Transcript Slide 1

Professor Darryn McEvoy
Leader of the Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP),
Global Cities Institute, RMIT University, Melbourne
Deputy Director,
Victorian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Research
(VCCCAR)
Port Moresby, 2014
Challenges facing local government response to climate
change
1. Context setting.
2. What is adaptation to climate change?
3. Projects in the Pacific.
4. Reflections on the issues and challenges.
RMIT University©2010
CCAP, Global Cities Institute
Context setting
1. Mitigation: action to limit global warming. Cities:
decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures.
2. Adaptation: planning for, and responding to, climaterelated impacts i.e. managing the impact of change that
we can’t avoid.
3. Disaster risk reduction: planning and responding to
extreme events (hazards-led approach)
4. Development: vulnerability-led approaches
5. Resilience: appealing concept but yet to be
operationalised (response to disturbance, capacity to self
organise, and ability to learn).
RMIT University©2010
CCAP, Global Cities Institute
Adaptation to climate change – a complex problem
structure
1. Multiple framings: scientifically, politically, and socially
2. Climate variability versus longer term climate change
3. Adaptation is context specific
4. Dimensions: hazards, sensitivity, exposure, adaptive
capacity
5. Hazards-based approach: heat, flooding, drought,
storms, sea level rise, fires
6. Sensitivity-based approach: different elements at risk
within the urban environment – infrastructure, buildings,
space between buildings, and people
RMIT University©2010
CCAP, Global Cities Institute
Adaptation to climate change – a complex problem
structure (2)
1. Exposure: changing over time / spatial planning
2. Adaptive capacity: adaptation as both an outcome and a
learning process
3. Forms of adaptation: engineering, technology, land use
planning, regulations, design standards, insurance,
EWS, knowledge transfer, capacity building, institutional
adaptive management etc.
4. What is to be adapted to, but also how and who?
Adaptation pathways!
RMIT University©2010
CCAP, Global Cities Institute
Spatial issues
1. Urban system: city-wide, neighbourhood, building level
2. Different urban typologies: CBD, redevelopment / infill,
suburbs, peri-urban, linkage with rural areas
3. Urban size, form and function
4. Geographical dimension
RMIT University©2010
CCAP, Global Cities Institute
Europe
1. Planning for future climate change
2. Established cities – emphasis on retro-fitting
RMIT University©2010
CCAP, Global Cities Institute
Australia
1. Exposure to current day weather-related extremes
2. Also thinking about future climate change and variability
3. Coastal but also regional towns
RMIT University©2010
CCAP, Global Cities Institute
Asia-Pacific
1. Already experiencing climate (and non-climate) related
disasters
2. Rapid urbanisation and associated issues
3. Additional complexity of development drivers
4. Large diversity between regions and countries
RMIT University©2010
CCAP, Global Cities Institute
Key lessons learnt (seaports)
1. Different types of climate data is needed. Also, longer
term change for engineering; extreme events for supply
chain.
2. Other hazards are important, not just climate change.
3. CSIRO Pacific Futures is a valuable resource for
considering uncertain futures.
4. Sectoral approach can be useful in focussing attention to
detail.
RMIT University©2010
CCAP, Global Cities Institute
Key lessons learnt 2 (seaports)
1. Seaports are important in the Pacific context – economic
gateways and also important for issues like food security.
2. Seaports are an important link to urban centres and
partnerships are a core element of adaptation: – National
Met service, public - private etc.
3. Collaboration is needed – example of flooding.
RMIT University©2010
CCAP, Global Cities Institute
Key lessons learnt (urban vulnerability assessment)
1. Much vulnerability assessment / activity is rural based;
2. Urbanisation introduces more complexity – land tenure,
informal settlements, social networks; traditional
practice;
3. Current vulnerability is a major issue, not just future
climate change (question of emphasis);
4. Institutional capacity to respond is limited, personnel
turn-over can be an issue, and multi-level responsibilities
can be blurred (adaptation as a diffuse issue).
RMIT University©2010
CCAP, Global Cities Institute
Key lessons learnt 2 (urban vulnerability assessment)
1. Need for better integration between top down expert
driven activity v bottom up community-based
approaches;
2. Introduction of building standards and regulations which
account for climate change;
3. Need for grassroots champions: ward level, women,
churches, informal settlements (recognising importance
of equity);
4. How best to engage with different communities?
RMIT University©2010
CCAP, Global Cities Institute
Challenges
• What do we need to adapt to? (climate risk / vulnerability
assessment, top-down v bottom up);
• Integration of DRR and CCA – target existing
vulnerabilities in a short to medium time frame (platform
for longer-term adaptation);
• What or who needs to adapt? How, and roles and
responsibilities (institutional dimension)?
• Who pays and who benefits? Question of public v private.
• No robust indicators for adaptive capacity.
RMIT University©2010
CCAP, Global Cities Institute
Challenges (2)
• Importance of local participatory processes both for risk
assessment and adaptation planning;
• Local narratives – adaptation as a value laden process
(ethnic and cultural dimensions);
• The urbanisation process and implications for
adaptation;
• Difficult to separate out climate from human influences
(complex socio-ecological linkages);
• Climate compatibility v urban liveability?
• Communication of risks and adaptation.
RMIT University©2010
CCAP, Global Cities Institute
Thank you for your attention
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