Page - 27 - in Loss and Damage from Climate Change - Concepts, Methods and Policy Options

1 Science forLossandDamage.FindingsandPropositions 27 of climate change emerge in different regions of the world. All of these applica- tionsarefundamental to informingactions toaddress,avertandminimiselossesand damages. Proposition 3 Climatechangeresearchhasfocusedonunderstandingphysical/hard limitstoadaptation,butlesssoonthesoft limits,whicharestronglyshapedbysocial processes.Applyingamultiplelinesofevidenceframework,wefindthatsoft limitsto intolerableriskarealreadybeingbreachedinseveralgeographiesglobally.Climate change isakey factor, yet exposuregrowthandvulnerabilitydynamicsparticularly needattention foracomprehensiveunderstanding. While research on adaptation limits is still in its infancy, the L&Ddebate has had some focus on adaptation limits, which have been defined as points beyond whichactors’objectivesarecompromisedby intolerable risks.Adaptation research has focused on howclimate-related hazards lead to hard adaptation limits, that is, where no adaptive technologies and actions are feasible anymore (see also chapter by van denHomberg andMcQuistan 2018). Soft adaptation limits, characterised by a lack of options and concurrent socio-economic trade-offs, have received less attention. In addition, empirical research on losses and damages has only recently started to consider the mediating role of ecosystems and their services provided to society (van derGeest et al. 2018).Notably, a very recent volume co-edited by Johanna Nalau, an author in this book, provides a first comprehensive overview of research and experience on adaptation limits (see Filho and Nalau 2018). As onemethodological contribution along amultiple lines of evidence approach, risk analysisshowsawayforwardforidentifyinghardandparticularlysoftlimits.Starting with risk identification for assessing risks inmonetary and/or non-monetary terms, theprocessofriskevaluationexaminestheabilityofagents(households,privateand publicsectors) to respondtorisk leading toqualificationsandquantificationsof risk (in)tolerance. Thecasespresented in thisvolumeprovideamultiple linesofevidenceapproach for considering any actual or potential adaptation limits. The researchdocumented inthebookhasgeneratedevidencethatpoorandvulnerablepeopleandcommunities alreadypersist at theedgesof theseboundaries and limits.Overall, thecase studies in this book reportmultiple instanceswhere soft and hard adaptation limits are (at risk of) being breached.Climate change is generally a key factor, yet other drivers andconstraintsalsoneedtobeunderstoodandaddressed. Inaddition,observedvul- nerabilitydynamics imply that adaptationandbuilding resilience lead to reductions invulnerability. Pacific Island states are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise, high tides, and salinisation,butalsotodroughts.Somecommunitiesexperienceseasonalfoodshort- ages, andmalnutrition is common, indicating that part of the Pacific (as discussed forthestateofVanuatu) isalreadyatornearthetolerable/intolerableinterface.Asa result, relocationsandsomeresettlementarealreadyoccurringorplanned(Handmer andNalau 2018). As peoplemove, understanding themeans throughwhich SIDS migrantsmaintain cultural traditions and the challenges currentmigrants face can