| 1. |
- Andersson-Sköld, Yvonne, et al.
(author)
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An integrated method for assessing climate-related risks and adaptation alternatives in urban areas
- 2015
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In: Climate Risk Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-0963. ; 7, s. 31-50
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- © 2015 The Authors. The urban environment is a complex structure with interlinked social, ecological and technical structures. Global warming is expected to have a broad variety of impacts, which will add to the complexity. Climate changes will force adaptation, to reduce climate-related risks. Adaptation measures can address one aspect at the time, or aim for a holistic approach to avoid maladaptation. This paper presents a systematic, integrated approach for assessing alternatives for reducing the risks of heat waves, flooding and air pollution in urban settings, with the aim of reducing the risk of maladaptation. The study includes strategies covering different spatial scales, and both the current climate situation and the climate predicted under climate change scenarios. The adaptation strategies investigated included increasing vegetation; selecting density, height and colour of buildings; and retreat or resist (defend) against sea-level rise. Their effectiveness was assessed with regard to not only flooding, heat stress and air quality but also with regard to resource use, emissions to air (incl. GHG), soil and water, and people's perceptions and vulnerability. The effectiveness of the strategies were ranked on a common scale (from -3 to 3) in an integrated assessment. Integrated assessments are recommended, as they help identify the most sustainable solutions, but to reduce the risk of maladaptation they require experts from a variety of disciplines. The most generally applicable recommendation, derived from the integrated assessment here, taking into account both expertise from different municipal departments, literature surveys, life cycle assessments and publics perceptions, is to increase the urban greenery, as it contributes to several positive aspects such as heat stress mitigation, air quality improvement, effective storm-water and flood-risk management, and it has several positive social impacts. The most favourable alternative was compact, mid-rise, light coloured building design with large parks/green areas and trees near buildings.
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| 2. |
- Boholm, Åsa, 1953, et al.
(author)
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Experts’ understandings of drinking water risk management in a climate change scenario
- 2017
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In: Climate Risk Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-0963. ; 16, s. 133-144
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The challenges for society presented by climate change are complex and demanding. This paper focuses on one particular resource of utmost necessity and vulnerability to climate change: namely, the provisioning of safe drinking water. From a critical perspective on the role of expertise in risk debates, this paper looks at how Swedish experts understand risk to drinking water in a climate change scenario and how they reason about challenges to risk management and adaptation strategies. The empirical material derives from ten in-depth semi-structured interviews with experts, employed both at government agencies and at universities, and with disciplinary backgrounds in a variety of fields (water engineering, planning, geology and environmental chemistry). The experts understand risk factors affecting both drinking water quality and availability as complex and systemically interrelated. A lack of political saliency of drinking water as a public service is identified as an obstacle to the development of robust adaptation strategies. Another area of concern relates to the geographical, organizational and institutional boundaries (regulatory, political and epistemological) between the plethora of public actors with partly overlapping and sometimes unclear responsibilities for the provisioning of safe drinking water. The study concludes that climate change adaptation regarding drinking water provisioning will require a new integration of the knowledge of systemic risk relations, in combination with more efficient agency collaboration based on a clear demarcation of responsibility between actors.
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| 3. |
- Folkerts, M. A., et al.
(author)
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Predicted and user perceived heat strain using the ClimApp mobile tool for individualized alert and advice
- 2021
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In: Climate Risk Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-0963. ; 34
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Thermal models and indices integrated into a mobile application could provide relevant information regarding thermal stress and strain to the general public. The aim of the current paper is to validate such a mobile application, ClimApp, to the users needs in the heat. ClimApp combines weather data with personal user data, thermal models and indices to estimate the thermal strain of the user. The output of ClimApp ranges from −4 to +4, where values below 0 indicate cold strain and values above 0 indicate heat strain. 134 Participants filled in the required personal settings into the app, and indicated if the estimated thermal strain by ClimApp matched their thermal perception. 45 of the participants filled in a user satisfaction questionnaire. Results show that ClimApp is able to predict the heat strain of the user, but may underestimate perceived heat strain when ambient temperature increases. Furthermore, participants were positive about the user-friendliness of ClimApp, but did not think they would use ClimApp frequently and believed the information was irrelevant for them. This is quite remarkable as the number of heat illness cases are increasing and the negative effects of heat occur in all populations exposing themselves to the heat. There needs to be more focus on making people aware of the negative health risks of the heat. ClimApp could play a role as a tool to make heat warnings more accessible for everyone and make people aware of appropriate behavior during periods with high ambient temperatures.
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| 4. |
- Gustafsson, Karin M., 1983-, et al.
(author)
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Boundary organizations and environmental governance : Performance, institutional design, and conceptual development
- 2018
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In: Climate Risk Management. - : Elsevier. - 2212-0963. ; 19, s. 1-11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The concept boundary organization has been introduced to identify and explain a specific way of organizing the interface between science and policy. Although the original meaning of the concept has been criticized, the term has come to be frequently used in studies of knowledge transfer and science-policy relations. This usage constitutes the reason for this paper, which investigates how the concept of boundary organization has come to be used and defined and explores its contribution to the discussion of the organization of the science-policy interplay. The analysis finds that despite its spread and usage, the concept boundary organization does not refer to any specific form of organization and does not per se give any guidance about how to organize science-policy interplay. Instead, boundary organization is mainly used as an empirical label when studying the governance of expertise and the management of science-policy interfaces. This finding is also true for studies of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which describe that organization as a boundary organization without saying anything about what that label means in terms of institutional design and practical implications. However, to label an organization as a boundary organization nevertheless works performatively; it shapes an organization’s identity, may provide legitimacy, and can also stabilize the interactions between it and other organizations. Therefore, boundary organization is an important concept, but primarily as a way to facilitate interaction. Thus, the focus of research should be on analyzing how the concept is used and what its implications are for the organization studied.
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| 5. |
- Gustafsson, Maria-Therese, 1979-, et al.
(author)
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Private adaptation to climate risks : Evidence from the world’s largest mining companies
- 2022
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In: Climate Risk Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-0963. ; 35
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Private companies have in recent years started to disclose information about their exposure and responses to climate risks. However, we still know little about how and why private actors engage in climate change adaptation, and to what extent they do so in ways that improve societal resilience. This article addresses these questions. It conceptualizes private adaptation as consisting of institutional, infrastructural and community-oriented responses to climate risks. It develops a political-economic framework about the drivers of private adaptation, where private adaptation is expected to be shaped by pressures exerted by governments, investors, and civil society actors. Empirically, the framework is explored by using an original dataset on the adaptation responses of the 37 largest mining companies worldwide. We select the mining sector as mineral extraction plays a critical role in the low-carbon transition, and can, at the same time, exacerbate climate vulnerability in extracting sites. The descriptive findings suggest that the majority of the investigated companies have set up procedures to assess climate impacts on business operations, integrated climate risks in water governance, and adapted their infrastructure. The explanatory results indicate that private adaptation is mainly driven by investor pressures, and not domestic regulations and civil society. By implication, companies rarely engage in community-oriented adaptation responses by cooperating with local communities in ways that would benefit these communities. Taken together, our findings help to better understand the limitations of private adaptation and barriers to achieve transformative change, and identify how private adaptation could help improve societal resilience.
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| 6. |
- Göransson, Gunnel, et al.
(author)
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Opportunities for planned retreat and flexible land use in Sweden : Local, regional and national governance perspectives
- 2023
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In: Climate Risk Management. - : Elsevier. - 2212-0963. ; 41
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- As the sea level rises and the frequency of intense rains increase, so does the need for climate adaptation. Planning for a successive development of society away from current and future flood prone areas to give room for water is not seen as an alternative in Sweden today, although it could be a strategy that creates long-term security. In this study, we investigated Swedish public authorities' perceptions of planned retreat and flexible land use. This was done through an online survey and interviews directed to officials directly involved in climate adaptation work, at municipalities, County Administration Boards (CABs), Regions, national authorities (NAs), and industry organizations (IOs). The responses were analyzed through the lens of a windows of opportunity approach. The study indicates that the extent to which climate scenarios are used and how far into the future the planning horizon extends in the practical work, varies between governance level which also have impact on the perspectives on planned retreat. The openness for planned retreat and flexible strategies seemed to differ slightly between governance levels in an ascending scale from regions, IOs / NAs, municipalities, to CABs. The survey has generated insights from a large number of respondents at different governance levels sharing their perceptions of retreat and adaptation in Sweden as a main contribution of this work.Difficulties to deal with uncertainties in climate scenarios and considering long-term perspectives were identified as some reasons that close the window for planned retreat. Enabling a flexible use of the land that will gradually become more exposed to flooding and sea level rise could be an intermediate step towards retreat. This would be a way to reframe a closed window of opportunity and begin the process of turning it into something transformative. It could be where the short- and long-term planning meet and a way to reframe our way of thinking about how we live and reside in dynamic waterfront areas, and perhaps lead to a more transformative, safe, and sustainable society for future generations.
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| 7. |
- Leijonhufvud, Gustaf, 1977-
(author)
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Making sense of climate risk information : The case of future indoor climate risks in Swedish churches
- 2016
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In: Climate Risk Management. - : Elsevier. - 2212-0963. ; 13, s. 76-87
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Organizations and institutions managing built heritage have to make use of increasingly detailed, elaborate and complex climate change impact assessments. It is a challenge to determine how, when and by whom climate predictions should be translated into risk estimates usable for decision-making. In this paper results from the Climate for Culture project are used to study how heritage decision-makers interpret future indoor climate-related risks to Swedish churches. Different sets of risk maps were presented to ten engineers, ten building conservators and five experts on indoor climate related risks. Interviews were used to understand how the interviewees made sense of the presented information and if they associated it with a perceived need for adaptation. The results show that the risks were interpreted and assessed largely dependent on their pre-understanding and familiarity with the individual risks. The magnitude of change and the lack of uncertainty estimates were subordinate to the overall impression of the information as being credible and salient. The major conclusion is that the dissemination of risk information, also from projects which at the outset have aimed at producing knowledge relevant for end-users, should be both customized and tested in collaborative efforts by stakeholders and scientists.
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| 8. |
- Malmquist, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Vulnerability and adaptation to heat waves in preschools : Experiences, impacts and responses by unit heads, educators and parents
- 2021
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In: Climate Risk Management. - : Elsevier. - 2212-0963. ; 31
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- With global warming, heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense, particularly in northern latitudes, where the pace of warming is faster. Due to its northern location, Swedish society has been built primarily to manage a cold climate, and is less prepared to manage heat, which the 2018 heat wave demonstrated. While young children are recognized as vulnerable to heat, and are reliant on preschool care, few studies have examined how the young and vulnerable people are cared for during heat waves in the institutional preschool setting. This exploratory study demonstrates how children in preschool environments are vulnerable to heat, in order to identify management needs by assessing experienced impacts and responses to the 2018 heat wave in Sweden. Empirically, the study builds on a survey completed by 33 unit heads responsible for 77 preschools in the focused municipality, and qualitative interviews with five educators and five parents, as well as temperature measurements in three selected preschools. This study shows that: (i) children and educators are exposed to both high indoor and outdoor temperatures in the preschools; (ii) both children and educators were affected by the heat wave in the preschools, and their sensitivity is deeply intertwined due to their dependency relationship, rendering a form of double sensitivity to heat; and (iii) the preschool heads and educators were unprepared to sufficiently cope with the heat wave, and organizational strategies for managing heat were lacking, indicating weak adaptive capacity. The significant exposure to heat in preschool environments, the dual sensitivity of children and preschool educators, and the low organizational readiness resulting in uncoordinated responses to reduce heat stress suggest a pronounced vulnerability to heat waves in preschools.
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| 9. |
- Mourad, Khaldoon, et al.
(author)
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Assessing flooding and possible adaptation measures using remote sensing data and hydrological modeling in Sweden
- 2022
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In: Climate Risk Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-0963. ; 38
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recently, Europe is experiencing more frequent and greater floods compared to the last 500 years due to climate change among other factors. This has increased the associated risks, especially in urban areas, which poses a great challenge to all stakeholders. To protect traffic networks from possible floods, this paper uses QGIS, remote sensing data, and HEC-HMS model to assess flooding events and possible adaptation measures. Two case studies have been taken; 1) a 60-mm rainstorm that occurred in 2012 on a main road in the Northern part of Sweden (NB)); and 2) a 35-mm rainstorm that occurred in 2019 in the Southern part of Gothenburg (GO). The resulting flood hydrographs show that the peak reached are 0.5 m3/s and 3.8 m3/s in GO and NB, respectively. To adapt to these flood events, four adaptation measures were assessed namely afforestation, permeable pavements & green roofs, multi-use detention basins and culvert installation considering food production, biodiversity, prosperity, and the environment. The study has shown that afforestation is an effective flood risk mitigation measure to handle both moderate and extreme rain events. Well-maintained permeable surfaces and green roofs are effective in reducing flooding due to moderate rainfall, but not in reducing the impacts of extreme rainfall events. Well-designed multi-functional detention basins are good flood protection measures, however, if they are not well-maintained, their efficiency may be reduced by up to 90 %. Culverts are effective for frequent and limited rain events but extreme rain events may even increase flood risk and thereby contribute to damaging the infrastructure.
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| 10. |
- Mubai, Marlino Eugénio, et al.
(author)
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The sacred and climate change : Local perceptions from KaNyaka island in Mozambique
- 2023
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In: Climate Risk Management. - 2212-0963. ; 42
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Small islands are highly dependent on their natural endowments. Because of this dependency, they are more vulnerable to climate change. This paper builds on the assumption that a better understanding of the meaning of climate change in specific local contexts (from localized perspectives) opens up possibilities for climate change adaptations. Based on literature reviews, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and forum theatre performances, the paper provides various perceptions of climate change effects from KaNyaka Island in Mozambique. It endeavors to further build the case for the integration of everyday-life experiences and observations of environmental processes in developing collective responses to climate change. The study does so by looking at the way island inhabitants, who are particularly vulnerable to climate change, perceive this phenomenon. The paper argues that the KaNyaka residents are part of local ecologies in which physical and spiritual worlds are entangled in everyday life. It also avers that for a better understanding and response to the adverse effects of climate change on the island, scientists at large must approach local communities as co-producers of knowledge. This relational approach allows the incorporation of worldviews that have been key in sustaining enfolding relationships between people and local ecology. It concludes that this approach opens the possibility of adaptation to climate change as an embedded socio-environmental phenomenon.
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