouse gas emissions and local policies around coastal risk that influence where and how we live

2019

Global Climate Report - October 2019

Last October was Earth’s second-hottest October in recorded history, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The agency announced that average global land and ocean surface temperatures in October were 1.76 degrees above the 20th century average.

2019

How England’s broken planning system has created (not reduced) the risk of floods

Recent floods in England have been described as unprecedented or even “biblical” events, often with the misguided assumption that they were unavoidable or unpredictable. That is not the case.

2019

Tracking the progress of climate change adaptation: An Australian case study

The last decade has seen strong global growth in the number of climate change adaptation projects. To understand whether adaptation is progressing and is successful, some form of longitudinal tracking is required. The six adaptation conferences organised by the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility between 2010 and 2018 provide a unique and novel opportunity to track adaptation progress in Australia.

2019

Transformative adaptation to climate change for sustainable social-ecological systems

In the face of major shifts in temperature and precipitation, some conventional strategies that help people to cope or incrementally adapt to climate change may become inappropriate in the long-term. Transformative adaptation, i.e. fundamental systems’ changes that address root causes of vulnerability may be needed. However, we have a limited understanding of what transformative adaptation looks like in social-ecological systems and when it can be implemented.

2019

The 2019 report of The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: ensuring that the health of a child born today is not defined by a changing climate

The 2019 report presents an annual update of 41 indicators across five key domains: climate change impacts, exposures, and vulnerability; adaptation, planning, and resilience for health; mitigation actions and health co-benefits; economics and finance; and public and political engagement.

2019

World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency-2019

Scientists have a moral obligation to clearly warn humanity of any catastrophic threat and to “tell it like it is.” On the basis of this obligation and the graphical indicators presented below, we declare, with more than 11,000 scientist signatories from around the world, clearly and unequivocally that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency.

2019

Gender-Transformative Climate Change Adaptation: Advancing Social Equity

Power and gender inequalities can constrain and undermine climate change adaptation. Those who are vulnerable and marginalized, with limited access to resources and assets, are already facing formidable barriers in adapting to climate change. Ignoring this challenge is maladaptive, as it adds to the vulnerabilities of those already burdened disproportionately and encourages new types of exclusions.
Meeting the challenge requires that we transform our societies into fairer and more just organiza

2019

Quantifying the impact of changing the threshold of New York City heat emergency plan in reducing heat-related illnesses

The adverse health impact of high heat is widely documented and can lead to a substantial public health burden. Although heat-related illness in western countries is largely preventable, extreme heat remains the main weather contributor to the burden of disease in the United States.

2019

IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate - 2019

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report
highlights the urgency of prioritizing timely, ambitious and coordinated action to address
unprecedented and enduring changes in the ocean and cryosphere.

2019

Building and Measuring Community Resilience: Actions for Communities and the Gulf Research Program

The frequency and severity of disasters over the last few decades have presented unprecedented challenges for communities across the United States. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina exposed the complexity and breadth of a deadly combination of existing community stressors, aging infrastructure, and a powerful natural hazard. In many ways, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina was a turning point for understanding and managing disasters, as well as related plan making and policy formulation. It brought t

2019

Business Climate Resilience: Thriving Through the Transformation

WBCSD’s report brings together important global developments and latest thinking on climate adaptation and resilience, with particular focus on private sector climate resilience. It builds on the need for businesses to prepare for both the physical risks that are associated with climate change, as well as the associated transitional risks on the path towards a net-zero economy.

2019

The Global Climate in 2015–2019

Compared to the previous five-year assessment period 2011–2015, the current five-year period 2015–2019 has seen a continued increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
and an accelerated increase in the atmospheric concentration of major greenhouse
gases (GHGs), with growth rates nearly 20% higher.

2019

Adapt Now: A Global Call for Leadership on Climate Resilience - 2019

This report focuses on making the case for climate adaptation, providing specific insights
and recommendations in key sectors: food security, the natural environment, water, cities and
urban areas, infrastructure, disaster risk management, and finance. It is designed to inspire
action among decision-makers, including heads of state and government officials, mayors,
business executives, investors, and community leaders.

2019

A Land Without Water

Climate change, waves of refugees and poor planning are draining water supplies
in Jordan.

2019

Climate change adaptation in the agriculture sector in Europe

Climate change affects agriculture in a number of ways. Changes in temperature and precipitation as well as weather and climate extremes are already influencing crop yields and livestock productivity in Europe. Weather and climate conditions also affect the availability of water needed for irrigation, livestock watering practices, processing of agricultural products, and transport and storage conditions.

2019

Impacts of climate change on transport: A focus on airports, seaports and inland waterways

The report assesses the impacts of climate change on transport for Europe using projections of climate data, coastal inundation, river flooding and river discharge data. Impacts considered include those of sea level rise, storm surges, extreme weather events and floods on airports and seaports, as well as floods and droughts on inland waterways. Main outputs include the identification of transport infrastructure at risk in future time periods and the estimation of economic impacts.

2019

Agrivoltaics provide mutual benefits across the food–energy–water nexus in drylands

The vulnerabilities of our food, energy and water systems to projected climatic change make building resilience in renewable energy and food production a fundamental challenge. We investigate a novel approach to solve this problem by creating a hybrid of colocated agriculture and solar photovoltaic (PV) infrastructure.

2019

Changing climate both increases and decreases European river floods

Climate change has led to concerns about increasing river floods resulting from the greater water-holding capacity of a warmer atmosphere1. These concerns are reinforced by evidence of increasing economic losses associated with flooding in many parts of the world, including Europe2. Any changes in river floods would have lasting implications for the design of flood protection measures and flood risk zoning.

2019

The case for strategic and managed climate retreat

Faced with global warming, rising sea levels, and the climate-related extremes they intensify, the question is no longer whether some communities will retreat—moving people and assets out of harm's way—but why, where, when, and how they will retreat.

2019

Peak Energy, Peak Oil, and the Rise of Renewables: An Executive’s Guide to the Global Energy System - McKinsey & Company

Hello, and welcome to this episode of the McKinsey Podcast, with me, Simon London. Today we'll be talking about energy—the world's appetite for energy and the sources that feed it, from oil and gas to wind and solar from hydroelectric to hydrogen. It's a big topic. The numbers involved are, of course, enormous, and so are the implications, not only for economics and industry structure but also for carbon emissions and climate. To talk through the facts and forecasts.

2019

Monitoring and Evaluating Climate Adaptation Activities: A Reference Guide for City Managers

Cities are leading the way in committing to ambitious climate adaptation goals and implementing strategies to reduce climate risks. However, these commitments to adaptation action often face challenges in documenting changes in resilience of urban systems and populations. To capture these adaptation results, cities will need to develop robust monitoring and reporting frameworks to measure achievement, document outcomes and learn from their adaptation activities.

2019

Perspectives of climate change adaptation of building areas against heat waves

This paper makes a contribution to the 11th SDG "Sustainable Cities and Communities" with the target to improve the adaptation to climate change and resilience to disasters in terms of summer heat

2019

2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

The 2019 Refinement to the 2006 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories was adopted and accepted during the 49th Session of the IPCC in May 2019. It was prepared by the Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (TFI) in accordance with the decision taken at the 44th Session of IPCC in Bangkok, Thailand, in October 2016.

2019

Climate Change and Land - Special Report - IPCC - 2019

An IPCC special report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems.

2019

How does gendered vulnerability shape the adoption and impact of sustainable livelihood interventions in an era of global climate change?

Though many studies have long considered the broad social implications of climate change, researchers have only recently started to consider the gendered unevenness of the global landscape of vulnerability, exposure, and adaptive capacity to environmental stressors and shocks.

2019

GAR19 - Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction

This fifth edition of the United Nations Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR) is being issued four years after the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 (Sendai Framework).

2019

Socioeconomic and data challenges: Disaster risk reduction in Europe

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) involves complex processes with different stakeholders at all administrative levels. Two elements in particular play a major role: the need to ensure stakeholders' interoperability through an efficient exchange of data, and the inclusion of socioeconomic factors which may influence DRR processes. This report aims at contributing to increase the global knowledge on these two elements, focusing on the related issues affecting DRR throughout the European continent.

2019

WMO Statement on the State of the Global Climate in 2018

This publication marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the WMO Statement on the State of the Global Climate, which was first issued in 1994.
The 2019 edition treating data for 2018 marks sustained international efforts dedicated to reporting on, analysing and understanding the year-to-year variations and long-term trends of a changing climate.

2019

Increased frequency of and population exposure to extreme heat index days in the United States during the 21st century

The National Weather Service of the United States uses the heat index—a combined measure of temperature and relative humidity—to define risk thresholds warranting the issuance of public heat alerts.

2019

UN 2019 sixth Global Environment Outlook: GEO-6 - Summary for Policymakers

UN Environment’s sixth Global Environment Outlook (2019) calls on decision makers to take immediate action to address pressing environmental issues to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals as well as other Internationally Agreed Environment Goals, such as the Paris Agreement.

2019

דו"ח עתודות בנייה ירוקה בישראל 2018

דוח זה מוצגות מגמות התכנון המאושרות של חמש השנים האחרונות בדגש על השנה האחרונה (2018), ומהן נגזרו הערכות המשרד על מגמות הבנייה החזויות בישראל לפי התקן לבנייה ירוקה (ת”י 5281). תכניות הבניה שאושרו עתידות להתממש בשנים הבאות.
ממצאי הדוח נאספו על ידי המשרד להגנת הסביבה מאתר תכנון זמין (ומגורמי המקצוע במנהל התכנון) ונעשה ניתוח מפורט של כלל תכניות בניין העיר המפורטות (תב”עות) שקיבלו תוקף ב- 39 רשויות מקומיות ובהן כל ערי פורום ה 415. כמו כן נבדקו כל תוכניות הותמ”ל (הועדה הארצית לתכנון ובנייה של מתחמים

2019

Long-Term Macroeconomic Effects of Climate Change: A Cross-Country Analysis

We study the long-term impact of climate change on economic activity across countries,
using a stochastic growth model where labour productivity is affected by country-specific
climate variables—defined as deviations of temperature and precipitation from their
historical norms. Using a panel data set of 174 countries over the years 1960 to 2014, we
find that per-capita real output growth is adversely affected by persistent changes in the
temperature above or below its historical norm, but w

2019

Working on a Warmer Planet: The Effect of Heat Stress on Productivity and Decent Work - ILO

The phenomenon of heat stress refers to heat received in excess of that which the body can tolerate without physiological impairment. It is one of the major consequences of global warming. By 2030, the equivalent of more than 2 per cent of total working hours worldwide is projected to be lost every year, either because it is too hot to work or because workers have to work at a slower pace. This report shows the impact of heat stress on productivity and decent work for virtually all countries in

2019

ניתוח עלות תועלת של הצללה בישראל

הדגש בדוח הנוכחי הוא בניסיון לבצע הערכה כלכלית של תועלות ועלויות של הצללה, בדגש על שלושה פתרונות עיקריים: קונסטרוקציה מלאכותית, קולונדות והצללה טבעית (עצים). בחינת התועלת התמקדה בשלושה תחומים הקשורים לבריאות הציבור וכוללים: הפחתת מזהמים (באמצעות ההצללה הטבעית), הפחתת הסיכון לסרטן העור, והגברת היקפי הפעילות הספורטיבית כתוצאה מהגדלת האזורים המוצלים במרחב.

תועלות אלו כומתו בצורה מוניטארית. כך למשל שיעור התשואה הפנימי על שדרת עצים של 1,000 מטר רץ הינו 27.64% וערך נוכחי נקי של פרויקט שכזה הוא 9.

2019

The imperative of climate action to protect human health in Europe

The report focuses on the consequences of climate change for human health in Europe and the benefits of acting now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to stabilise the climate.

2019

Adaptation challenges and opportunities for the European energy system

This report analyses the needs for climate change adaptation and climate resilience in Europe’s energy system now and in the future. This assessment supports the clean energy transition, which involves a massive expansion of renewable energy sources, many of which are sensitive to climate factors.

2019

Scientists’ warning to humanity: microorganisms and climate change

In the Anthropocene, in which we now live, climate change is impacting most life on Earth. Microorganisms support the existence of all higher trophic life forms. To understand how humans and other life forms on Earth (including those we are yet to discover) can withstand anthropogenic climate change, it is vital to incorporate knowledge of the microbial ‘unseen majority’. We must learn not just how microorganisms affect climate change (including production and consumption of greenhouse gases) bu

2019

The need for bottom-up assessments of climate risks and adaptation in climate-sensitive regions

Studies of climate change at specific intervals of future warming have primarily been addressed through top-down approaches using climate projections and modelled impacts. In contrast, bottom-up approaches focus on the recent past and present vulnerability. Here, we examine climate signals at different increments of warming and consider the need to reconcile top-down and bottom-up approaches. We synthesise insights from recent studies in three climate-sensitive systems where change is a defining

2019

שינויי אקלים במזרח התיכון במאה ה-21 - תצפיות ותחזיות

2019

Ice sheet contributions to future sea-level rise from structured expert judgment

Future sea level rise (SLR) poses serious threats to the viability of coastal communities, but continues to be challenging to project using deterministic modeling approaches. Nonetheless, adaptation strategies urgently require quantification of future SLR uncertainties, particularly upper-end estimates. Structured expert judgement (SEJ) has proved a valuable approach for similar problems. Our findings, using SEJ, produce probability distributions with long upper tails that are influenced by inte

2019

Tracking global climate change adaptation among governments

The Paris Agreement and Katowice Climate Package articulate a clear mandate for all parties to undertake and document adaptation progress. Yet persistent challenges have prevented substantive developments in tracking adaptation and the assessment of adaptation actions and their outcomes. Here, we provide an overview of the challenges of adaptation tracking and propose a comprehensive conceptual framework for assessing adaptation progress by governments that is scalable over time and across conte

2019

Deep-ocean climate change impacts on habitat, fish and fisheries

This report focuses on the impacts of climatic changes on demersal fisheries, and the interactions of these fisheries with other species and vulnerable marine ecosystems. The principal cause of climate change is rising greenhouse gases and other compounds in the atmosphere that trap heat causing global warming, leading to deoxygenation and acidification in the oceans.

2019

Nature-Based Designs to Mitigate Urban Heat: The Efficacy of Green Infrastructure Treatments in Portland, Oregon

Urban heat is a growing environmental concern in cities around the world. The urban heat island effect, combined with warming effects of climate change, is likely to cause an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events. Alterations to the physical, built environment are a viable option for mitigating urban heat, yet few studies provide systematic guidance to practitioners for adapting diverse land uses. In this study, we examine the use of green infrastructure treatments to ev

2019

Why, and How, Utilities Should Start to Manage Climate-Change Risk - McKinsey & Company

The Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in late 2018, stated that climate change was already having noticeable effects in the United States and predicted “more frequent and intense extreme weather and climate-related events,” such as floods and hurricanes. For utilities, the assessment concluded, the possibilities were grave: lower efficiency, higher expenses, and more power outages—even as demand for energy rises. And many utilities are not ready. As the assessment noted, “Infrastructu

2019

Gender in conservation and climate policy

Men and women differ in their perceptions of environmental risk, vulnerability to climate change impacts and adaptation behaviour. Effective policies must address the diversity of gender roles and identities, and the underlying drivers of inequality.

2019

Responding to Rising Seas - OECD Country Approaches to Tackling Coastal Risks

There is an urgent need to ensure that coastal areas are adapting to the impacts of climate change. Risks in these areas are projected to increase because of rising sea levels and development pressures. This report reviews how OECD countries can use their national adaptation planning processes to respond to this challenge. Specifically, the report examines how countries approach shared costs and responsibilities for coastal risk management and how this encourages or hinders risk-reduction behavi

2019

תועלות הבנייה הירוקה בבתי ספר

מטרת המסמך היא לשקף את המאפיינים והתועלות של בתי ספר ירוקים. המסמך מתבסס על מקורות שונים: מאמרים אקדמיים, מחקרים ומקרי בוחן מהימנים ממדינות שונות בעולם כגון ארה"ב, קנדה ואוסטרליה. כמו כן, המסמך מציג נתונים מספריים רלוונטיים המדגישים את יתרונותיהם של בתי ספר ירוקים.

מסמך זה מדגים כיצד הטמעה של עקרונות בנייה ירוקה בבתי ספר משפיעה על ארבעה מדדים קריטיים לתפקוד המבנה ופעילות משתמשיו: בריאות התלמידים והמורים, התייעלות וחיסכון במשאבים, שיפור בציונים ובתפוקות והשפעה על תרבות בית הספר.

2019

Action Plan on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience

The accelerating impacts of climate change, and the need to avoid much larger impacts in the future, bring urgency to scaling up action on adaptation and resilience. The World Bank Group (WBG) is making adaptation and resilience a key priority of its 2025 Climate Change Targets that will elevate adaptation to an equal footing with climate mitigation actions.

2019

The Global Risks Report 2019

The Global Risks Report 2019 is published against a backdrop of worrying geopolitical and geo-economic tensions. If unresolved, these tensions will hinder the world’s ability to deal with a growing range of collective challenges, from the mounting evidence of environmental degradation to the increasing disruptions of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

2019

Integrating Satellite and Ground Measurements for Predicting Locations of Extreme Urban Heat

he emergence of urban heat as a climate-induced health stressor is receiving increasing attention among researchers, practitioners, and climate educators. However, the measurement of urban heat poses several challenges with current methods leveraging either ground based, in situ observations, or satellite-derived surface temperatures estimated from land use emissivity. While both techniques contain inherent advantages and biases to predicting temperatures, their integration may offer an opportun

2018

Climate Change Adaptation - Research, Science and Innovation

The historic Paris Agreement set out the challenging long-term goal of keeping global warming to “well below” 2°C above pre-industrial levels while pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. At the same time, it called on societies to build up their resilience and ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change.

2018

Scientists Warn and Call for the Protection of our Planet

We have never been in the history of mankind as a species in such
a moment and place. We have never faced such a challenge during our
stay on this planet. Such a great mobilization of scientists from around
the world has never happened before.

2018

WMO Statement on the State of the Global Climate 2017

The global mean temperature in 2017 was approximately 1.1 °C above the preindustrial
era, more than half way towards the maximum limit of temperature increase
of 2 °C sought through the Paris Agreement, which further strives to limit the increase to
1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels.

2018

The Adaptation Gap Health Report - 2018

The 2018 Adaptation Gap Report has two parts. First, it provides an overview of the status and trends of the adaptation gap in terms of vulnerability to climate change, adaptation costs and finance, and countries’ adaptation commitments and actions. Second, the report undertakes an
in-depth assessment of the adaptation gap in health.

2018

National climate change vulnerability and risk assessments in Europe

This report provides the first systematic review of national climate change impact, vulnerability and risk assessments across Europe. It is based on information about relevant multi-sectoral assessments reported from EEA member countries. The purpose of the report is to share experiences and knowledge and to highlight approaches and practical solutions that countries have used to produce and present their assessments.

2018

A roadmap to effective urban climate change adaptation

This paper outlines a roadmap to effective urban climate change adaptation built from our practical understanding of the evidence and effects of climate change and the preparation of climate change adaptation strategies and plans. This roadmap aims to drive research in achieving fruitful knowledge and solution-based achievable recommendations in adapting to climate change in urban areas with effective and systematic manner.

2017

World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity: A Second Notice - 2017

Twenty-five years ago, the Union of Concerned Scientists and more than 1700 independent scientists, including the majority of living Nobel laureates in the sciences, penned the 1992 “World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity". These concerned professionals called on humankind to curtail environmental destruction and cautioned that “a great change in our stewardship of the Earth and the life on it is required, if vast human misery is to be avoided.” In their manifesto, they showed that humans we

2017

Port industry survey on climate change impacts and adaptation

Ports are critical infrastructure assets that serve as catalysts of economic growth and development. At the same time, they are also exposed to the risk of the impacts of climate variability and change, particularly in view of their location in coastal zones, low-lying areas and deltas.

2017

Climate Change, Impacts and Vulnerability in Europe 2016 - An Indicator-based Report

This report is an indicator-based assessment of past and projected climate change and its impacts on ecosystems and society. It also looks at society’s vulnerability to these impacts and at the development of adaptation policies and the underlying knowledge base.

2017

Making the Case for Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems as a Nature-Based Solution to Urban Flooding

European cities continue to experience a steady increase in the intensity and frequency of floods, largely due to high urban densities and resultant soil sealing. In the last decade, flooding as a natural hazard has produced the highest economic losses in Europe and storm water management has become a serious urban challenge.

2017

The Adaptation Gap Report

The 2017 Adaptation Gap Report, which is the third global Adaptation Gap Report by UN Environment – prepared in collaboration with the Global Centre of Excellence on Climate Adaptation – focuses on one of the key questions arising in the wake
of the global goal: What are the ways forward to assess progress towards the global goal on adaptation?

2017

Master ADAPT Project - Climate Change Adaptation Practices Across the EU Countries

Within the EU, southern Europe, and the Mediterranean basin in particular, will be most affected by global climate change. Strategies and plans for adaption to climate change are developed at national and regional level in the EU

2017

Advancing climate adaptation practices and solutions: Emerging research priorities

This paper builds on insights from Adaptation Futures 2016: Practices and Solutions – the largest
gathering of adaptation experts to date – to identify research priorities at a time when adaptation
is scaling up and moving from planning to implementation around the world. It traces the
evolution of adaptation research over time, reflects on how it has evolved, maps what it looks
like today, anticipates research directions and gaps, and articulates new research priorities

2016

Adaptation Strategies for European Cities: Final Report

DG Climate Action commissioned a consortium led by Ricardo-AEA and ICLEI to undertake the Adaptation Strategies for European Cities project. The aims of this project were to provide capacity building and assistance for cities in developing and implementing an adaptation strategy, and technical support to DG CLIMA on the state of play of urban adaptation. The project also intended to raise awareness throughout Europe of the importance of preparing for climate change in cities and encourage the ex

2015

Periodic Report Summary 1 - DYNAMIC (DYNamic feedbacks of climate impacts on current Adaptation and Mitigation Investment Choice)

The DYNAMIC (DYNamic feedbacks of climate impacts on current Adaptation and Mitigation Investment Choice) project proposes a novel framework to evaluate the economic consequences of climate change impacts and related policy responses.

2015

בחינת תרומת קבוצות סוציו אקונומיות בישראל לפליטות גזי חממה מצריכת מזון ביתי

לייצור המזון, במיוחד בחקלאות התעשייתית, נודעת השפעה ממשית על היקף פליטות גזי חממה באופן ישיר או עקיף. גזי חממה אלו נוצרים בכל שלבי מחזור החיים של המזון, החל משלב החקלאות ותשומותיו, דרך הייצור, הפצה, קירור, קמעונאות, הכנת המזון בבית וכלה בסילוק הפסולת.למעשה, בעוד שבמחקרים השונים קיימת הסכמה על כך שפליטות גזי חממה מייצור המזון וצריכתו מהוות חלק משמעותי מפליטות גזי החממה בעולם, המחלוקת המחקרית נסובה סביב הערכת היקף הפליטות. לדוגמא, לפי דוח של האו"ם מ- 2014 14.5% מפליטות גזי החממה כתוצאה מפעילו

2014

Explaining Extreme Weather Events of 2013 from a Climate Perspective

The annual Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) special issue on the attribution of last year’s extreme weather events is published today. This year’s issue “explaining extreme events of 2013 – from a climate perspective” includes two papers led by researchers from our climateprediction. This is a highly-cited and influential annual publication coined in 2012 asking whether and to what extent anthropogenic climate change altered the risk of major extreme weather events of the p

2014

Lima call for climate action- Decision

Climate Action & UNEP delivered their fifth annual Sustainable Innovation Forum on December 9 in Lima. This year’s event brought together close to 500 leaders from key United Nations bodies, governments, international & regional companies and leading non-governmental organisations (NGO's).

2013

Urban Forest Strategy - City of Sydney

In 2012 the City of Sydney (the City) adopted the Greening Sydney Plan. One of the key elements of that Plan is to develop and protect the City’s urban forest. This Urban Forest Strategy outlines the way the City will work to improve the environment, using trees, while managing the associated risks and costs.

2012

Climate Change Adaptation in Israel

In accordance with a June 2009 decision by the Israel Government, the Ministry of Environmental Protection is preparing a national climate change adaptation program aimed at reducing the adverse effects of global changes on water scarcity, drought and increased frequency of extreme events, among others.

2012

Climate Prediction for Adaptation: Who needs what?

The role of short- and long-term climate predictions in determining the success of adaptation to climate change is investigated. A simple theoretical model that captures the relationship between adaptive performance, decision structure, and prediction accuracy at different temporal scales is developed, and its implications deduced. It is shown that users who face high adjustment costs (i.e. are inflexible) depend more heavily on accurate long-term predictions than those who are able to adjust

2012

UK climate change risk assessment: government report

The Government published the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) on 25 January 2012, the first assessment of its kind for the UK and the first in a 5 year cycle. It sets out the main priorities for adaptation in the UK under 5 key themes identified in the CCRA 2012 Evidence Report - Agriculture and Forestry; Business, industries and Services; Health and Wellbeing; Natural Environment and Buildings and Infrastructure - and describes the policy context, and action already in place to tackle

2011

Urban Forest Strategy: Making a great city greener 2012-2032

This is the City of Melbourne’s first Urban Forest Strategy. It is the product of a collaborative
process, developed over two years with a large number of stakeholders including local and
the broader community in Melbourne

2011

2011 Bonn Declaration of Mayors

This declaration is the outcome document of the Mayors Adaptation Forum, which forms the Mayors segment of the Resilient Cities 2011 congress. It highlights the need to build resilience to disasters as a critical issue. It also signals the need to take appropriate action to build local capacities in reducing risk to disasters including those exacerbated by climate change.
The declaration advocates for the implementation of the following: (i) mainstreaming new adaptation and resilience standard

2011

A double-resolution transient RCM climate change

A double-resolution regional experiment on hydrodynamic simulation of climate over the eastern Mediterranean (EM) region was performed using an International Center for Theoretical Physics, Trieste RegCM3 model. The RegCM3 was driven from the lateral boundaries by the data from the ECHAM5/MPI-OM global climate simulation performed at the MPI-M, Hamburg and based on the A1B IPCC scenario of greenhouse gases emission. Two simulation runs for the time period 1960-2060, employing spatial resolutions

2011

Climate Change Adaptation and Real Option Evaluation: A Case Study in Campeche, Mexico

This report illustrates the application of a (relatively) new method to guide decision making under high (and unknowable) levels of uncertainty. The approach allows for the identification of robust policy options that are economically beneficial under different scenarios and varying levels uncertainty. Option value techniques are commonly employed in the finance literature to identify investment decisions that are resilient across a spectrum of outcomes. The methods are technically advanced

2008

Climate change- vulnerability and adaptation indicators

The purpose of this Technical Paper is to rehearse some fundamental concepts surrounding the
development and delineation of adaptation indicators. It builds upon the outputs of an Expert meeting
on climate change vulnerability and adaptation indicators (Budapest, September 2008) and on the
contents of a Background Paper that was prepared for the meeting.

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