Role of Spatial Analysis in Avoiding Climate Change Maladaptation: A Systematic Review

Abstract

With the rapid development of climate change adaptation over recent decades, a considerable amount of evidence has been collected on maladaptation associated with climate change adaptation initiatives, particularly in terms of risk transfer and risk substitution. Increasing our understanding of maladaptation is important for avoiding negative outcomes of adaptation project implementation. However, maladaptation has received limited research attention. Previous research has focused on frameworks that can assist in defining and avoiding maladaptive risk and be applied to adaptation initiative planning processes. Adaptation may cause more significant influences on spatial land change than the direct effect of climate change does. Identifying the adaptation consequences that are likely to result in maladaptation is crucial. A combination of spatial land analysis and climate change analysis can be used for the aforementioned identification. However, empirical case studies on methods that can assess and evaluate the risk of maladaptation by integrating spatial and temporal aspects in a land spatial modeling tool have not been conducted. The present study aimed to fill this research gap by exploring the existing knowledge on maladaptation to climate change. We examined the interaction among spatial analysis, evaluated maladaptation frameworks, and project design to extend our conceptual understanding on maladaptation to climate change. We adopted a systematic review method that involved considering several questions including the following: (a) What are the definitions and categories of maladaptation? (b) What methods and theoretical frameworks exist for the assessment and evaluation of maladaptive risk? (c) How have climate-related research communities considered issues of maladaptation? (d) What are the experimental studies on land use change that can be referred to for minimizing maladaptive risks in future adaptation planning? In conclusion, further research on maladaptation should integrate spatial land analysis methods to facilitate the identification and avoidance of maladaptive risk in the initial stage of adaptation planning.

Maladaptation as a concept and a metric in national adaptation policy- Should we, would we, could we?

“…Table 1 presents five proposed frameworks with definitions for maladaptation in the literature and considers what they imply for national adaptation policy. The definitions have been presented as a way to operationalise the concept in several papers, including pathway framework, precautionary framework, assessment framework, feedback framework [36,37], as well as a post-positivist way of viewing maladaptation [12].…”

Impact of Climate and Environment Changes on the Sustainability of the Coastal Areas The Case of Ain Sukhna, Red Sea, Egypt

“…As confirmed by Chi et al, in the next 100 years, features of climate change, such as sea level rise, altered rainfall patterns, and hurricanes, will have a significant impact on human life. More research is being done to find the best ways to adjust to the effects of the current and future climate (Chi et al 2021).…”

Identification of maladaptive behavioural patterns in response to extreme weather events

“…For instance, a study focused on the river Rhine and its flood plains estimated that monetary flood damages in flood-prone areas could be reduced by 80% through individual protection behaviours such as implementing private mitigation measures like floodwalls or floodgates 15 . Various factors, including risk perception and previous experiences with climate change-induced events, influence these protection behaviours 16 .…”