A framework for climate change adaptation indicators for the natural environment

Pearce‐Higgins, James W.; Antão, Laura H.; Bates, R.E.; Bowgen, Katharine M.; Bradshaw, Catherine; Duffield, Simon J.; Ffoulkes, Charles; Franco, Aldina M. A.; Geschke, Jonas; Gregory, Richard D.; Harley, Mike; Hodgson, Jenny A.; Jenkins, Rhosanna; Kapos, Valerie; Maltby, Katherine M.; Watts, O.; Willis, Stephen G.; Morecroft, Mike D.

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.108690

Cited by 32 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…We further categorise I&M into four types: input, output, outcome, and impact 7,9,27 . The level of inputs (41%) suggests a strong emphasis on measuring resources and efforts allocated for climate adaptation processes.…”

Section: Types Of Indicators and Metrics (Iandm)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Current indicators and metrics hinder effective urban climate adaptation

Olazabal,

Mansur,

Sahay

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Assessing the effectiveness of climate adaptation action is the focus of intense debate across scientific and policy arenas. Measurement is essential for effective adaptation management and operation, and indicators and metrics (I&M) have a pivotal role. Surprisingly, there are very few systematic efforts to understand the advances in the provisioning of adaptation I&M. Here we analyse 137 publications and 901 I&M sourced in the scientific literature to measure adaptation to climate change, particularly, in urban areas where governments are increasingly placing efforts to prepare populations and infrastructures. A lack of common terminology, standardisation, and reference guidelines has resulted in a field that is complex to track and understand. Furthermore, such complexity has led to diverse, context-specific and sometimes competing approaches to developing I&M. We argue that current I&M proposals are highly technical, not sufficiently grounded on real needs, and have little potential to collectively support effective urban climate change adaptation.

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Section: Types Of Indicators and Metrics (Iandm)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Current indicators and metrics hinder effective urban climate adaptation

Olazabal,

Mansur,

Sahay

et al. 2024

Preprint

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“…Limited adaptation monitoring highlights conceptual, analytical, and practical barriers in the science-policy interface, because potentially systematic monitoring to assess both changing risks and effectiveness of adaptation actions could be provided by the scientific community (e.g. Pearce-Higgins et al 2022 ).…”

Section: Uk Ccra3 Knowledge System and The Natural Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This requires appropriate resources and planning, together with an institutional culture that better recognises topicality and intellectual importance of evidence syntheses (Donnelly et al 2018 ). Reappraisal of evidence, and particularly new types of evidence, may enhance risk confidence assessments and indicators of adaptation progress (Pearce-Higgins et al 2022 ).…”

Section: Ccra Knowledge Systems and Sustainability Goalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

National Climate Change Risk Assessments to inform adaptation policy priorities and environmental sustainability outcomes: a knowledge systems perspective

Brown

Berry

2022

Climatic Change

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National Climate Change Risk Assessments (CCRAs) have a key role in informing priorities for adaptation policy but face significant challenges due to multiple facets of risk and adaptation. Issues are especially pronounced for meeting goals of environmental sustainability due to the complex dynamics of socio-ecological systems. In practice, a CCRA can therefore differ from its original conceptual blueprint. These challenges are explored from a knowledge systems perspective, focusing on the role of stakeholders/policymakers, risk descriptors, methods, evidence sources, and scientists. A UK case study evaluates recent developments (CCRA3) including identification of policy urgency through adaptation shortfalls and its application to the natural environment. Important science-policy issues are also highlighted regarding inclusion of opportunities, systemic risks, residual risks, and risk tolerance. A general conclusion is that CCRAs inevitably leave open questions which lead back to their evolving role in the science-policy interface. A knowledge systems perspective identifies CCRAs as open, adaptive, reflexive processes that help redefine interpretations of risk and adaptation, rather than just providing a specific policy-relevant product. This perspective identifies scope for progressive refinement of CCRAs to enhance collective science-policy adaptive capacity whilst also engaging wider society. For environmental sustainability, this open process can be used to iteratively redefine robust future pathways and system reference conditions that also better reflect evolving societal perceptions and tolerance on sustainability risk in the face of climate change.

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“…Helping species respond to climate warming is mainly considered under two complementary climate adaptation strategies: facilitation and persistence (Bonebrake et al ., 2018; Prober et al ., 2019; Pearce‐Higgins et al ., 2022). Facilitation focuses on helping species shifting their geographical distribution and settle in new areas in response to global warming (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, the provision of supplementary foods in British gardens changed the migration behaviour of the Eurasian blackcap ( Sylvia atricapilla ), of which many individuals are no longer migrating South (Plummer et al ., 2015). Such anthropogenic influences can be examined a posteriori in the light of climate warming (Pearce‐Higgins et al ., 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat management favouring hunted waterbird species prevents distribution changes in response to climate warming

Gaget

Galewski

Brommer

et al. 2023

Animal Conservation

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Climate warming is driving species to shift their geographical distribution poleward to track suitable climatic conditions. Two strategies have been suggested to help species respond to climate warming: facilitating distribution change or improving persistence. We questioned whether habitat management in favour of duck hunting activities interacted with duck responses to climate warming. We studied non‐breeding waterbird community changes (110 species) over 28 years at 851 sites in South‐West Europe, where habitat management is a common practice to attract and hunt ducks. We hypothesized that duck species targeted by habitat management do not need to track temperature changes as much as non‐hunted species, because of the availability of suitable habitats provided by hunting land managers. We used the community temperature index (CTI) to assess the temporal responses of communities and species to climate warming. We compared the effect of hunting status with other functional traits on species responses, controlling for phylogenetic relatedness. The CTI trend has increased over the study period, indicating a community adjustment to climate warming. However, hunted ducks contributed to almost 40% of the negative contributions to this community adjustment, suggesting that hunted ducks do not shift their distribution as much as the other waterbirds do. Winter fidelity associated with the provision of attractive feeding grounds might explain why ducks did not seem to shift their distribution in response to climate warming. This study suggests the broad impact of human activities on wildlife, including on large‐scale distribution processes, and questions the long‐term consequences on duck populations.

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A framework for climate change adaptation indicators for the natural environment

Cited by 32 publications

References 82 publications

Current indicators and metrics hinder effective urban climate adaptation

Current indicators and metrics hinder effective urban climate adaptation

National Climate Change Risk Assessments to inform adaptation policy priorities and environmental sustainability outcomes: a knowledge systems perspective

Habitat management favouring hunted waterbird species prevents distribution changes in response to climate warming

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