Measuring Status of Climate Change Adaptation: An Assessment Framework

Abstract

The global adaptation goal is one of the key outcomes of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. This goal includes enhancement of adaptive capacity, strengthening of resilience, and reduction of vulnerability, while adaptation to climate change is defined as adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climate stimuli or their effects. Tracking or measuring adaptation to climate change is a new aspect of this international discussion and ideas are emerging fast. Several initiatives are already in place and several relevant papers have been published in recent times. This assessment framework for measuring the status of climate change adaptation is an effort to contribute to the global discussion and understand different elements of adaptation. This assessment framework suggests a combination of readiness and outcome-based approaches to measure the status of adaptation by analyzing the adjustments required for achieving the adaptation objective(s). It also suggests how past adjustments can be used as evidence and demonstrate effectiveness in achieving similar adaptation objective(s). This assessment framework has been applied to analysis of the status of climate change adaptation in five subregions in Asia, and two sectors and elements are fine-tuned during its application.