Presentation from the workshop 'Informing and Enabling a Climate Resilient Ireland”' - held 23 March 2012. This event launched 2 EPA Climate Change Research Programme reports: CCRP9 'Ireland adapts to Climate Change' and CCRP10 'Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Sectoral Policies in Ireland'

1. National Adaptive Capacity Assessment
Ireland Adapts to Climate Change
Climate Change Adaptation Information Event
March 23rd, 2013
Clarion Hotel, IFSC
Dublin

2. Context of Assessment
 Work fills a knowledge gap in adaptation research
 Conducted in the context of an emerging methodology,
which Ireland helped pilot
 Sets out national institutional capacity to adapt to climate
change
 Identifies key policies where climate change adaptation
can be integrated
 Will help support the development of national climate
change adaptation policy

3. Approach
 Developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) in
consultation with practioners / researchers
 National-level assessment process
 Identifies the fundamental actions that all countries
need to perform to adapt effectively to climate
change over time
 Framework assesses how well actions are performed
in order to identify priorities for building adaptive
activity and implementing adaptation actions.

4. Objectives for Ireland
 Focus of study national level institutions
 Identify strengths and weaknesses in capacity to adapt
and identify key areas where action is needed
 Use the outputs of the assessment to inform emerging
national policy on adaptation to climate change
 Determine a baseline from which to measure and review
progress over time.
 Pilot the framework and share lessons learned with WRI
and other pilot countries

5. Key actions assessed
Have impact, vulnerability
1. Assessment assessments been done?
Have national adaptation
2. Prioritisation priorities been set?
Does national level
3. Coordination coordination exist?
Is appropriate info and analysis
4. Information available?
5. Climate Risk Do climate risk reduction
methods, guidelines,
Assessment approaches exist?

6. Process
 Literature review, 3 workshops and interviews
 Context review – overview of the policy context in which
adaptation takes place
 Capacity assessment based on worksheets for each of the
key actions
 Results / outputs  evaluation of capacities and
recommendations

7. Final output: 2 summary reports

8. Key Findings
 Ireland in a good position to start planning for adaptation
 Good quality data & information on climate change impacts exists
 Adaptation priorities have not yet been identified. Assessments of
vulnerability and climate risk will help to identify priorities
 Stronger coordination of adaptation activities is needed across all
sectors and levels of governance
 Some systems for data gathering and analysis are in place but
others need to be developed and all need to be strengthened.
 There is increasing awareness of the need to assess and
address climate risks

9. Recommendations
 A national approach to climate change vulnerability and risk
assessment should be developed
 National priorities may change over time-this must be accounted
for
 A national level coordination body for climate change adaptation
should be mandated and established
 Data and information systems
 Must be sustained and developed
 Disseminate information to decision makers and the public
 Advance climate risk reduction via policy tools e.g. EIA,SEA,
insurance mechanisms and early warning systems

10. Conclusions
 Applying the adaptive capacity assessment process was
challenging but very useful
 It acted as a communication and information mechanism
 The outputs show that Ireland is well positioned to move
forward on actions to adapt to climate change
 A good level of information and analysis is in place
 Governance systems and structures are in place
 Further steps are needed as outlined in the recommendations
 The approach to adaptation needs to be targeted, enabling
and responsive
 National coordination and management structures are
required

11. WRI Publication
Results of this
adaptive capacity
assessment will also
be included in
forthcoming WRI
publication

12. Thank You
 Research summary reports are available to download from www.epa.ie
 Details of WRI approach can be found at:
http://www.wri.org/project/vulnerability-and-adaptation/nac- framework