This page provides links to some useful reports, documents and gives a selected bibliography on adaptation. I apologise if any of these links are out of date. I will be checking them regularly, but please feel free to let me know if there is anything that doesn’t work.
Papers, Reports, Newsletters:
VCCCAR: Adaptive learning – a think-tank on preparedness for climate change adaptation in local and state planning in Victoria, by Simon Batterbury
CSIRO: Framing vulnerability and adaptive capacity assessment: Discussion Paper, by Ben Preston and Mark Stafford-Smith, 2009.
NEF: Growth isn’t possible argues that indefinite global economic growth is unsustainable. Just as the laws of thermodynamics constrain the maximum efficiency of a heat engine, economic growth is constrained by the finite nature of our planet’s natural resources.
SEI: From Knowledge to Action: Learning to go the Last Mile, A participatory assessment of the conditions for strengthening the technology–community linkages of tsunami early warning systems in the Indian Ocean. [6.4MB]
UNICEF: 5 Year Tsunami Report [1.4MB]
Mark Pelling and Lisa Schipper: Managing Extremes: Learning from Past Experiences
IIED: Community-based adaptation to climate change: An update
IIED: Assessing the costs of adaptation to climate change: A critique of the UNFCCC estimates (2MB)
PIK-GTZ: PIK-GTZ Practitioner’s Manual on ‘Climate Change Information for Effective Adaptation’
Global Leadership for Climate Action: Facilitating an International Agreement on Climate Change: Adaptation to Climate Change (3.4MB)
UN’s Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (45.8 MB)
Swedish Commission on Climate Change and Development final report Closing the Gaps (5.3 MB)
Report on the IPCC Scoping Meeting for a Special Report on Extreme Events and Disasters (approved in IPCC Plenary on 23 April 2009).
Bizikova et al (2008): CANADIAN COMMUNITIES’ GUIDEBOOK FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE: Including an approach to generate mitigation co-benefits in the context of sustainable development
Mitchell and van Aalst (2008): ‘Convergence of Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation‘
Global Environmental Change and Human Security Report (2008:3): Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation and Human Security
Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre’s Newsletter with special focus on adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
Tearfund paper on Linking Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction
Tearfund position paper on Disaster Risk Reduction and the Post 2012-Framework: Tearfund paper
Emerging Trends in Climate Change Policy: The Role of Adaptation: by James Ford (McGill University)
Paper submitted to Tyndall conference ‘Are there limits to adaptation’ (see website): Tyndall paper
Schipper, E.L.F. (2007) ‘Climate Change Adaptation and Development: Exploring the Linkages’ Tyndall Working Paper No. 107.
Schipper, E.L.F. (2006) ‘Climate Risk, Perceptions and Development in El Salvador’ Tyndall Working Paper No. 93.
A Climate Risk Management Approach to Disaster Reduction and Adaptation to Climate Change: by UNDP/Havana.
Weathering the Storm – Options for Framing Adaptation and Development: by WRI/IISD
IPCC WGII Summary for Policymakers of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report volume on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change in Europe by the European Environment Agency
Adaptation to Climate Change: International Policy Options: by the Pew Center
Climate Proofing: A Risk-Based Approach to Adaptation: by the Asian Development Bank [8MB+ file]
Poverty and Climate Change: Reducing the Vulnerability of the Poor through Adaptation [Part 1 // Part 2]: by VARG
Disaster Risk Management in a Changing Climate: by VARG
Final report of workshop on Climate Change, Humanitarian Disasters, and International Development: Linking Vulnerability, Risk Reduction and Response Capacity, Oslo, April 2007.
A Climate of Conflict by International Alert
UN/Ministerial Documents:
UN General Assembly Resolutions on Disaster (A/65/436/Add.3) and Climate (A/65/436/Add.4), 6 December 2010.
G8 Heiligendamm Declaration on Growth and Responsibility in the World Economy
OECD April 2006 Declaration on Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Development Co-operation
UNFCCC Nairobi Work Programme on Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change (SBSTA conclusions and related COP 11 decision)
On Better Terms ISDR booklet including key climate change and disaster risk reduction concepts
Workshop Reports:
‘International Workshop on Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change’, GTZ, May 2009 here
Adaptation Bibliography: This is my list of good papers.
The UNFCCC also has a bibliography that is worth looking at too.
ReliefWeb also has a bibliography on climate change.
PreventionWeb also has a good bibliography on disaster risk reduction.
The Earthscan Reader on Adaptation to Climate Change (edited by EL Schipper and I Burton) will be out later this year. Get your copy on Amazon.com!
ADAPTATION THEORY
1. Burton, I. (1992) ‘Adapt and Thrive’, unpublished manuscript, Canadian Climate Centre: Downsview, Ontario.
2. Burton, I. (1994) ‘Deconstructing Adaptation…and Reconstructing’, Delta 5 (1) 14-15.
3. Burton, I. (1997) ‘Vulnerability and adaptive response in the context of climate and climate change’ Climatic Change 36: 185–96.
4. Kates, R.W. (1985) ‘The Interaction of Climate and Society’, in Kates, R.W., J. H. Ausubel, M. Berberian Climate Impact Assessment, SCOPE 27, Wiley: UK. Accessed at: Accessed at: http://www.icsu-scope.org/downloadpubs/scope27/chapter01.html, July 2007.
5. Kelly, P.M., W.M. Agder, (2000) ‘Theory and Practice in Assessing Vulnerability to Climate Change and Facilitating Adaptation’ Climatic Change 47 (4) 325-352.
6. Parry, M., N. Arnell, M. Hulme, R. Nicholls, M. Livermore (1998) ‘Adapting to the Inevitable’ Nature, 395 (6704) 741.
7. Pittock, A.B., R.N. Jones (2000) ‘Adaptation to What and Why?’ Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 61 (1) 9-35.
8. Scheraga, J., A.E. Grambsch (1998) ‘Risks, Opportunities, and Adaptation to Climate Change’, Climate Research, 11 (1) 85-95.
9. Smit, B. (1993) ‘Adaptation to Climatic Variability and Change: Report of the Task Force on Climatic Adaptation’, Occasional Paper, Department of Geography, University of Guelph: Canadian Climate Program.
10. Smit, B., I. Burton, I, R.J.T. Klein, J. Wandel (2000) ‘An Anatomy of Adaptation to Climate Change and Variability’ Climatic Change, 45 (1) 223-251.
11. Smit, B., I. Burton, R.J.T. Klein, R. Street (1999) ‘The Science of Adaptation: A Framework for Assessment’ Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 4 (3-4) 199-213.
12. Smithers, J., B. Smit (1997) ‘Human Adaptation to Climatic Variability and Change’ Global Environmental Change, 7 (2) 129-146.
13. Tarlock, A.D. (1992) ‘Now, Think Again About Adaptation’ Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law, 9: 169-181.
14. Adger, N.W. et al. (2007) ‘Are there social limits to adaptation to climate change?’Climatic Change 93 (3-4) 335-354.
ADAPTATION, VULNERABILITY AND RESILIENCE
1. Adger, W.N. (1999) ‘Social Vulnerability to Climate Change and Extremes in Coastal Vietnam’ World Development 27 (2): 249-269
2. Chambers, R. (1989) ‘Vulnerability, Coping and Policy’ Institute of Development Studies Bulletin, 20 (2) 1-7.
3. Corbett, J. (1988) ‘Famine and Household Coping Strategies’ World Development, 16: 1099-1112.
4. Cutter, S.L. (1996) ‘Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards’ Progress in Human Geography 20 (4) 529-539.
5. Davies, S. (1993) ‘Are Coping Strategies a Cop Out?’ Institute of Development Studies Bulletin, 24 (4) 60-72.
6. Frankenberger, T.R., D.M. Goldstein (1990) ‘Food Security, Coping Strategies, and Environmental Degradation’ Arid Lands Newsletter 30: 21-27.
7. Gunderson, L. (1999) ‘Resilience, Flexibility and Adaptive Management – Antidotes for Spurious Certitude?’ Conservation Ecology, 3 (1), no page numbers.
8. Handmer, J.W., S. Dovers, T.E. Downing (1999) ‘Societal Vulnerability to Climate Change and Variability’ Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 4 (3-4) 267-281.
9. Handmer, J.W., S.R. Dovers (1996) ‘A Typology of Resilience: Rethinking Institutions for Sustainable Development’ Industrial and Environmental Crisis Quarterly, 9 (4) 482-511.
10. Klein, R.J.T., R.J. Nicholls, F. Thomalla (2004) ‘Resilience to Natural Hazards: How Useful is This Concept?’ Environmental Hazards.
11. Levin, S., S. Barrett, S. Aniyar, W. Baumol, C. Bliss, B. Bolin, P. Dagsputa, P. Ehrlich, C. Folke, I.M. Gren, C.S. Holling, A.M. Jansson, B.O. Jansson, K.G. Maeler, D. Martin (1998) ‘Resilience in Natural and Socio-Economic Systems’ Environment and Development Economics 3(2): 222-235.
12. Liverman, D.M. (1999) ‘Vulnerability and Adaptation to Drought in Mexico’ Natural Resources Journal, 39 (1) 99-115.
13. Ribot, J.C. (1996) ‘Introduction: Climate Variability, Climate Change and Vulnerability: Moving Forward by Looking Back’ in Ribot, J.C., A.R. Magalhaes, S.S. Panagides (eds.) Climate Variability: Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the Semi-Arid Tropics, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.
14. Ribot, J.C., A. Najam, G. Watson (1996) ‘Climate Variation, Vulnerability and Sustainable Development in the Semi-Arid Tropics’, in Ribot J.C., A.R., Magalhaes, S.S. Panagides (eds.) Climate Variability, Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the Semi-Arid Tropics, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.
15. Riebsame, W.E. (1991) ‘Sustainability of the Great Plains in an Uncertain Climate’ Great Plains Research, 1 (1) 133-151.
16. Yohe G., R.S.J. Tol (2002), ‘Indicators for Social and Economic Coping Capacity – Moving Toward a Working Definition of Adaptive Capacity’ Global Environmental Change, 12 (1) 25-40.
17. Swift, J. (1989) ‘Why are Rural People Vulnerable to Famine?’ Institute of Development Studies Bulletin 20 (2) 8-15.
18. Smit, B., J. Wandel (2006) ‘Adaptation, adaptive capacity and vulnerability’ Global Environmental Change 16 (3) 282–292.
ADAPTATION AND DISASTER RISK
1. Adger, N., N. Brooks (2003) ‘Does Global Environmental Change Cause Vulnerability to Disaster?’, in Pelling, M. (ed.) Natural Disasters and Development in a Globalising World, Routledge: London.
2. Bruce, J.P. (1999) ‘Disaster Loss Mitigation as an Adaptation to Climate Variability and Change’ Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 4 (3-4) 295-306.
3. Füssel, H-M., R.J.T. Klein (2006) ‘Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessments to Climate Change: An Evolution of Conceptual Thinking’ Climatic Change, 75 (3) 301-329.
4. Green, C. (2003) ‘Change, risk and uncertainty: managing vulnerability to flooding’ Paper presented at Meeting “Third Annual DPRI-IIASA Meeting; Integrated Disaster Risk Management: Coping with Regional Vulnerability”, 3-5 July 2003, Kyoto.
5. Handmer, J. (2003) ‘Adaptive Capacity: What Does it Mean in the Context of Natural Hazards?’ in Smith, J.B., R.J.T., Klein, S. Huq (eds.) Climate Change, Adaptive Capacity, and Development, Imperial College Press: London.
6. Hay, J.E. (2002) ‘Integrating Disaster Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Variability and Change: Needs, Benefits and Approaches, from a South Pacific Perspective’ Paper presented at UNDP Expert Group Meeting “Integrating Disaster Reduction and Adaptation to Climate Change”, Havana, Cuba, 17-19 June 2002, UNDP: Havana.
7. Sarewitz, D., R. Pielke, Jr., M. Keykhah (2003) ‘Vulnerability and Risk: Some Thoughts From A Political and Policy Perspective’ Risk Analysis, 23 (4) 805 – 810.
8. Soussan, J., I. Burton (2002) ‘Adapt and Thrive: Combining Adaptation to Climate Change, Disaster Mitigation, and Natural Resources Management in a New Approach to the Reduction of Vulnerability and Poverty’, Paper presented at the UNDP Expert Group Meeting, “Integrating Disaster Reduction and Adaptation to Climate Change”, Havana, Cuba, 17-19 June 2002, UNDP: Havana.
9. Thomalla, F., T. Downing, E. Spanger-Siegfried, G. Han, J. Rockström (2006) ‘Reducing hazard vulnerability: towards a common approach between disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation’, Special issue of Disasters, 30 (1): 39-48.
ADAPTATION AND DEVELOPMENT
1. Adger, W.N. (2000) Institutional adaptation to environmental risk under the transition in Vietnam, Annals of the Association of American Geographers 90: 738–758.
2. Adger, W.N., S. Huq, K. Brown, D. Conway, M. Hulme (2003) ‘Adaptation to Climate Change in the Developing World’ Progress in Development Studies 3(3): 179-195
3. Apuuli, B., J. Wright, C. Elias, I. Burton (2000) ‘Reconciling National and Global Priorities in Adaptation to Climate Change: With an Illustration from Uganda’ Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 61 (1) 145-159.
4. Beg, N; Morlot, JC; Davidson, O; Afrane-Okesse, Y; Tyani, L; Denton, F; Sokona, Y; Thomas, JP; La Rovere, EL; Parikh, JK; Parikh, K; Rahman, AA (2002) ‘Linkages between climate change and sustainable development’ Climate Policy 2(2/3): 129-144
5. Burton, I. (2000) ‘Adaptation to Climate Change and Variability in the Context of Sustainable Development’ in Gómez-Echeverri, L. (ed.) Climate Change and Development, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies & UNDP: New Haven and New York.
6. Burton, I., M. van Aalst (1999) ‘Come Hell or High Water – Integrating Climate Change and Adaptation into Bank Work’ World Bank Environment Department, Environment Department Papers No. 72, World Bank: Washington, D.C.
7. Downing, T., L. Ringius, M. Hulme, D. Waughray (1997) ‘Adapting to Climate Change in Africa’, Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 2 (1) 19-44.
8. Kahn, S.R. (2001) ‘Adaptation to Climate Change in the Context of Sustainable Development and Equity: The Case of Pakistan’, in Smith, J.B., R.J.T. Klein, S. Huq (eds.) Climate Change, Adaptive Capacity and Development, Imperial College Press: London.
9. Kates, R.W. (2000) ‘Cautionary Tales: Adaptation and the Global Poor’ Climatic Change, 45 (1) 5-17.
10. Kelly, P.M., W.N. Adger (1999) ‘Social Equity in Adaptation as a Key Constraint in Integrating Climate Policies’ Paper presented at Second EFEIA Policy Workshop “Integrating Climate Politics in the European Environment: Costs and Opportunities”, 4-6 March 1999, Milan.
11. Klein, R.J.T., Schipper, E.L., Dessai, S. (2005) ‘Integrating mitigation and adaptation into climate and development policy: Three research questions’, Environmental Science and Policy 8: 579-588.
12. Mirza, M.M.Q. (2003) ‘Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events: Can Developing Countries Adapt?’ Climate Policy, 3 (3) 233-248.
13. O’Brien, K.L., R.M. Leichenko (2000) ‘Double exposure: assessing the impacts of climate change within the context of economic globalisation’. Global Environmental Change 10: 221–32.
14. Pelling, M. (2003) ‘Social Capital, Hazards and Adaptation Strategies for the Vulnerable’ Paper presented at ZICER Seminar “Justice in Adaptation to Climate Change”, 7-9 September, 2003, University of East Anglia, Norwich.
15. Singh, R. (1996) ‘Community Adaptation and Sustainable Livelihoods: Basic Issues and Principles’ IISD Working Paper, IISD: Winnipeg.
16. Mendelsohn, R., A. Dinar (1999) ‘Climate Change, Agriculture, and Developing Countries: Does Adaptation Matter?’ The World Bank Research Observer 14(2): 277-93.
ADAPTATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY
1. Burton, I. J.B. Smith, S. Lenhart (1998) ‘Adaptation to Climate Change: Theory and Assessment’ in Feenstra, J.F., I. Burton, J.B. Smith, R.S.J. Tol (eds.) Handbook on Methods for Climate Change Impact Assessment and Adaptation Strategies, Version 2.0, UNEP/RIVM: Nairobi and Amsterdam.
2. Burton, I., S. Huq, B. Lim, O. Pilifosova, E.L. Schipper (2002) ‘From Impacts Assessment to Adaptation Priorities: The Shaping of Adaptation Policy’ Climate Policy 2 (2-3) 145-159.
3. Fankhauser, S. (1998) ‘The Costs of Adapting to Climate Change’ GEF Working Paper No. 16, GEF: Washington, D.C.
4. Kane, S., J.F. Shogren (2000) ‘Linking Adaptation and Mitigation in Climate Change Policy’ Climatic Change, 45 (1) 75-102.
5. Linnerooth-Bayer, J. M.J. Mace, R. Verheyen (2003) ‘Insurance-Related Actions and Risk Assessment in the Context of the UNFCCC’ Paper commissioned by the UNFCCC Secretariat for the UNFCCC Workshop on Insurance-Related Actions to Address the Specific Needs and Concerns of Developing Country Parties Arising from the Adverse Effects of Climate Change and from the Impact of the Implementation of Response Measures”, 14-15 May 2003, Bonn.
6. Michaelowa, A. (2001) ‘Mitigation Versus Adaptation: the Political Economy of Competition Between Climate Policy Strategies and the Consequences for Developing Countries’ Discussion Paper 153, Hamburg Institute of International Economics: Hamburg.
7. Pielke, Jr., R.A. (1998) ‘Rethinking the Role of Adaptation in Climate Policy’ Global Environmental Change, 8 (2) 159-170.
8. Schipper, E.L.F. (2006) ‘Conceptual History of Adaptation to Climate Change under the UNFCCC’ Review of European Community and International Environmental Law (RECIEL) 15 (1): 82-92.
9. Tol, R.S.J. (2005) ‘Adaptation and Mitigation: Trade-offs in Substance and Methods’, Environmental Science and Policy, 8: 572-578.
10. Verheyen, R. (2002) ‘Adaptation to the Impacts of Anthropogenic Climate Change – The International Legal Framework’ RECIEL, 11 (2) 129-143.
11. Wilbanks, T.J., S.M. Kane, P.N. Leiby, R.D. Perlack, C. Settle, J.F. Shogren, J.B. Smith (2003) ‘Possible Responses to Global Climate Change: Integrating Mitigation and Adaptation’ Environment, 45 (5) 28-38.