BASIEC: A coastal climate service framework for community-based adaptation to rising sea-levels

Abstract

Climate change induced sea-level rise poses serious threats to coastal regions across the world and the communities in the low-lying coastal regions are at high risk. Building capacities of coastal communities to adapt to sea-level rise are increasingly high priorities for low-lying coastal regions. Climate services are believed to be a powerful mechanism to build capacities of communities, particularly at the local level. It focuses on the connection between climate science and public demand for information and services. In this context, this chapter emphasizes the importance of community-based climate services that build the capacities of local communities to prepare, manage and adapt to rising sea-levels. This study has put forth three research questions such as (1) what services do the coastal communities require; (2) how these services need to be delivered; (3) what are all the roles of climate services that can help in building capacities of coastal communities and involve them in the community-based adaptation decision-making process? This study has adopted the methodology following the recommendations and guidelines of the UNFCCC, the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) and Fifth Assessment Report of IPCC, on climate information and services. As a result, this study has introduced BASIEC (Building capacities for Adaptation to Sea-level rise through Information, Education and Communication for coastal communities), a coastal climate service framework for community-based adaptation to rising sea-levels. The framework emerges from theoretical and empirical knowledge of community-based climate services and offers a holistic approach for integrating information, communication and education through the lens of climate change and sea-level rise. Thus, it provides a systematic starting point and guidance for local level coastal climate policy planners, decision-makers, researchers, local communities and others who hold a stake on coastal climate services for community-based adaptation to changing climate in general and sea-level rise in particular.