Contributions of Nature-Based Solutions to Reduce Peoples’ Vulnerabilities to Climate Change across the Rural Global South

Nature-based solutions (NbS) —i.e. working with and enhancing nature to address societal challenges— feature with increasing prominence in responses to climate change, including in the adaptation plans of the most vulnerable nations. Although evidence for the effectiveness of NbS for adaptation is growing, there is less evidence on whether and how NbS reduce vulnerability to climate change in the Global South, despite this region being home to most of the world’s most climate-vulnerable people. To address this, we analysed the vulnerability-reduction outcomes of 85 nature-based interventions in rural areas across the Global South, and factors mediating their effectiveness, based on a systematic map of peer-reviewed studies encompassing a wide diversity of ecosystems, climate impacts, intervention types and institutions. We applied an analytical framework based on social-ecological systems and climate change vulnerability, coding studies with respect to six pathways of vulnerability reduction: social and ecological exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. We find widespread effectiveness of NbS in the dataset with 95% providing positive outcomes for climate change adaptation. Overall, nature-based interventions reduced vulnerability primarily by lowering ecosystem sensitivity to climate impacts (73% of interventions), followed by reducing social sensitivity (43%), reducing ecological exposure (37%), and/or increasing social adaptive capacity (34%), ecological adaptive capacity (18%) and reducing social exposure (12%). With an analysis of mediating factors, we show that vulnerability-reduction effectiveness was affected as much by social and political factors as by technical considerations. Indeed configurations of existing and introduced formal and informal institutions appear central to the efficacy and distributive effects of the studied interventions. We conclude that attention to the distinct pathways through which vulnerability is reduced can help maximise the benefits of NbS and that to be successful, careful consideration is required on their applicability to particular circumstances as well as their social dimensions.

Study on allocation and realization method of helicopter vulnerability index

To reduce the vulnerability of attack helicopters under fragment/projectile strikes, the method of assigning vulnerability index from the whole aircraft to critical components under single and multiple attacks is mainly studied. Under a single strike, the system components in the same direction are divided into three situations: no component overlap, nonredundant model with component overlap and redundant model with component overlap. Two index allocation methods based on the ratio of the presented area of the critical components and the ratio of the vulnerability assessment results of the critical components are proposed. The system components are divided into redundant components and non-redundant components, and an index allocation method based on the proportion of critical components' vulnerability results is proposed under multiple strikes. On this basis, combining with the vulnerability reduction measures of attack helicopters, the vulnerability index requirements of corresponding components are achieved through iterative analysis. Finally, the AH-64D helicopter is subjected to simulation tests under single and multiple strikes, and the vulnerability indexes of B-level and C-level are assigned, which verified the feasibility of the method.

Framework for Climate Change Adaptation of Agriculture and Forestry in Mediterranean Climate Regions

Planning the adaptation of agriculture and forestry landscapes to climate change remains challenging due to the need for integrating substantial amounts of information. This information ranges from climate scenarios, geographical site information, socio-economic data and several possible adaptation measures. Thus, there is an urgent need to have a framework that is capable of organizing adaptation strategies and measures in the agriculture and forestry sectors in Mediterranean climatic regions. Additionally, this framework should provide a cause effect relation with climate vulnerability to adequately support the development of adaptation planning at municipal and local (farm) level. In this context, we propose to test and evaluate a framework for climate adaptation of the agriculture and forestry sectors, based on the local causal-effect relation between adaptation strategies and measures and the level of vulnerability reduction achieved for Mediterranean areas. The framework was developed based on the combination of the DPSIR (Driving forces, Pressures, State, Impacts, Responses) and Vulnerability frameworks and reviewed 162 practical adaptation measures, further organized into strategies, complemented by a set of efficacy indicators. The framework was tested with 70 stakeholders in six stakeholder workshops for the planning of two farms and one municipal climate adaptation study, that are now in actual implementation and monitoring. The framework is composed by a set of eight adaptation strategies in which adaptation measures are clustered and assessed using efficacy indicators. In the evaluation of the adaptation framework, 96% of stakeholders considered its content as good or very good and 89% considered the final outcomes as good or very good. Finally, the framework was also used to assess and compare the adaptation strategies and measures presented in the climate adaptation plans of the three case studies. On average, 52.2% of the adaptation measures selected by the three case studies are dedicated to Ecosystem Resilience, 30.9% to Adaptive Capacity, 9.1% to Microclimates, 7.4% to Protection, and 0.3% to Mitigation strategies. This framework was considered effective in supporting adaptation planning at farm and municipal levels and useful to assess and compare adaptation plans in the frame of vulnerability reduction. Future studies can further contribute to support adaptation planning in these sectors by using, developing and streamlining this framework to additional and different socio-ecological contexts.

Resilience as an Adaptation Strategy of Agroecosystems in the light of Climate Change

Objective: Analyze the concept of resilience as an agroecosystem property to deal with the possible outcomes of climate change. Methodology: The literature was analyzed concerning concepts of resilience, vulnerability, climate change scenarios and agroecosystems resilience. Results: The resilience is an emergent property and is part of the agroecosystem trajectory, and it also is closely related with the adaptability and self-learning capacity. Limitations of the study: The strengthening of weak elements should be encouraged and promoted the agroecosystem controller feedback to increase his adaptive capacities. Conclusions: Promotion of agroecosystems resilience must start by integrating indicators in environmental, governance, risk assessment, knowledge and education dimensions, management and vulnerability reduction, and preparedness and response for disasters.

Building density derived from aerial photo mapping for physical vulnerability reduction in earthquake hazard zone of Sengon village, Central Java

<p><em>Building density is an important parameter for earthquake vulnerability mapping. Sengon village, Klaten, Central Java, which located in active fault zone of Opak is still lack of strategies for risk reduction in relation to physical vulnerability, especially to building density. The aims of this research is to 1) calculate the building density, 2) identify the relation of building density and population number, and 3) propose vulnerability reduction planning for physical characteristic. Building density calculate from aerial photo mapping. This method is robust and effective, resulting data of building density that Dusun Belan is the densest. In Sengon village, building density and population has positive correlation. Most of buildings is inhabited by 1-2 households. Sengon village can adapt several strategies for vulnerability physical reduction, i.e. a) design a strong and eco-friendly earthquake building especially for building inhabited by&gt;3 HH, b) provide an open space and evacuation route in denser building area. </em></p>

What Role Do Disaster Victims Play as the Mainstream for Future Disaster Preparedness in Korea? Case Studies of Foundations Established by Disaster Victims

Historically, the primary agents performing key roles in disaster preparedness, as well as risk mitigation and vulnerability reduction, in Korea have been the central government, local government, and regional government. Recently, and without controversy, the disaster management paradigm has shifted from disaster relief to disaster preparedness, risk mitigation, and vulnerability reduction. This study examines case studies in an effort to document the integral roles that direct victims and their families have played in disaster preparedness. The success of the Foundation for Disaster Preparation, established by survivors of disasters, is analyzed through a framework using media interviews. The results of this study demonstrate that disaster survivors and bereaved families play significant roles as primary agents in the effective management of various regeneration projects as well as in the strengthening of resilience after disasters. As the case studies show, legitimate disaster victims are more informed concerning the requirements for disaster management because they have experienced first-hand the trauma caused by a disaster and its aftermath. These subdivided activities are expected to provide assistance by characteristics of local governments, types of disasters, and targets.