Challenges of the Adaptation Planning : Evolution of the Vulnerability Assassment Methodologies

Abstract

The climate change is one of the greatest global challenges of our time. In the past, climate policy focused primarily on preventing and reducing greenhouse gas emission: that is mitigation policy. In the last decade, the adaptation to the impacts of climate change has become critical due to the accelerating weather extremities. There is significant difference between mitigation and adaptation policies. The later focuses on local impacts and responses, while the mitigation sets global goals for reduction of greenhouse gas emission. In 2007, the IPCC 4th Assessment Report defined the concept and methodological framework for vulnerability assessment, and in the last decade many countries and regions developed their adaptation strategies based on this framework. In 2014, the IPCC 5th Assessment Report, and after the IPCC 6th Assessment Report modified the vulnerability assessment framework. In this study, I examine the latest approaches of climate change vulnerability assessment methods and how this methodology has evolved in the last decades.