scholarly journals Ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change through residential urban green structures: co-benefits to thermal comfort, biodiversity, carbon storage and social interaction

One Ecosystem ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja Schmidt ◽  
Ariane Walz
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Social Benefits ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Adaptation Measures

Climate change adaptation is essential to mitigate risks, such as extreme weather events triggered by global warming and amplified in dense urban environments. Ecosystem-based adaptation measures, such as urban greening, are promoted in cities because of their flexibility and their positive side effects, such as human health benefits, ecological effects, climate mitigation and a range of social benefits. While individual co-benefits of greening measures are well studied, often in public green spaces, few studies quantify co-benefits comprehensively, leaving social benefits particularly understudied. In this study, we perform biophysical and socio-cultural assessments of co-benefits provided by semi-public, residential greening in four courtyards with varying green structures. We quantify effects on thermal comfort, biodiversity, carbon storage and social interaction. We further assess the importance of these co-benefits to people in the neighbourhood. Subsequently, we weight the results from the biophysical assessments with the socio-cultural values to evaluate how even small differences in green structures result in differences in the provision of co-benefits. Results show that, despite relatively small differences in green structures, the residential courtyards with a higher green volume clearly generate more co-benefits than the residential yards with less green, particularly for thermal comfort. Despite differences in the valuation of co-benefits in the neighbourhood, socio-cultural weights did not change the outcome of the comparative assessment. Our results highlight that a deliberate management strategy, possibly on neighbourhood-scale, could enhance co-benefits and contribute to a more sustainable urban development.

scholarly journals BUILDING UP RESILIENC E OF CONSTRUCTION SECTOR SMES AND THEIR SUPPLY CHAINS TO EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS

2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 362-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gayan Wedawatta ◽  
Bingunath Ingirige ◽  
Dilanthi Amaratunga
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Coping Capacity ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
The Uk

Wider scientific community now accept that the threat of climate change as real and thus acknowledge the importance of implementing adaptation measures in a global context. In the UK, the physical effects of climate change are likely to be directly felt in the form of extreme weather events, which are predicted to escalate in number and severity in future under the changing climatic conditions. Construction industry; which consists of supply chains running across various other industries, economies and regions, will also be affected due to these events. Thus, it is important that the construction organisations are well prepared to withstand the effects of extreme weather events not only directly affecting their organizations but also affecting their supply chains which in turn might affect the organisation concerned. Given the fact that more than 99% of construction sector businesses are SMEs, the area can benefit significantly from policy making to improve SME resilience and coping capacity. This paper presents the literature review and synthesis of a doctoral research study undertaken to address the issue of extreme weather resilience of construction sector SMEs and their supply chains. The main contribution of the paper to both academia and practitioners is a synthesis model that conceptualises the factors that enhances resilience of SMEs and their supply chains against extreme weather events. This synthesis model forms the basis of a decision making framework that will enable SMEs to both reduce their vulnerability and enhance their coping capacity against extreme weather. The value of this paper is further extended by the overall research design that is set forth as the way forward. Santruka Gana daug mokslininku jau sutinka, kad klimato kaitos gresme yra reali, taigi pripažista, kaip pasauliniame kontekste svarbu diegti prisitaikymo priemones. Tiketina, kad Jungtineje Karalysteje fizinis klimato kaitos poveikis bus tiesiogiai jaučiamas per ekstremalius meteorologinius reiškinius. Prognozuojama, kad kintant klimato salygoms ju skaičius ir intensyvumas ateityje dides. Tokie reiškiniai paveiks ir statybu pramone, kuria sudaro per kitas ivairiausias pramones šakas, ūkius ir regionus einančios tiekimo grandines. Taigi svarbu, kad statybu organizacijos būtu tinkamai pasiruošusios atlaikyti ekstremalius meteorologinius reiškinius, kurie daro tiesiogine itaka ne tik šioms organizacijoms, bet ir ju tiekimo grandinems, kurios savo ruožtu gali paveikti atitinkama organizacija. Daugiau kaip 99 proc. statybu sektoriuje veikiančiu imoniu priklauso SVV kategorijai, tad šiai sričiai išties praverstu politika, gerinanti SVV atsparuma ir gebejima susitvarkyti. Šiame darbe pateikiama literatūros apžvalga ir trumpai pristatomas daktaro disertacijos tyrimas, kuriuo siekta išnagrineti statybu sektoriaus SVV ir ju tiekimo grandiniu atsparuma ekstremaliems meteorologiniams reiškiniams. Pagrindinis darbo indelis, pravartus ir mokslininkams, ir praktikams, tai sintezes modelis, kuriame suformuluojami veiksniai, didinantys SVV ir ju tiekimo grandiniu atsparuma ekstremaliems meteorologiniams reiškiniams. Šis sintezes modelis yra sprendimu priemimo sistemos pagrindas, o sistema SVV leis ne tik mažinti pažeidžiamuma, bet ir didinti gebejima susitvarkyti esant ekstremaliems meteorologiniams reiškiniams. Šio darbo verte dar labiau padidina bendras tyrimo modelis, pateikiamas kaip žingsnis pirmyn.

scholarly journals Climate Resilience and Policy Transfer in Semarang City, Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulia Yulia ◽  
Reza Arlianda
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Climate Change Policy ◽  
Policy Transfer ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Global Networks ◽  
Tropical Asia ◽  
Climate Resilience

Cities around the world are facing tremendous challenges due to climate change. Tropical cities are significantly impacted by temperature increases, higher than average global rising sea levels, and extreme weather events. In the tropical Asia-Pacific region effects from the El Niño-Southern Oscillation are especially severe, which, in turn, cause disasters such as floods and droughts. Climate change requires cooperation from actors across geopolitical borders to respond to the problem collectively, which involves global networks in the exchange of climate mitigation policies and adaptation plans through a process of policy transfer. This paper examines the processes of policy transfer between the tropical coastal city of Semarang in Indonesia and its global networks in the ‘100 Resilient Cities’, and the ‘Water as Leverage’ programs. The paper analyses interviews with actors and stakeholders from these two programs, and examines key factors that determine the success of the climate change policy transfer in Semarang City.

scholarly journals Farmers’ Perceptions, Attitudes and Adaptions towards Climate Change in Selected Semi-Arid Districts of India: Implications from an Adaptation View

2020 ◽  
pp. 379-395
Author(s):  
K. Ravi Shankar ◽  
K. Nagasree ◽  
G. Nirmala ◽  
C. A. Rama Rao ◽  
B. M. K. Raju ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Cropping Pattern ◽  
Planting Dates ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
High Dependency ◽  
South West Monsoon ◽  
The World

The effects of climate change on agriculture are being witnessed all over the world. Rainfed agriculture is likely to be impacted severely in view of its’ high dependency on monsoon, the likelihood of increased extreme weather events due to aberrant behavior of south west monsoon. Anantapur, Akola, Solapur and Bijapur districts in India were selected for the study because, rainfed area is more than irrigated area and rainfall is the most critical factor affecting crop production in these districts. Major perceptions of climate change in the four rainfed study districts were prolonged dry spells, rise in temperatures, and delayed and shorter rains. Major adaptation measures towards climate change in four study districts were insurance, change in planting dates and cropping pattern. Majority of farmers positively agreed with attitude towards climate change statements which augurs well for current and future adaptation actions. As farm-level adaptation becomes an increasingly important across the world, policies at all levels will need to be accounted for appropriate factors, including perceptions and how perceptions affect human behavior and adaptive actions. Adaptation through transformation (in the present study diversify to livestock and work as labor) has the potential to become an inclusive, engaging and empowering process that contributes to alternative and sustainable development pathways which needs to be encouraged. The present findings contribute to research on climate change adaptation decision making both as a function of intra-individual processes such as knowledge, attitudes; and extra-individual factors like policies, infrastructure, information, forecasts etc. along with socio-economic contributory factors which deserve due attention in the light of scaling up adaptations.

scholarly journals Summertime Impact of Climate Change on Multi-Occupancy British Dwellings

2012 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 50-60
Author(s):  
Shariful Shikder ◽  
Monjur Mourshed ◽  
Andrew Price
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Threshold Temperature ◽  
Baseline Scenario ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
User Adaptation ◽  
Human Thermal Comfort ◽  
Adaptive Thermal Comfort ◽  
Recent Climate ◽  
Adaptive Comfort

Recent climate change projections estimate that the average summertime temperature in the southern part of Great Britain may increase by up to 5.4°C by the end of the century. The general consensus is that projected increases in temperature will render British dwellings vulnerable to summer overheating and by the middle of this century it may become difficult to maintain a comfortable indoor environment, if adaptation measures are not well integrated in the design and operation of new dwellings, which are likely to remain in use beyond the 2050s. The challenge is to reduce overheating risks by integrating building and user adaptation measures, to avoid energy intensive mechanical cooling. Developing guidelines and updating building regulations for adaptation, therefore, requires an understanding of the baseline scenario; i.e. the performance of existing buildings in future climates. This paper aims to investigate the performance of new-build multi-occupancy British dwellings for human thermal comfort in the present-day and projected future climates in four regional cities: Birmingham, Edinburgh, London and Manchester. Evaluations are carried out by a series of dynamic thermal simulations using widely adopted threshold temperature for overheating, as well as adaptive thermal comfort standards. This study thus offers a unique perspective on regional variations of performance and provides a clearer snapshot because of the use of more appropriate adaptive comfort standards in the evaluations. Finally, the paper sheds light on possible personal and building adaptation measures to alleviate overheating risks.

scholarly journals Pet Welfare in Municipal Adaptation Plans: Case of Poland

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 95-107
Author(s):  
Anna Haładyj ◽  
Katarzyna Kułak-Krzysiak
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Urban Heat Islands ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Main Hypothesis ◽  
Heat Islands ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Legal Nature ◽  
Urban Heat

The aim of the article was to explore pet welfare in Municipal Adaptation Plans (MAPs), based on a literature review and case studies of 40 MAPs accepted in Poland as part of the “Let’s Feel the Climate” project, supported by the Polish Ministry of Environment in 2017–2019. The study summarizes the concept of climate change and the importance of adaptation measures with particular emphasis on urban heat islands and heat stress, acknowledged by climate change literature, and outlines pet welfare in the context of thermal comfort and threats caused by heat stress. Because the authors subsequently presented an empirical study of the 40 accepted MAPs, they also discussed the role and legal nature of MAPs. The main hypothesis of this survey of Polish MAPs was that pet welfare in the context of their thermal comfort is an example of the adaptive measures clearly stipulated in Polish MAPs, which was examined after presenting the MAPs’ findings. The starting point was the assumption that the welfare of pets should also be assessed from the perspective of their thermal comfort – a new element of broadly understood animal welfare. This is due to the fact that pets are exposed to the risk of heat stress resulting from urban heat islands and, just like people, have to endure the inconvenience of extreme weather phenomena, which is impossible without the support of amenities such as drinkers or water shelters and the development of green and blue infrastructure.

Ex-ante Impact Assessment of Urban Interventions: The Sustainability Check at the Example of the City of Bottrop, Germany

2021 ◽  
pp. 2150005
Author(s):  
Marisa Fuchs ◽  
Tanja Schnittfinke ◽  
Kristina Ohlmeyer ◽  
Dietwald Gruehn ◽  
Stefan Greiving
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Urban Development ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Urban Region ◽  
The City

The effects of climate change and associated extreme weather events such as heat, storms and heavy rainfall lead to considerable damage to property and personal injury worldwide. To counteract the causes and consequences of climate change, many states, regions and cities worldwide declared the status of climate emergency in 2019. As a result, scientists and urban planners intensified their efforts to develop appropriate mechanisms and measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change and its consequences. This paper presents an informal systematic and user-driven governance instrument, which examines the ecological, social and economic effects of urban interventions – the ‘Sustainability Check’. As a target-based assessment tool, it provides decision-makers with information about the extent to which a planned intervention corresponds with future-oriented urban development. The check results from the research project ZUKUR (‘Future of the Urban Region Ruhr’), in which researchers and practitioners from the City of Bottrop (Germany) worked together in a real-world laboratory. The Sustainability Check is novel because it combines elements of an impact assessment tailored to user needs and links sustainable urban development goals with resilient and environmentally just urban development at the local level. Based on the first application, we conclude that the Sustainability Check significantly contributes to developing a future-oriented city. Adapted to the local and context-specific needs of a city, it offers systematic consideration of the requirements of sustainable, resilient and environmentally just urban development in an efficient manner and at the early-stage.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ROAD SAFETY: A REVIEW TO ASSESS IMPACTS IN MALAYSIA

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shamsuddin Shahid ◽  
Anil Minhans
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Road Safety ◽  
Road Accident ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Weather Factors ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
The Road ◽  
The People ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Climate change is very likely to cause a sharp increase in temperature, which in turn is likely to affect atmospheric water storage, and thereby the magnitudes, frequencies and intensities of rainfall. The road environment, including the weather factors is one of the major causes of accident across the world. Therefore, it is very certain that climate change induced changes in weather factors will affect road safety, if proper adaptation measures are not taken. The major objective of this article is to review the existing literatures on the influence of climatic variables on road accident in order to assess the possible impacts of climate change on road safety in Malaysia. The analysis of exiting literatures reveals that most imminent and certain impacts of climate change on road safety will be due to increase of temperature and rainfall related extremes. However, the impacts may not be very high in Malaysia due to moderate changes of those extremes over a long time. Any potential risk would be possible to mitigate by educating the people on possible impacts of climatic extremes on road environment and motivating them to change their driving behaviour during extreme weather events.

scholarly journals Climate Adaptation and Climate Mitigation Do Not Undermine Each Other: A Cross‐Cultural Test in Four Countries

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Urban ◽  
Davina Vačkářová ◽  
Tomas Badura
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Total N ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Mitigate Climate Change

Adaptation and mitigation are both essential components of strategies that aim to decrease risks associated with climate change. A number of existing studies, however, suggest that the two might be negatively affecting each other – climate adaptation might decrease mitigation efforts and vice versa. We have examined these effects in five experimental studies carried out in four countries (total N = 4,800) and have used Bayesian analysis to evaluate the strength of empirical support for such effects. We did not find any evidence that compensation between climate mitigation and adaptation takes place. On the contrary, we found some evidence, albeit rather weak, that prior focus on adaptation measures increases the subsequent tendency to engage in mitigation behavior; this effect is likely to be driven by an increase in worry about the impacts of climate change that results from a prior focus on climate adaptation. If anything, offering adaptation options may increase the tendency to mitigate climate change.

scholarly journals Role of vegetation change in future climate under the A1B scenario and a climate stabilisation scenario, using the HadCM3C earth system model

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 7601-7659 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. D. Falloon ◽  
R. Dankers ◽  
R. A. Betts ◽  
C. D. Jones ◽  
B. B. B. Booth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Vegetation Change ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Future Scenarios ◽  
High Latitudes ◽  
Carbon Cycle Model ◽  
Ipcc Sres ◽  
The Impact ◽  
A1b Scenario

Abstract. The aim of our study was to use the coupled climate-carbon cycle model HadCM3C to quantify climate impact of ecosystem changes over recent decades and under future scenarios, due to changes in both atmospheric CO2 and surface albedo. We use two future scenarios – the IPCC SRES A1B scenario, and a climate stabilisation scenario (2C20), allowing us to assess the impact of climate mitigation on results. We performed a pair of simulations under each scenario – one in which vegetation was fixed at the initial state and one in which vegetation changes dynamically in response to climate change, as determined by the interactive vegetation model within HadCM3C. In our simulations with interactive vegetation, relatively small changes in global vegetation coverage were found, mainly dominated by increases in scrub and needleleaf trees at high latitudes and losses of broadleaf trees and grasses across the Amazon. Globally this led to a loss of terrestrial carbon, mainly from the soil. Global changes in carbon storage were related to the regional losses from the Amazon and gains at high latitude. Regional differences in carbon storage between the two scenarios were largely driven by the balance between warming-enhanced decomposition and altered vegetation growth. Globally, interactive vegetation reduced albedo acting to enhance albedo changes due to climate change. This was mainly related to the darker land surface over high latitudes (due to vegetation expansion, particularly during winter and spring); small increases in albedo occurred over the Amazon. As a result, there was a relatively small impact of vegetation change on most global annual mean climate variables, which was generally greater under A1B than 2C20, with markedly stronger local-to-regional and seasonal impacts. Globally, vegetation change amplified future annual temperature increases by 0.24 and 0.15 K (under A1B and 2C20, respectively) and increased global precipitation, with reductions in precipitation over the Amazon and increases over high latitudes. In general, changes were stronger over land – for example, global temperature changes due to interactive vegetation of 0.43 and 0.28 K under A1B and 2C20, respectively. Regionally, the warming influence of future vegetation change in our simulations was driven by the balance between driving factors. For instance, reduced tree cover over the Amazon reduced evaporation (particularly during summer), outweighing the cooling influence of any small albedo changes. In contrast, at high latitudes the warming impact of reduced albedo (particularly during winter and spring) due to increased vegetation cover appears to have offset any cooling due to small evaporation increases. Climate mitigation generally reduced the impact of vegetation change on future global and regional climate in our simulations. Our study therefore suggests that there is a need to consider both biogeochemical and biophysical effects in climate adaptation and mitigation decision making.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document