Identifying Possible Means for Adaptation This module provides a general overview of the different categories of climate change adaptation measures and includes the following: Typology of Adaptation Preparing for Adaptation Active Measures

1. Online Training Resource: Climate Adaptation
Implementing Adaptation

2. Process Stage 3
Implementing Adaptation: Identifying Means
Identifying Possible Means for Adaptation
This module provides a general overview of the different categories of climate change adaptation
measures and includes the following:
• Typology of Adaptation
• Preparing for Adaptation
• Active Measures
Climate Adaptation
Deborah Davies, Carlo Aall, Eli Heiberg, 2012
Online Training Resource

3. Process Stage 3
Implementing Adaptation: Adaptation Options
Types of Adaptation
Adaptation measures or options vary depending
on many factors.
For example, adaptation measures can be
classified based on the sectors considered.
Alternatively, adaptation measures can be
classified based on the timing, goal and motive of
their implementation.
Accordingly, adaptation can include reactive or
anticipatory actions, or can be planned or
autonomous (UNFCCC, 2006 and TERI, IPCC,
2007).
Climate Adaptation
Online Training Resource

4. Process Stage 3
Implementing Adaptation: Adaptation Options
Adaptation Responses
Adaptation responses can be clustered into the
following broad categories:
Technological solutions - grey measures;
Ecosystem-based adaptation solutions - green
measures;
Behavioural, managerial and policy approaches - soft
measures.
Green and soft measures specifically aim at decreasing
the sensitivity and increasing the adaptive capacity of
human and natural systems, basically building
resilience. They often provide low-cost solutions and
we know enough for their implementation.
Source: EEA(European Environmental Agency) 2010: Adapting
to climate change — SOER 2010 thematic assessment
Climate Adaptation
Online Training Resource

5. Process Stage 3
Implementing Adaptation: Adaptation Options
Types of Adaptation
Depending on the timing, goal and
motive of it’s implementation, adaptation
can be either reactive of anticipatory.
Reactive adaptation occurs after the
initial impacts of climate change become
evident; however, anticipatory
adaptation occurs before the impacts
are obvious. For example, adaptation in
a natural system is reactive by nature,
while in a human system it can be both
reactive as well as anticipatory.
Adaptation Options Source: IPCC, 2001
Climate Adaptation
Online Training Resource

6. Process Stage 3
Implementing Adaptation: Adaptation Options
Types of Adaptation
Short-term vs Long-term Adaptation
Some adaptation measures"are appropriate"in the short-term
while others are more proper in the long-term. For example,
changing crop"varieties or adjusting planting/ harvesting
dates are short-term measures that can be used by farmers.
Transforming agricultural production system"itself into a
more"resilient system to climate change such as integrated
farming is a longer term adaptation strategy. Long-term
solutions also include insurance and banking
S. Niggol Seo (Lead Author);Kevin Vranes (Topic Editor) "Adaptations to climate
change". In: Encyclopedia of Earth.
http://www.eoearth.org/article/ Adaptations_to_climate_change
Climate Adaptation
Online Training Resource

7. Process Stage 3
Implementing Adaptation: Adaptation Options
Types of Adaptation
Public Adaptation
Some adaptation measures"can be"taken individually.
However,"other adaptation measures"will require a public
intervention to provide them efficiently. For example,
subsistent farmers may not be able to"purchase a crop
insurance"due to capital constraints. The current irrigation
systems in California were established with a heavy support
from the State government. Market failures can result in the
provision of public adaptation measures due to their public
goods’ nature. For example, a cure for Malaria cannot be
developed efficiently.
S. Niggol Seo (Lead Author);Kevin Vranes (Topic Editor) "Adaptations to climate
change". In: Encyclopedia of Earth.
http://www.eoearth.org/article/ Adaptations_to_climate_change
Climate Adaptation
Online Training Resource

8. Process Stage 3
Implementing Adaptation: Adaptation Options
Categories of Climate Adaptation Measures
Adapting to current climate Adapting to climate change
Prepare for • Strengthen the institutional • Strengthen the institutional
adaptation capacity capacity
• Analyse climate vulnerabilities • Analyse climate change
vulnerabilities
• Inform about climate change
vulnerabilities
• ”Wait-and-see”
Doing actual Making up potential maintenance • Effect-oriented adaptation
adaptation delay measures
• Cause-oriented adaptation
measures
Source: The Western Norway Research Institute, 2011.
Climate Adaptation
Online Training Resource

9. Process Stage 3
Implementing Adaptation: Adaptation Measures
Strengthening Institutional Capacity
• Political competence
– e.g. in connection with training of newly elected local government representatives
• Administrative competence
– either by hiring experts or by strengthening the competence of existing staff
• Administrative capacity
– findings from many analyses of criteria for municipal environment work shows that the main
problem is rarely a lack of competence, but rather a lack of capacity
• Integrating considerations of climate adaptation in planning processes
– Improving existing routines or establishing new administrative routines and procedures
• Changing the perspective on knowledge from conventional to alternative knowledge
– e.g. making use of alternative methods for surface water treatment a supplement to, or
substitute for, focusing on increasing pipeline dimensions
Climate Adaptation
Online Training Resource

10. Process Stage 3
Implementing Adaptation: Adaptation Measures
Final key points on implementation
• Analyzing vulnerability to climate change by taking into consideration the effects of both climate
change and socio-economic change.
• Informing the local population about the results of the local analyses of climate vulnerability and
the need for climate adaptation.
• Making up the current maintenance delay with regards to physical infrastructure.
• “Wait-and-see”, in the case of:
– A basic knowledge deficit
– A lack of resources
– An absence of government guidelines
Climate Adaptation
Online Training Resource