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Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS) are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Food security is a key issue in the region, and is related to vulnerability in the natural and human system. This short research paper, which reports on a systematic search of the academic literature and is part of a larger research project on climate change adaptation in Caribbean coastal communities, investigates two central questions: (1) what challenges to food security are Caribbean SIDS facing due to climate change? and (2) what strategies, if any, are being used to adapt to these challenges? We review peer-reviewed articles published after the release of Working Group II's contribution to the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2014, which included a chapter on vulnerability and impacts in small islands (Chapter 29). We find that post AR5 articles confirm that climate change will have a significant effect on agriculture and fisheries in the Caribbean, mainly through changing patterns of weather, air and sea surface temperatures, and water availability. These studies highlight the importance of considering the social dimensions of food security in the region when identifying and implementing adaptation strategies, particularly in the context of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. These social dimensions include the Caribbean's historical and social context as well as its demographics, which feature varying population densities and poverty rates. They serve to increase vulnerability but are imperative considerations for understanding and minimizing the threat climate change poses to food security in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptation is an essential part of climate change policy. In areas where impacts are likely to be severe, migration is considered to be an adaptation option. In Bangladesh coastal areas migration due to climate change is contingent on people's freedom of choice at individual and household level. Following Amartya Sen's capability approach, we argue that there should be a line drawn between migrations by free choice versus forced migration. Sen's capability approach focuses on the importance of people's freedom of choice to act, and the ability to achieve what they consider valuable in their life. In this paper, we use an extensive empirical work engaging 22 focus groups discussions (8–12 individuals in each group) and 14 Key Informants Interviews in South-West Bangladesh to elicit how freedom of choice changes with the economic class and social status of an individual. Using these data we apply Sen's capability approach to understand the role of the freedom of choice when considering migration as an adaptation option. We argue that the capability approach is essential in revealing a thin border between migration as a (planned) adaptation option and forced migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delta communities worldwide are facing a multitude of challenges in their life and livelihood. In many developing countries, improving the quality of life and livelihood is a key challenge. While development is a central goal of delta planning in such countries, the effectiveness of planning is challenged by uncertain changes in climate and socio-economy. Bangladesh (one of the countries) is moving towards the adaptive delta management approach to deal with such uncertainties. Historical examples illustrate that Community Livelihood Adaptation (CLA) can critically influence the effectiveness of a policy strategy. Therefore, there is a clear need to explore CLA under uncertainty. For that purpose, this paper develops and applies a conceptual model-based approach combining the mental model and scenarios techniques. Our approach starts by using a participatory process to elicit mental models a farmers' community uses when considering adaptation decisions; we capture these in the form of a cognitive map, and this map can serve as a conceptual model for analyzing livelihood adaptation decision-making in a future-oriented scenario analysis. To illustrate the approach, a case study of cropping decision-making of farmers community at a polder location under the saline condition in the southwest of Bangladesh has been elaborated. Results show that the approach is useful in structuring the cognitive and qualitative nature of complex decision-making process, and helps in understanding the dynamic interactions of farmers' adaptation decisions with other actors, their environmental attributes, and market traits. It can help policymakers anticipate the adaptation direction of policy strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few countries in the world where the importance of addressing climate change in urban policy is as acutely felt as in the Netherlands. As a low-lying country located on a large river delta, it is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Its vulnerable position is one of the reasons why the country (and several of its cities) is a leading player in climate change-related initiatives. Although some of the policy responses to climate change are based on water management tasks that predate all climate change debates, a range of new responses involving both adaptation and mitigation have been developed at the national and local levels in the Netherlands. Recent shifts in policy have been accompanied by the emergence of a new underlying concept – the concept of resilience. This paper has two main areas of investigation. First, it examines the shifts in emphasis on climate change adaptation and mitigation in urban planning, water management and climate change strategies. Second, it studies the origins and nature of the concept of urban resilience and the way in which the notion has permeated national and local policy in the Netherlands. The city of Rotterdam is used to illustrate the situation at the local level. The paper reveals shifting emphases on adaptation and mitigation over time and across different policy documents as well as a range of interpretations of the concept of resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global changes in climate today present hostile weather conditions which pose considerable threats to the rich and poor alike. The capacity for developing countries to cope with these impacts is weak and a development concern. The post-conflict West African nation of Sierra Leone is no exception. In fact, rural areas are exposed to high degrees of vulnerability, livelihood insecurity and hostile environments. This paper explores the experiences of rural people and identifies impacts and coping mechanisms used in response to these changes. The research on which this paper is based adopted a facilitated group discussion approach involving 250 participants drawn from five rural settlements in Kambia and Kono Districts of Sierra Leone. In safeguarding rural livelihoods and ensuring environmental protection, this paper concludes with a number of policy recommendations, including the provision of external support, enforcing land tenure arrangements, strengthening rural people's resilience and encouraging collective and adaptive environmental management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are not only among the smallest countries in the world, they are also among the most vulnerable. Prime amidst the challenges that result from such vulnerability and that constrain the sustainable development efforts of SIDS is climate change, which represents the most immediate threat to their future. Although SIDS are among the least responsible for climate change, they are the hardest hit by its effects. Impacts are already being experienced in terms of environmental degradation, loss of infrastructure, increasing health risks, economic stress and national security, all of which contribute to increasing poverty levels and diminishing the quality of life. The objective of this paper is to shed new light on the complex relationship between SIDS and climate change, with a view to better understanding the current vulnerabilities, future projections and possible impacts, as well as to outline proposed courses of action. In order to achieve its objective, this paper will draw first-hand information from some of the most recent findings that have emerged during intergovernmental processes and debates within and across the United Nations system and other major international fora, including summits and high-level events, as well as on the latest academic literature and scientific evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Scientific consensus shows that the changes related to climate change are already occurring and will intensify in the future. This will likely result in significant alterations to coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, increase coastal hazards and affect lifestyles of coastal communities. There is increasing speculation that mangrove, a socio-economically important ecosystem, will become more fragile and sensitive to uncertain climate variability such as sea level rise. As a result, mangrove-dependent societies may find themselves trapped in a downward spiral of ecological degradation in terms of their livelihoods and life security. Strengthening the resilience capacity of coastal communities to help them cope with this additional threat from climate change and to ensure sustainability calls for immediate action. In this context, this paper critically examines the regional implications of expected sea level rise and threats to mangrove-dependent communities through a case study approach. The main objective is to highlight the requirement for climate change communication and education to impart information that will fulfil three expectations: (1) confer understanding; (2) assess local inference on climate change through a participatory approach; and (3) construct a framework for climate change awareness among mangrove-dependent communities through community-based non-formal climate change education. This scale of approach is attracting increasing attention from policymakers to achieve climate change adaptation and derive policies from a social perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are facing considerable challenges resulting from imminent climate change impacts. Urban planning to minimise adverse impacts of climate change at the city level can establish a climate-resilient city. Mitigation strategies to reduce CO2 emissions would lead to a climate-friendly city. Integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation into sustainable city planning should not be merely added as a single level of sustainable city planning, but requires a wide range of multi-level cooperation. Lijiang City has experienced climatic change during the last half century, and its CO2 emissions have increased faster than the GDP growth. Nearby glaciers on Yulong Snow Mountain have been retreating and losing mass since the early twentieth century. In this paper, we identify economic sectors that are vulnerable to climate change, including tourism, agriculture and water supply, and propose mitigation and adaptation strategies to cope with climate change in this tourism city. As energy use is the largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, renewable energy has enormous CO2 reduction potential. Land use practices, a sectoral approach and public participation are all considered adaptive in climate planning. The proposals outlined are valuable as they provide an understanding of how to implement integrated climate planning and integrate climate change mitigation and adaptation into sustainable city planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]