Page - 372 - in Loss and Damage from Climate Change - Concepts, Methods and Policy Options
Image of the Page - 372 -
Text of the Page - 372 -
372 J.HandmerandJ.Nalau
potentially transform their lives.However, some locations are alreadyexperiencing
risks generally assumed not to be a problemuntil 2030–2040. These locations are
facingtheprospectof forcedrelocation,but there isstill spaceforvoluntaryactions,
especially in termsofhowrelocationproceeds.
By2080–2100,assuminga2-degreeworld,however, theoptionsspaceisalready
muchmore limited,whereas in a4-degreeworld, itwouldno longer bepossible to
pursuevoluntaryrelocationoralternativelivelihoodstrategiesinsomeoftheislands.
Itshouldbenotedthat thisviewdoesnot takeaccountofpotentialfutureinnovations
in theadaptationandoptions space.Therearealsodifferencesbetweensub-regions
ofMelanesia,MicronesiaandPolynesiaintheextentthatgeographicalfeatures(e.g.,
highermountains) enable some communities and countries to have broader option
spaces than others. The figure is nevertheless useful in localising the issue of loss
anddamage in theSWPacificcontext.
15.3.1 ManagingTolerableRisks
It is important to appreciate that many island communities to a greater or lesser
extentdependonsubsistence farmingandfishingfor their livelihoods, andendurea
significant level of everyday risk for foodand livelihoods.Somecommunitieshave
seasonalfoodshortagesandmalnutritioniswidespread(Toole2016). Insomeareas,
suchas the“WeatherCoast”ofGuadalcanal in theSolomonIslands, livelihoodsare
verymarginal with a seasonal “hungry time” (KastomGaden/Terra Circle 2005).
This is tomakethepoint thateventhoughstarvation isnotan issue, foodsecurity is,
and insomeareas isachronicconcern.Watersecurity isalsoan issue,especiallyon
atollswhere freshwater is easilycontaminatedby the sea.
Climate change, demographic change, and changing expectations, are superim-
posed on top of these existing situations (Khrisnapillai 2017;Kuruppu andWillie
2015)—within the tolerable day-to-day risk and option spaces. A recent extreme
event, Cyclone Pam, is used to illustrate some of these issues later in the chapter.
Insurance fornaturalhazards in thePacific isvery limited,withmostpeoplehaving
nocoverage.The ideaof a regional insuranceor solidarity pool to support govern-
ment expenditure in disasters has been raised often. The PacificCatastropheRisk
AssessmentandInsuranceInitiative(PCRAFI)wasestablishedtoprovideimproved
data andunderstandingof hazards, andnowalsoprovides funds togovernments in
theeventofdisaster.However, theamounts arevery small.
15.3.2 DealingwithIntolerableRisks
There are already caseswhere communities find themselves impacted by intolera-
ble climate related risk andwhere riskmanagement options, often only suggested
as futurepossibilities, are alreadybeingdeployed. In thePacific, the extent of irre-
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