Page - 232 - in Loss and Damage from Climate Change - Concepts, Methods and Policy Options
Image of the Page - 232 -
Text of the Page - 232 -
232 K.vanderGeest et al.
between climatic stressors, impacts on ecosystems, ecosystemservices, adaptation
opportunities, limits andconstraints and residual losses anddamages.Acase study
fromWestAfrica illustratedhowthisworksout ina real-world setting.
The case study showed that causal links between climate change and a specific
event,with subsequent losses anddamages, areoften complicated.Oversimplifica-
tionmustbeavoidedandtheroleofdifferentfactors,suchasgovernanceormanage-
mentofnaturalresources,shouldbeexploredfurther.Forexample,lackofinvestment
inwater related infrastructure, agricultural technology, or health care services also
increase the riskof losses anddamages. In theSahel, variability in rainfall patterns
influences primary productivity, but barriers to pastoralists’ freedomofmovement
havealso increased theirvulnerability todroughts.
Thecasealsoshowsthatwhilesomeadaptationmeasureshavebeenimplemented,
losses and damages have nevertheless occurred. For instance, adaptationmeasures
inDrylandWestAfricaincludecrop-livestockintegration,soilfertilitymanagement,
planting of drought-resistant crops, water harvesting, dug ponds forwatering ani-
mals, livelihood diversification, and seasonal or permanent migration. A number
of thesemethods have beenpracticed for generations.However, as climate change
intensifies,promisingpracticeswillhave tobescaledupandnewmethodswillhave
tobedevised.Awin-winsolutionwillbe to invest inambitiousmitigationaction to
avoid theunmanageable, andcomprehensiveandholistic adaptationaction toman-
age theunavoidable–includingbettermanagementofecosystemsandtheir services,
improvedgovernance, andeconomicpolicies that support sustainabledevelopment.
Ultimately,arangeofapproachesisneededtoaddressclimatechangeimpactsand
toensure that resiliencebuildingefforts andsustainabledevelopment cancontinue.
This includespolicyoptions toavert losses anddamages, and toaddress losses and
damages that have not been or cannot be averted through enhancedmitigation and
adaptation. These options include risk transfer, which can be used to both avoid
and address losses and damages; risk retention, such as social protection policies;
migration, recovery, rehabilitationandrebuildinginthewakeofextremeevents;and
tools to address non-economic losses and damages.Approaches to avert and limit
lossesanddamagesaswellas toaddress theresidual impactsofclimatechangewill
bemore successful if they incorporate inclusive decision-making, account for the
needsofawide rangeofactors, and target thepoorandvulnerable.
As Loss andDamage is a new and emerging topic in science and policy, there
aremoreunansweredquestions thananswers at present.We identify two important
areas for future research and evidence gathering. First, there is a need to increase
understandingofhowlossesanddamages tohumanwell-being ismediated through
losses and damages to ecosystem services and of the specific policy entry points.
Thisincludesmorestudyoftheadverseimpactsofclimatechange,includingclimate
extremes, on ecosystem functioning. Examplesmay include the effects of extreme
heatanddroughtonforest ecosystems, theconsequencesof sea level riseandstorm
surge for coastal ecosystems ranging from sea grasses andmarshes tomangroves,
andtheimplicationsofglacierlossondownstreamhydrologyandriparianecosystem
functions.
Second, it is important to document and evaluate the effectiveness of efforts to
avert losses and damages and identify how the efficacy of tools andmeasures can
Loss and Damage from Climate Change
Concepts, Methods and Policy Options
- Title
- Loss and Damage from Climate Change
- Subtitle
- Concepts, Methods and Policy Options
- Authors
- Reinhard Mechler
- Laurens M. Bouwer
- Thomas Schinko
- Swenja Surminski
- JoAnne Linnerooth-Bayer
- Publisher
- Springer Open
- Date
- 2019
- Language
- English
- License
- CC BY 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-3-319-72026-5
- Size
- 16.0 x 24.0 cm
- Pages
- 580
- Keywords
- Environment, Climate change, Environmental law, Environmental policy, Risk management
- Categories
- International
- Naturwissenschaften Umwelt und Klima