Identifying Policy Actions Supporting Weather-Related Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation in Finland

Abstract

Climate change adaptation (CCA) policies require scientific input to focus on relevant risks and opportunities, to promote effective and efficient measures and ensure implementation. This calls for policy relevant research to formulate salient policy recommendations. This article examines how CCA research may contribute to policy recommendations in the light of idealized set of knowledge production attributes for policy development in Finland. Using general background information on the evolution of CCA research and a case study, we specifically examine how the set of attributes have been manifested in research serving CCA and discuss how they have affected the resulting policy recommendations. We conclude that research serving CCA can be improved by more explicit reflection on the attributes that pay attention to the context of application, the methods of teamwork and a variety of participating organizations, transdisciplinarity of the research, reflexivity based on the values and labour ethos of scientists and novel forms of extended peer review. Such attributes can provide a necessary, although not sufficient, condition for knowledge production that strives to bridge the gap between research and policy.

Policy Coordination for National Climate Change Adaptation in Europe: All Process, but Little Power

“…It is possible that the Dutch approach was particularly shaped by its particular climate vulnerabilities as shown by its very weak implementation of its cross-sectoral approach to adaptation, yet strong action in the water sector. This situation is likely to reflect a combination of the strong institutional base of the Dutch water sector and the particular vulnerabilities to sea-level change and coastal and alluvial flooding [37]. This example highlights a wider point around the geographic heterogeneity of the study countries, with smaller countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark facing a smaller set of climate challenges over all their territory, while geographically more varied countries such as Italy have climate impact on everything from glaciers to coastal wetlands to contend with, which may require different responses and actor groups.…”

“…In Finland, there has been limited dedicated funding for adaptation research and development projects from 2010 for direct planning-oriented approaches, but more resources have been made available for learning. Even the funding from the Government's analysis, assessment, and research activities, which was created as a funding instrument for supporting ministerial planning, has stressed learning rather than top-down planning [37]. However, the use of regional development funds for concrete activities have increasingly been justified with reference to adaptation to climate change [38].…”

“…To support this activity, the Finnish Government funded dedicated small-scale projects, in 2016 and 2018, to outline how data should be collected and knowledge generated to improve risk and vulnerability assessments. For example, the project ELASTINEN concentrated on examining the state of weather and climate risk management and the role of different actors in Finland, clearly stressing elements of learning [37]. In addition, the Strategic Research Council of Finland (https://www.aka.fi/en/strategic-research-funding/) has funded large (>2 M€) projects focusing on adaptive approaches to climate change.…”

Comparison and analysis of national climate change adaptation policies in the Nordic region

“…The Climate Act requires a risk and vulnerability assessment, and this will be carried out periodically in relation to the NAP. The previous one, a stand-alone assessment, was funded through government research and innovation funding (Tuomenvirta et al, 2018) The plan itself includes the following considerations:…”

RoadSurf‐Pedestrian: a sidewalk condition model to predict risk for wintertime slipping injuries

“…Slippery sidewalks can be hazardous also among tourists coming from places where they rarely, if ever, encounter snow, being thus unfamiliar and unprepared to face the Nordic winter environment (Lépy et al ., 2016). In national risk and weather and climate risk assessments, wintertime pedestrian slipping injuries were recognized as a significant health risk in Finland (Tuomenvirta et al ., 2018; MoI, 2019).…”