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Limited research has been directed toward coastal protection infrastructure compared to other types of infrastructure, despite the increasing global population in low-elevated coastal regions and the threats posed by climate change. This paper presents a risk-based asset management framework for coastal protection structures that improves accuracy with each inspection. The framework consists of five components: the Coastal Asset Inventory (CAI), Inspection and Condition Assessment (ICA) module, Backward Markovian Deterioration Model (BMDM), Forward Markovian Deterioration Model (FMDM), and Intervention Policy Engine (IPE). The framework addresses challenges in accurately predicting coastal structure deterioration due to uncertainties in wave loading conditions and the need for frequent inspections. It is applied to rubble-mound breakwaters in Alexandria, Egypt. The BMDM and FMDM models are developed based on inspection data, and the IPE optimizes interventions considering structural condition, risk thresholds, and budget constraints. Results showed that long-term deterioration estimates occur at an accelerated rate with an increase in inspection points, triggering earlier interventions. However, the framework proves reliable even with only two inspection points, allowing asset managing agencies to implement the model based on the structural condition at the year of construction and a minimum of two inspections. The proposed risk-based asset management framework provided a comprehensive approach to managing coastal protection infrastructure, reducing risks to life and property. By accurately predicting deterioration and optimizing intervention decisions, the framework can greatly assist in the effective management and maintenance of coastal assets. This is vital in ensuring the safety of coastal populations facing global climate change and demographic growth. Coastal protection structures are crucial for safeguarding coastal populations in the face of climate change and demographic growth. This research paper introduces a risk-based asset management framework for coastal protection structures, with practical applications for coastal management agencies and practitioners. The framework addresses the challenges of predicting coastal structure deterioration and optimizing intervention decisions. The framework consists of five components: the Coastal Asset Inventory (CAI), Inspection and Condition Assessment (ICA), Backward Markovian Deterioration Model (BMDM), Forward Markovian Deterioration Model (FMDM), and Intervention Policy Engine (IPE). It has been successfully applied to rubble-mound breakwaters in Alexandria, Egypt. The practical implications are significant: The framework enables asset managers to make informed decisions on coastal infrastructure maintenance and interventions, reducing risks to life and property. It provides a comprehensive approach to managing coastal protection infrastructure and ensuring the safety of coastal populations. By accurately predicting deterioration and optimizing interventions, the framework supports effective management and maintenance of coastal assets. Its reliability and flexibility make it a valuable tool for coastal management practitioners, promoting sustainable development and safeguarding coastal areas. With its potential for broader application, this risk-based asset management framework offers practical solutions for coastal protection worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper examines how manufacturing firms impacted by the nitrogen oxides (NOx) Budget Trading Program (NBP) strategically managed working capital to release funds for increased costs and mitigate the negative impact on firm performance. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses a panel data set including 11,302 manufacturing firm-year observations listed on the US exchanges during the period 2000–2008. The authors use Tobin's Q to proxy for firm performance, and cash holding, cash conversion cycle (CCC), days sales outstanding (DSO), days sales inventory (DSI) and days payable outstanding (DPO) for working capital management (WCM). The empirical analysis is conducted using both ordinary least squares (OLS) and propensity score matching (PSM) regressions. Findings: The authors find that firms respond to the higher utility costs imposed by the NBP by decreasing CCC, DSO and DSI. This active WCM response partially mitigated the impact of increased compliance costs on performance for firms affected by the NBP. Results are robust in PSM regressions. Research limitations/implications: Climate change is a global issue that has attracted increasing attention in recent years. This study shows how firms can adjust short-term financing strategies to address the costs of compliance with climate change regulation. Originality/value: The paper contributes to the emerging literature on corporate finance and climate policy actions. The authors use the unique experimental setting of the NBP to examine the regulatory impact on corporate financial management. The authors demonstrate how firms used active WCM to mitigate the negative performance impact of regulatory compliance with the NBP, providing novel insight on the implication of compliance with climate change legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a perspective, about the future climate policy of Pakistan, to improve the harvest of Green Climate Funds (GCF). This paper takes upon the calculation of climate financing potential in the context of the energy sector of Pakistan by estimating the potential of becoming a net-zero sector in Pakistan's Economy. The study has identified several options for the government to reallocate the energy mix and tie the energy demand targets with climate targets for a green future of Pakistan. The study has used basic excel tools to calculate facts from the available data sets in Pakistan. The study found that, if Pakistan chooses to shift from dirty sources of energy production to the use of cleaner inputs for energy production, Pakistan can generate a significant amount of climate finance by reducing the emissions from energy production, which are recordable, traceable, and can be evaluated by any of the third-party evaluating organization. The initial cost for Pakistan will cause some discrepancies in some of the macroeconomic indicators and may also cause budget imbalances it will surely help the economy to achieve the targets of becoming a net-zero economy and be able to harvest Green Climate Funds in long term with much faster rate, which can overpass the investments made or being made in this sector and will create a significant amount jobs in the economy, which will be green jobs, promoting environmental friendly output and sustainable growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing climate change and protecting the environment have become the key global challenges and priorities and requires a whole-of-society approach. Many countries are increasing their commitments to meet the Paris Agreement's goals, introducing green budgeting among them. The goal of the paper is to understand how public participation in public budgeting with green objectives is being effectuated in the Russian Federation, and to look at what governments can do to facilitate it. The author explores the relevance of environmental problems for Russians, and analyses public participation in environmental policy-making with a focus on budgeting in Russia. The paper provides examples of green participatory budgeting practices of global interest, highlights the potential of participatory budgeting encouraging pro-environmental behaviour, potentially enriching the repertoire of climate-friendly actions and fostering the growing interest in green budgeting. The author concludes with recommendations on how to improve public participation in relation to greening the budget process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a key socioeconomic and environmental concern in South Africa. The South African government introduced several climate change initiatives to address the impacts of climate change, resulting in the proliferation of climate adaptation policies across spheres of government. This paper studies different climate change adaptation policies and climate policy paradigms (CPP) to understand the adaptation landscape; it explains and compares the changes in CPP in South Africa over time. We mapped 40 policy documents from 2004 to 2022, which shows 12 national policies, 12 provincial (sub-national) policy documents and 14 metropolitan city policy documents. We then used 12 national policy documents to illustrate and understand the CPP. The research shows that different stakeholders have shaped climate change adaptation policy, both private and public firms advised on climate change policy and there are a number of different funding partners supporting the adaptation policy like GEF, C40 and GIZ. The changing policy environment has introduced new frameworks, objectives and processes. Therefore, more efforts will be needed going forward to guide adaptation policy across national, provincial and local governments. We find that several CPPs have emerged, that is different paradigms encompassing a range of policy goals, framings and instruments. The present National CC Adaptation Strategy (NCCAS) mandates adaptation across all levels of government and allows all important stakeholders to address climate change consequences. This NCCAS increases the number and ambition of adaptation policy, encourages integrated approaches, policy coherence and clear direction on how to handle climate risks and impacts in varied South Africa and its global commitment. Changes in policy paradigm enable the use of new policy instruments, including funding and budget mechanisms. Finally, climate adaptation policy has become more ambitious and stringent, requiring all levels of government to plan for climate change. The climate change policy landscape in South Africa has grown over the past 18 years, with policy development across different spheres of government (national, sectoral, provincial and metros), New CPPs have emerged, supported by new policy frames, goals and instruments. The NCCAS provides a clear policy goal, which also provides new policy instruments to implement climate actions and acts to enhance integrated approaches, The lack of domestic budget allocation remains a challenge for national government, but external partnerships have begun to provide support for policy development. Notably, a shift from a flexible to stringent approach to climate policy is needed to deliver effective climate action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We find that manufacturing firms adopt more conservative capital structures in response to the Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Budget Trading Program (NBP) of 2004, a regional cap-and-trade program aimed at mitigating the NOx emissions of power plants in 11 midwestern and southeastern states in the United States. Our further analysis demonstrates that, because the NBP induces an electricity price shock, it affects manufacturers' financial decisions by raising their operating leverage and distress risk. We also find that firms respond to the NBP's adoption heterogeneously: they adjust their financial leverage more dramatically when facing greater electricity intensity, financial distress threats, or competitive pressure. In addition, firms adapt not only capital structure, but also other financial policies in response to the regulation. Overall, our study shows that climate policy risk constitutes an essential consideration in firm financial decisions. It also highlights potential unintended consequences of policy responses to climate change for the corporate sector. This paper was accepted by George Serafeim, Special Section of Management Science on Business and Climate Change. Funding: The authors gratefully acknowledge generous financial support from the Alliance Manchester Business School Strategic Research Investment Fund. Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4617. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we estimate the climate budget of the City of Skopje, the capital of the Republic of North Macedonia, by applying the objective-based cost component approach of the Climate Budget Tagging (CBT) methodology. CBT is a budget tool for monitoring and tracking climate-related public expenditures in the national/subnational budget system. In this approach, relevance level of the climate budget is calculated as the percentage of total expenditure for each climate intervention minus the share of the expenditure that would take place under a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario. Using the budget data for the representative year 2018, we estimated that the total budget of the climate-relevant programmes is 585 mil. MK denars, of which 311 mil. MK denars is allocated for mitigation while 41 mil. MK denars is allocated for adaptation purpose. Accordingly, about 48.6 percent of the budget is allocated for highly relevant programmes, 28.6 percent for medium relevant programmes, and 22.7 percent for low relevant programmes. This method also acknowledges that some programmes already have climate functions built-in, and when these programmes are implemented to contribute to climate functions, the additional benefits they would provide also need to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green budgeting refers to the integration of climate and environmental perspectives into a government's budgetary processes. Based on the resources of the OECD's Paris Collaborative on Green Budgeting and experiences in OECD countries from implementing green budgeting, this paper identifies seven key areas to support the development of green budgeting practices in making progress toward climate and environmental goals. The key areas consider the institutional frameworks, budgetary tools, transparency and accountability arrangements and the enabling environment for budgeting in the public sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, provide vital support for human life, but overloading nutrients to the Earth system leads to environmental concerns, such as water and air pollution on local scales and climate change on the global scale. With an urgent need to feed the world's growing population and the growing concern over nutrient pollution and climate change, sustainable nutrient management has become a major challenge for this century. To address this challenge, the growing body of research on nutrient budgets, namely the nutrient inputs and outputs of a given system, has provided great opportunities for improving scientific knowledge of the complex nutrient cycles in the coupled human and natural systems. This knowledge can help inform stakeholders, such as farmers, consumers, and policy makers, on their decisions related to nutrient management. This paper systematically reviews major challenges, as well as opportunities, in defining, quantifying, and applying nutrient budgets. Nutrient budgets have been defined for various systems with different research or application purposes, but the lack of consistency in the system definition and its budget terms has hindered intercomparison among studies and experience‐sharing among researchers and regions. Our review synthesizes existing nutrient budgets under a framework with five systems (i.e., Soil‐Plant system, Animal system, Animal‐Plant‐Soil system, Agro‐Food system, and Landscape system) and four spatial scales (i.e., Plot and Farm, Watershed, National, and Global scales). We define these systems and identify issues of nitrogen and phosphorus budgets within each. Few nutrient budgets have been well balanced at any scale, due to the large uncertainties in the quantification of several major budget terms. The type and level of challenges vary across spatial scales and also differ among nutrients. Improvement in nutrient budgets will rely not only on the technological advancement of scientific observations and models but also on better bookkeeping of human activity data. While some nutrient budget terms may need decades, or even centuries, of research to be well quantified within desirable levels of uncertainties, it is imperative to effectively communicate to interested stakeholders our understanding of nutrient budgets so that scientists and a variety of stakeholders can work together to address the sustainable nutrient management challenge of this century. Plain Language Summary: Managing nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, is fundamental, yet challenging, for sustainable development. Nutrients are critical for plant and animal growth in agriculture and in nonagricultural ecosystems and are consequently important for food security and climate stability, as well as human health. However, historical and ongoing increases in nutrient inputs to agriculture, while increasing food production, have also contributed to severe environmental problems, ranging from local water and air pollution to global climate change. Quantifying the nutrient inputs and outputs of a farm, watershed, or any other well‐defined boundary advances our knowledge of how to maintain a nutrient balance, which is an essential step toward sustainable nutrient management. So far, many research efforts have been devoted to quantifying nutrient budgets and to improving nutrient management for different systems (e.g., farms and food supply chains) and at different spatial scales (e.g., from a single farm to the entire world). However, due to the complex nature of nutrient cycles and incomplete data sets, challenges remain in quantifying and understanding nutrient budgets to inform policies and actions for sustainable nutrient management. With a systematic review of major challenges in defining, quantifying, and applying nutrient budgets, this paper calls for collective efforts by researchers, farmers, watershed managers, consumers, policy makers, and other stakeholders involved in nutrient management to improve our ability to balance nutrient budgets and to use that understanding to grow abundant food while avoiding pollution. Key Points: Sustainable nutrient management, a major challenge of this century, requires better quantification of nutrient budgetsThis paper reviews major challenges in defining, quantifying, and applying nutrient budgets on multiple system and spatial scalesThe improvement and limitation in nutrient budgets need to be communicated among researchers and stakeholders to enable positive changes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance of environmental governance is increasing worldwide, and Georgia is no exception. This article uses wide-ranging sources to provide comprehensive qualitative and quantitative data to discuss the most important aspects of environmental policy directions in Georgia. The results of the study show that: (a) it is crucial to increase public awareness about the importance of climate change and environmental protection; (b) introducing environmental and climate-related goals and objectives and green budgeting principles in national priorities is as important as implementing them effectively into practice; and (c) the practice of regulatory impact assessment needs further development in Georgia, especially in the environment and climate-related areas. Finally, the paper concludes that the lack of historical data is the main limitation for the current research, and proposes that scientific and practical work continues in the future to further explore the relationships between the country’s environmental policies and aspects of sustainable development on both an individual and public level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the debate on ways to improve the calculation of inequality measures in developing countries experiencing severe budget constraints. Linear regression-based survey-to-survey imputation techniques (SSITs) are most frequently discussed in the literature. These are effective at estimating predictions of poverty indicators but are much less accurate with inequality indicators. To demonstrate this limited accuracy, the first part of the paper review and discuss the SSITs. The paper proposes a method for overcoming these limitations based on a Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale and Shape (GAMLSS). Before to apply this method to Moroccan data with the aim to analyze the relation between poverty and climate changes a simulation is carried out to compare classical SSIT and SSIT based on GAMLSS. • SSITs are used to estimate indicators when surveys are not conducted yearly. • GAMLSS are useful to reduce the bias of inequalities indices estimated with SSITs. • GAMLSS adopt the distribution that best fits the data not the normal one as SSITs. • Obtaining estimates yearly allows to understand causalities of events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During the past 20 years, Iran has been experiencing a significant increase in the occurrence of disasters mainly due to the emergence of anthropogenic climate change. This paper aims at analyzing the trend of national budget allocation in Iran over the last 100 years to evaluate the focus of the Iranian state on the four phases of Preparedness, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery and propose modifications. Methods: It is used a critical policy analysis with what's the problem represented approach. In this approach is focused on problematization and policy gaps. The most important policy statement in any government is the budget. During the first screening, 1028 regulations and laws were found from 1910 to 2020. After full text screening, 494 regulations and laws related to budget allocation to disasters were analyzed. Results: The Iranian government has spent around 29 billion USD on disasters during the last 100 years. Droughts, earthquake and flood have costs the government more than other disasters, accounting for more than 14, 6.9, and 6.1 billion USD, respectively, in the allocated budget. Most of the Iranian government expenditure during the last 100 years on various disasters such as drought, flood, earthquake, and COVID-19 has been spent on involuntary costs including Response and Recovery. Mitigation and Preparedness are the two critical disaster management phases with very small shares of national budgeting. Conclusions: From policy audit and policy gaps it is concluded that Iranian governments during last 100 years, problematized the issue of "disasters strike" and not "disasters' risks". In time of disasters, governments tried to solve the issues or impacts of disasters with budgeting to response and recovery. Nevertheless, disasters' prevention or mitigation or preparedness was not a problem for Iranian governments from 1920 to 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most agree that large sums of money should be transferred to the most vulnerable countries in order to help them adapt to climate change. But how should that money be allocated within those countries? A popular and intuitively plausible answer, in line with the strong standing of the norm of ownership in development aid circles, is that this is for the recipient country to decide. The paper investigates the three most important types of ethical arguments for such 'recipient control': the epistemic argument, the entitlement argument, and the legitimacy argument. It is argued that there is a good case for recipient control in democratic countries, because such countries can be expected to act in the name of the people to whom adaptation finance is ultimately owed. However, the three arguments do not support, even if taken jointly, recipient control in nondemocratic countries. This is a significant result seeing as the majority of the most vulnerable countries are nondemocratic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Global Carbon Project (GCP) has published global carbon budgets annually since 2007 (Canadell et al. [2007], Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 104, 18866–18870; Raupach et al. [2007], Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 104, 10288–10293). There are many scientists involved, but the terrestrial fluxes that appear in the budgets are not well understood by ecologists and biogeochemists outside of that community. The purpose of this paper is to make the terrestrial fluxes of carbon in those budgets more accessible to a broader community. The GCP budget is composed of annual perturbations from pre‐industrial conditions, driven by addition of carbon to the system from combustion of fossil fuels and by transfers of carbon from land to the atmosphere as a result of land use. The budget includes a term for each of the major fluxes of carbon (fossil fuels, oceans, land) as well as the rate of carbon accumulation in the atmosphere. Land is represented by two terms: one resulting from direct anthropogenic effects (Land Use, Land‐Use Change, and Forestry or land management) and one resulting from indirect anthropogenic (e.g., CO2, climate change) and natural effects. Each of these two net terrestrial fluxes of carbon, in turn, is composed of opposing gross emissions and removals (e.g., deforestation and forest regrowth). Although the GCP budgets have focused on the two net terrestrial fluxes, they have paid little attention to the gross components, which are important for a number of reasons, including understanding the potential for land management to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and understanding the processes responsible for the sink for carbon on land. In contrast to the net fluxes of carbon, which are constrained by the global carbon budget, the gross fluxes are largely unconstrained, suggesting that there is more uncertainty than commonly believed about how terrestrial carbon emissions will respond to future fossil fuel emissions and a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arctic shelf seas are highly heterogeneous, making it difficult to accurately account for their role in regional and global air‐sea CO2 exchange budgets. Here we estimate the CO2 sink in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) based on empirical relationships that account for spatiotemporal variations in the sea surface partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2sw) as a function of seasonal sea ice cycles. During the open water season from 2010 to 2016, the CAA acted as a net oceanic sink with an average CO2 flux of −7.7 ± 4 Tg C/year. This sink is significantly smaller than previous estimates for the CAA, emphasizing the importance of properly accounting for seasonal and spatial variability on Arctic shelves. Applying our analysis to a 37‐year record of sea ice conditions, we calculate an increase in the open water CO2 sink by ~150% (a trend of ~ −1.3 Tg C/decade), associated with sea ice loss and higher wind speeds. Plain Language Summary: Much of the carbon dioxide (CO2) humans put into the air ends up in the oceans. This is good because it slows down climate change but also bad because some creatures could be hurt by extra CO2. In the Arctic, it is hard to know how much CO2 is absorbed by the ocean, because the ocean is frozen for much of the year. In this paper, we try to figure out how much CO2 is going into the Canadian Arctic Archipelago—a shallow sea in northern Canada that is home to the famous Northwest Passage. We found that the amount of CO2 going into this sea is much lower than scientists thought before because they did not fully account for the ice. However, the amount of CO2 going into the sea each year is increasing, because sea ice is melting due to climate change. Key Points: The Canadian Arctic Archipelago acts as a net oceanic sink of CO2 during the open water season with an average uptake rate of 7.7 Tg C/yearAtmospheric CO2 uptake during the open water season has increased by 150% over 37 years due to sea ice loss and higher wind speedsEstimates of CO2 uptake on Arctic shelves must account for spatiotemporal variability in sea ice conditions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article aims to analyze the financial contribution from the European Union countries' annual budget, the European Commission, and the European Investment Bank to financing activities related to climate change under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Design/methodology/approach: Based on statistical data, an analysis was made of changes in financial shares under the treaty; the largest and smallest shareholders among the European Union countries were identified, and the changes in subsequent years in all European Union countries. Findings: Based on the analysis, it was indicated that countries such as Germany and France are the countries with the most significant shares in budget spending under the UNFCCC, followed by the largest shareholders are the European Commission and the European Investment Bank Research limitations/implications: The possibilities of analyzing data on the shares of European Union countries under the UNFCCC Treaty were limited due to the lack of availability of data from some periods. Practical implications: The analysis may be the basis for more significant mobilization of countries in climate support that do not participate financially enough under the UNFCCC. Social implications: Society should be made aware of the issue of caring for the environment, it should introduce ecological habits in its own home, encourage friends to take actions to protect the environment and encourage them to change their diet, habits, conscious purchasing, saving water and energy. Originality/value: Analyzing the spending of European Union countries to improve the climate is of fundamental importance to find out to what extent all parties to the treaty are involved and what financial resources are available to enhance the negative consequences of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian Ocean (IO) stratification has important effects on the air–sea interaction, ocean dynamics, and ecology. It is, therefore, of significance to investigate the changes in IO stratification. In this study, we use ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) to extract the nonlinear long-term trend in the upper IO stratification quantified by potential energy anomalies. The results show that the strengthening of the stratification is spatially and temporally nonuniform. Specifically, the trend of stratification intensified gradually before 1996, but accelerated rapidly after 1996. Temperature and salinity changes play a crucial role in the fast enhancement of stratification and its regional differences. Temperature variations dominate the stratification trend in ∼90% of the IO area, while the contributions of salinity changes are mainly in the southeast Indian Ocean (SEIO). Vertically, the rapid enhancement of stratification is caused by the trend of temperature and salt in the upper 400 m. We further perform temperature budget analysis and find that the warming trend in the upper 400 m south of the IO is mainly modulated by vertical advection and meridional advection, while the warming in the north of the IO is mainly induced by air–sea heat fluxes. Salinity budget analysis shows that ocean advection has played a primary role in modulating SEIO salinity over the past 20 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving ambitious climate targets, such as the 1.5 °C goal, demands significant financial commitment. While technical feasibility exists, the economic implications of delayed action and differing scenarios remain unclear. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the investment attractiveness and economic risks/benefits of different climate scenarios through a novel emissions cost budgeting model. A simplified model is developed using five global scenarios: announced policies (type 1 and 2), 2.0 °C, and 1.5 °C. A unit marginal abatement cost estimated the monetary value of avoided and unavoided emissions costs for each scenario. Net present value (NPV) and cost–benefit index (BI) were then calculated to compare the scenario attractiveness of the global emission budgets. The model was further applied to emissions budgets for China, the USA, India, and the European Union (EU). Increasing discount rates and gross domestic product (GDP) led to emission increases across all scenarios. The 1.5 °C scenario achieved the lowest emissions, while the baseline scenario showed the highest potential emissions growth (between 139.48% and 146.5%). Therefore, emphasis on the need for further financial commitment becomes important as the emissions' abatement cost used as best case was estimated at USD 2.4 trillion per unit of 1 Gtons CO2 equivalent (eq.). Policy delays significantly impacted NPV and BI values, showcasing the time value of investment decisions. The model's behavior aligns with real-world observations, including GDP growth influencing inflation and project costs. The simplified model could be coupled to existing integrated assessment frameworks or models (IAMs) as none offer cost–benefit analysis of climate scenarios to the best of our knowledge. Also, the model may be used to examine the economic attractiveness of carbon reduction programs in various nations, cities, and organizations. Thus, the model and analytical approach presented in this work indicate promising applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the willingness to pay (WTP) of the Korean people for a flood control policy to prepare for climate change and a policy to reinforce the protection of populations vulnerable to climate change was estimated using the contingent valuation method (CVM). In addition, the appropriateness of the budgets allotted by the Korean government for these two policies in 2021 was examined by comparing them with the benefits to the people at the national level. The average annual WTP per household was estimated to be approximately KRW 27,457 and 25,854 for these two policies. The WTP was found to increase with adverse effects caused by extreme weather conditions; as people developed an interest in climate change, their income level increased and hence they showed preferences for policies by the ruling party. In addition, the benefits of the two policies at the national level were estimated to be worth KRW 573.6 and 540.1 billion, respectively. When the benefits were compared with the amount allotted in the budgets for them, the ratio of the budget to the benefit was found to be 77.55% for flood control in preparation for climate change and 4.46% for the reinforced protection of populations vulnerable to climate change. This confirms that the acceptability of the policy by the populations vulnerable to climate change is high, but the budget is not allocated as per the need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores an almost untouched topic in the fast-growing climate econometrics literature-the implications of climate change for government expenditures. Using a rich sub-national dataset for Russia covering 1995-2009, we estimate the impacts of changes in climatic conditions through short-term variation and medium-term changes in average regional temperatures and precipitation. We show a strong and robust negative (but non-linear) relation between regional budget expenditures and population-weighted temperature. The results indicate that an increase in temperature results in a decrease in public expenditures and that the magnitude of this effect diminishes the warmer the region. Further, our results suggest that the benefits from warming accumulate and that adaptation measures could help leverage those benefits. The estimated decreases in regional government expenditure are, however, quite small. In mild warming scenarios, according to our estimates Russia saves roughly USD 3-4 billion in regional government expenditures between 2000 and the 2020s without undertaking adaptation measures, depending on the scenario. It should be noted that our results are estimated for a scenario of mild temperature increase (1-2 $$^{\circ }$$ C). Larger temperature increases are likely to have dramatic consequences e.g. from loss of permafrost and methane release that are impossible to predict with available historical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Highlights • Motivation to act on climate adaptation exists in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia. • External influence and workplace environment affect motivation and capacity to act. • Inadequate staffing and budget dispensation promote reliance on donor funds. Abstract Government ministries are increasingly mainstreaming climate change adaptation within policies and plans. However, government staff in key implementing ministries need to be empowered to ensure effective delivery of policy goals. Motivation to act on climate change, combined with the capacity to make decisions and apply resources to programmes, is crucial. Informed by theories of motivation and workplace environments from social psychology and organisational theory, this paper reports findings from a questionnaire of government staff (103 respondents) in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia. The questionnaire was designed using self-determination theory to investigate the role of external influences, institutional structures and resources and how these, in turn, affect staff motivation and capacities to design and implement new policies and strategies. The study finds that whilst external influences and hierarchical structures are recognised, these do not have a strong direct influence on staff motivation, but they do appear to inhibit capacities to act. The results show that lack of staff and limited government-allocated budget reduce the ability of ministries to be self-determined and set their own agendas. Instead they are dependent on donor-determined projects which may be selective in the aspects of climate change adaptation plans and policies they support and even divert focus away from government priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane (CH4) is the second most significant contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide (CO2), accounting for approximately 20% of the contributions from all well-mixed greenhouse gases. Understanding the spatiotemporal distributions and the relevant long-term trends is crucial to identifying the sources, sinks, and impacts on climate. Hyperspectral thermal infrared (TIR) sounders, including the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), and the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), have been used to measure global CH4 concentrations since 2002. This study analyzed nearly 20 years of data from AIRS and CrIS and confirmed a significant increase in CH4 concentrations in the mid-upper troposphere (around 400 hPa) from 2003 to 2020, with a total increase of approximately 85 ppb, representing a +4.8% increase in 18 years. The rate of increase was derived using global satellite TIR measurements, which are consistent with in situ measurements, indicating a steady increase starting in 2007 and becoming stronger in 2014. The study also compared CH4 concentrations derived from the AIRS and CrIS against ground-based measurements from NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory (GML) and found phase shifts in the seasonal cycles in the middle to high latitudes of the northern hemisphere, which is attributed to the influence of stratospheric CH4 that varies at different latitudes. These findings provide insights into the global budget of atmospheric composition and the understanding of satellite measurement sensitivity to CH4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterogeneous ecosystems in the Mediterranean Basin (MB) are becoming sensitive to water stress. To investigate the climatic stress, a water budget study was conducted over the basin using TerraClimate simulations for a long temporal range (1990–2020). According to the budget accounting, forested regions received the highest precipitation (P) on average compared to other land use types (annual mean ≈633 mm yr−1), and even then, they were in a water deficit state (−0.42 mm yr−1). Tree plantations in North Africa (Libya and Morocco) were also in a water deficit state; however, their average P was very low (≈12 mm yr−1) compared to that of northern parts of the MB, and the average Actual Evapotranspiration (AET) was ≈15 mm yr−1. Also, the water balance in other land use systems (rain-fed, irrigated croplands, and rangelands) was either negative or near zero. As a whole, the basin's average annual P was ≈538 mm yr−1, the annual average AET was ≈415 mm yr−1, and the runoff (Q) was equivalent to 123 mm yr−1, which shows a strong influence of ET over the region. Since runoff was negligible in most dry areas, the AET's large contribution was notable in the North African base of the Atlas Mountains including the Nile delta region. This indicates that precipitation and evaporation are the principal mechanisms of the water balance in the MB. The result shows strong climate variability over Southern Europe, Turkey, and the western Balkans in the recent years, affecting the AET and making their land use systems more vulnerable to water stress. This benchmark study signifies the consistent need for water storage in the Mediterranean vegetation systems of the basin. It also indicates two distinct climate clusters for water balance modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Just Transition Fund was introduced in 2021 as part of the European Union's Green New Deal and aims to assuage some of the painful social consequences of the green transition. Relying on the Multiple Streams Framework, this article reconstructs the JTF's institution. It identifies 2018–2019 as a key conjuncture in the European Union when various social, ideational and political preconditions enabling policy innovation converged. Subsequently, the need to publicly finance a just transition emerged in relation to some Eastern European states' reluctance to work towards the 2050 climate neutrality target. After a Polish-led configuration of actors propelled the JTF onto the agenda, the von der Leyen Commission assumed the task of designing a less transparently self-serving policy instrument necessary to garner wider political support. The final JTF emerged from the interplay between two policy entrepreneurs in the context of the negotiations on the 2021–2027 European Union budget and the dislocations provoked by the COVID-19 crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mean circulation and volume budgets in the upper 1200 m of the Maluku Sea are studied using multiyear current meter measurements of four moorings in the Maluku Channel and of one synchronous mooring in the Lifamatola Passage. The measurements show that the mean current in the depth range of 60–450 m is northward toward the Pacific Ocean with a mean transport of 2.07–2.60 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1). In the depth range of 450–1200 m, a mean western boundary current (WBC) flows southward through the western Maluku Sea and connects with the southward flow in the Lifamatola Passage. The mean currents in the central-eastern Maluku Channel are found to flow northward at this depth range, suggesting an anticlockwise western intensified gyre circulation in the middle layer of the Maluku Sea. Budget analyses suggest that the mean transport of the intermediate WBC is 1.83–2.25 Sv, which is balanced by three transports: 1) 0.62–0.93 Sv southward transport into the Seram–Banda Seas through the Lifamatola Passage, 2) 0.97–1.01 Sv returning to the western Pacific Ocean through the central-eastern Maluku Channel, and 3) a residual transport surplus, suggested to upwell to the upper layer joining the northward transport into the Pacific Ocean. The dynamics of the intermediate gyre circulation are explained by the potential vorticity (PV) integral constraint of a semienclosed basin. Significance Statement: The Indonesian Throughflow plays an important role in the global ocean circulation and climate variations. Existing studies of the Indonesian Throughflow have focused on the upper thermocline currents. Here we identify, using mooring observations, an intermediate western boundary current with the core at 800–1000-m depth in the Maluku Sea, transporting intermediate waters from the Pacific into the Seram–Banda Seas through the Lifamatola Passage. Potential vorticity balance suggests an anticlockwise gyre circulation in the intermediate Maluku Sea, which is evidenced by the mooring and model data. Transport estimates suggest northward countercurrent in the upper Maluku Sea toward the Pacific, supplied by the Lifamatola Passage transport and upwelling from the intermediate layer in the Maluku Sea. Our results suggest the importance of the intermediate Indonesian Throughflow in global ocean circulation and overturn. More extensive investigations of the Indo-Pacific intermediate ocean circulation should be conducted to improve our understanding of global ocean overturn and heat and CO2 storages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precipitation changes over the Tibetan Plateau (TP), "Asian Water Tower", greatly affect water resources of the surrounding countries. A dipole pattern in summer precipitation trend over the TP is observed for 1961–2013, increasing over the north TP (NTP) and decreasing over the south TP (STP). Since the TP is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change in the world, it is of great importance to investigate the role of anthropogenic forcing in the TP precipitation changes. Moisture budget analysis based on reanalysis reveals that the precipitation trends over NTP and STP are dominated by thermodynamic and dynamic terms of vertical moisture advection, respectively. Southward shift in the summer subtropical Asian westerly jet (AWJ) over the west of TP and northward shift in AWJ over the east of TP collaboratively result in the increase and decrease in dynamic component over NTP and STP, respectively. Here, we successfully detect the anthropogenic contribution to the NTP summer precipitation trends using the attribution experiments from the CLIVAR Climate of the 20th Century Plus Project (C20C+). The drying trends over STP are mainly controlled by internal variability, and the anthropogenic forcing is favorable for the drying trends. The impacts of anthropogenic forcing are twofold. First, human activity induced warming increases the specific humidity over TP, increasing the thermodynamic component of moisture budget. Second, the warming trend caused by anthropogenic forcing is unevenly distributed over the Eurasian continent, leading to the southward (northward) shift of AWJ over the west (east) of TP, favoring more precipitation over the NTP but less precipitation over the STP. This study provides evidence of the importance of anthropogenic forcing on the water cycle changes over the TP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The delegation of government fiscal expenditure is a significant avenue via which the required environmental quality is intended to be accomplished. Climate change is a big worry across the world. Every government is putting forth enormous effort to handle the problem in order to keep human occupancy across the globe. It is not out of place for the government to prudently allocate the necessary resources to Nigeria's three levels of government in order to maintain the environment. The government budget is the primary tool for capturing this expenditure obligation and enabling governments at all levels to bear it successfully. As a result, this study investigates the effectiveness of the three levels of government's fiscal obligations in reducing CO2 emissions in Nigeria. The study spans the years 2005 through 2020, with data analyzed utilizing numerous regression techniques and correlation. According to the data, state fiscal expenditure has a minor destructive impression on haze secretion management, however local government has a large deleterious bearing with smoke decline. On the other hand, federal government budgetary expenditure has a considerable and favorable influence on CO2 emission control. As a result, increased government resources are required to address the environmental pollution challenge. According to the report, all levels of government should invest heavily in green technologies in order to attain pollution-free living conditions. Fiscal spending delegation should apply pollution control adoption costs necessary for biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although rice paddy fields are one of the world's largest anthropogenic sources of methane CH4, the budget of ecosystem CH4 and its' controls in rice paddies remain unclear. Here, we analyze seasonal dynamics of direct ecosystem-scale measurements of CH4 flux in a rice-wheat rotation agroecosystem over 3 consecutive years. Results showed that the averaged CO2 uptakes and CH4 emissions in rice seasons were 2.2 and 20.9 folds of the wheat seasons, respectively. In sum, the wheat-rice rotation agroecosystem acted as a large net C sink (averaged 460.79 g C m-2) and a GHG (averaged 174.38 g CO2eq m-2) source except for a GHG sink in one year (2016) with a very high rice seeding density. While the linear correlation between daily CH4 fluxes and gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) was not significant for the whole rice season, daily CH4 fluxes were significantly correlated to daily GEP both before (R²: 0.52-0.83) and after the mid-season drainage (R²: 0.71-0.79). Furthermore, the F partial test showed that GEP was much greater than that of any other variable including soil temperature for the rice season in each year. Meanwhile, the parameters of the best-fit functions between daily CH4 fluxes and GEP shifted between rice growth stages. This study highlights that GEP is a good predictor of daily CH4 fluxes in rice paddies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid uplift of the Tibetan plateau, the intense movement of the Ailao Shan-Red River Shear Zone (ARSZ), and the related climate change during the Cenozoic Indo-Asian collision have been widely studied; however, their timings varied considerably due to different data and methods used. As these events have been documented in the Red River sediment that came from the eastern Tibetan plateau and the Red River region and eventually deposited in the offshore Yinggehai and Qiongdongnan basins, here these events can be explored by calculating and analysing the Red River sediment budget, especially in the Qiongdongnan basin based on dense seismic profiles and wells. Results show that the Red River sediment mainly accumulated in the Yinggehai basin and the west part of the Qiongdongnan basin, and there are three sedimentary accumulation peaks in the Red River sediment budget during ~29.5–21, ~15.5–10.5, and ~5.5–0 Ma. By further comparing with previous studies on the timings of these events, it is inferred that the first sedimentary peak, prior to the onset of the monsoon intensification (~22 Ma), was probably driven by an intense left-lateral movement of the ARSZ in ~29.5–21 Ma. The second peak (~15.5–10.5 Ma), however, reflects a rapid uplift of the Tibetan plateau after the cessation of the left-lateral strike slip of the ARSZ. The third peak (~5.5–0 Ma) is most likely linked with a right-lateral movement of the ARSZ and the related climate change. Overall, the Red River sediment budget from the offshore Yinggehai and Qiongdongnan basins provides an important constraint on the timings of these tectonic events as well as the related climate change during the Cenozoic Indo-Asian collision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an assessment of the plausible Paris-aligned fair share nett cumulative carbon dioxide (CO2) quota for an example nation state, the Republic of Ireland. By Paris-aligned, we mean consistent with the Paris Agreement adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, at Paris, France, in December 2015 (UNFCCC 2015). We compare and contrast this quota with both the aspirations expressed in the current Irish National Policy Position and current national emission projections. The fair share quota is assessed as a maximum of c. 391 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2), equal to 83 tonnes of carbon dioxide (tCO2) per capita, from 2015, based on a precautionary estimate of the global carbon budget (GCB) and specific interpretation of global equity. Given Ireland's high current CO2 per capita emission rate, this would correspond to sustained year-on-year reductions in nett annual CO2 emissions of over − 11% per year (beginning as of 2016). By contrast, the CO2 mitigation target indicated in the National Policy Position corresponds to nett annual reduction rates in the range of only −4.7% per year (low ambition) up to a maximum of − 8.3% per year (high ambition), and projections based on current and immediately planned mitigation measures indicate the possibility, instead, of sustained increases in emissions at a rate of the order of + 0.7% per year. Accordingly, there is a large gap between Paris-aligned ambition and current political and policy reality on the ground, with a significant risk of early emergence of "CO2 debt" and tacit reliance on rapid deployment of currently speculative (at a relevant scale and feasible cost) negative CO2 emission technologies to actively remove CO2 from the atmosphere. While the detailed policy situation will clearly differ from country to country, we suggest that this methodology, and its CO2debt framing, may be usefully applied in other individual countries or regions. We recommend that such framing be incorporated explicitly into a global mitigation strategy via the statements of nationally determined contributions required to be submitted and updated by all parties under the Paris Agreement processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cloud feedback is very important for climate change. In this paper, the long-term variability of clouds in East Asia and their influence on the radiation budget are studied quantitatively by analyzing satellite observations, so as to determine the cloud feedback on regional warming. We firstly analysis the 18-year's (Mar.2000-Feb.2018) trend of cloud optical thickness (COT) over East Asia based on the retrievals of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS), and calculate the cloud radiative forcing of water cloud and ice cloud using BCC_RAD radiation transfer model based on the COTs, and then discuss the impact of COT's variation on the cloud radiative forcing. The water cloud COTw is found to increase in northeast China (~0.05 per year) and east China sea (~0.05 per year), and to decrease at south China (~-0.07 per year) and south Japan (~-0.05 per year). The ice cloud COTi is found to increase at northeast China (~0.06 per year) and north Japan (~0.08 per year), whereas decrease significantly at Tibetan plateau (~-0.07 per year). The annual mean shortwave-, longwave- and net-radiative forcing caused by the water cloud in East Asia at the top of the atmosphere are -72.4 W m-2, 15.7 W m-2 and -56.7 W m-2, respectively; the corresponding forcing caused by ice cloud are -88.5 W m-2, 55.7 W m-2 and -32.7 W m-2 respectively. The effects of COTw and COTi variations on radiation in different regions are different remarkably. Both positive feedback (e.g. south China, 0~0.4 W m-2 per year) and negative feedback (e.g. northeast China, -0.4~0 W m-2 per year) occurs, which indicates that the cloud feedback to regional warming is significant and may be opposite at different areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arctic Ocean is projected to experience not only amplified climate change but also amplified ocean acidification. Modeling future acidification depends on our ability to simulate baseline conditions and changes over the industrial era. Such centennial-scale changes require a global model to account for exchange between the Arctic and surrounding regions. Yet the coarse resolution of typical global models may poorly resolve that exchange as well as critical features of Arctic Ocean circulation. Here we assess how simulations of Arctic Ocean storage of anthropogenic carbon (Cant), the main driver of open-ocean acidification, differ when moving from coarse to eddy-admitting resolution in a global ocean-circulation–biogeochemistry model (Nucleus for European Modeling of the Ocean, NEMO; Pelagic Interactions Scheme for Carbon and Ecosystem Studies, PISCES). The Arctic's regional storage of Cant is enhanced as model resolution increases. While the coarse-resolution model configuration ORCA2 (2 ∘) stores 2.0 Pg C in the Arctic Ocean between 1765 and 2005, the eddy-admitting versions ORCA05 and ORCA025 (1/2 ∘ and 1/4 ∘) store 2.4 and 2.6 Pg C. The difference in inventory between model resolutions that is accounted for is only from their divergence after 1958, when ORCA2 and ORCA025 were initialized with output from the intermediate-resolution configuration (ORCA05). The difference would have been larger had all model resolutions been initialized in 1765 as was ORCA05. The ORCA025 Arctic Cant storage estimate of 2.6 Pg C should be considered a lower limit because that model generally underestimates observed CFC-12 concentrations. It reinforces the lower limit from a previous data-based approach (2.5 to 3.3 Pg C). Independent of model resolution, there was roughly 3 times as much Cant that entered the Arctic Ocean through lateral transport than via the flux of CO2 across the air–sea interface. Wider comparison to nine earth system models that participated in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) reveals much larger diversity of stored Cant and lateral transport. Only the CMIP5 models with higher lateral transport obtain Cant inventories that are close to the data-based estimates. Increasing resolution also enhances acidification, e.g., with greater shoaling of the Arctic's average depth of the aragonite saturation horizon during 1960–2012, from 50 m in ORCA2 to 210 m in ORCA025. Even higher model resolution would likely further improve such estimates, but its prohibitive costs also call for other more practical avenues for improvement, e.g., through model nesting, addition of coastal processes, and refinement of subgrid-scale parameterizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: There is limited published evidence of the effectiveness of adaptation in managing the health risks of climate variability and change in low- and middle-income countries. OBJECTIVES: To document lessons learned and good practice examples from health adaptation pilot projects in low- and middle-income countries to facilitate assessing and overcoming barriers to implementation and to scaling up. METHODS: We evaluated project reports and related materials from the first five years of implementation (2008-2013) of multinational health adaptation projects in Albania, Barbados, Bhutan, China, Fiji, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Philippines, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. We also collected qualitative data through a focus group consultation and 19 key informant interviews. RESULTS: Our recommendations include that national health plans, policies, and budget processes need to explicitly incorporate the risks of current and projected climate variability and change. Increasing resilience is likely to be achieved through longer-term, multifaceted, and collaborative approaches, with supporting activities (and funding) for capacity building, communication, and institutionalized monitoring and evaluation. Projects should be encouraged to focus not just on shorter-term outputs to address climate variability, but also on establishing processes to address longerterm climate change challenges. Opportunities for capacity development should be created, identified, and reinforced. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses highlight that, irrespective of resource constraints, ministries of health and other institutions working on climate-related health issues in low- and middle-income countries need to continue to prepare themselves to prevent additional health burdens in the context of a changing climate and socioeconomic development patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonal and annual nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and carbon (C) budgets of the mesotidal Ria Formosa lagoon, southern Portugal, were estimated to reveal the main inputs and outputs, the seasonal patterns, and how they may influence the ecological functioning of the system. The effects of extreme weather events such as long-lasting strong winds causing upwelling and strong rainfall were assessed. External nutrient inputs were quantified; ocean exchange was assessed in 24-h sampling campaigns, and final calculations were made using a hydrodynamic model of the lagoon. Rain and stream inputs were the main freshwater sources to the lagoon. However, wastewater treatment plant and groundwater discharges dominated nutrient input, together accounting for 98, 96, and 88 % of total C, N, and P input, respectively. Organic matter and nutrients were continuously exported to the ocean. This pattern was reversed following extreme events, such as strong winds in early summer that caused upwelling and after a period of heavy rainfall in late autumn. A principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that ammonium and organic N and C exchange were positively associated with temperature as opposed to pH and nitrate. These variables reflected mostly the benthic lagoon metabolism, whereas particulate P exchange was correlated to Chl a, indicating that this was more related to phytoplankton dynamics. The increase of stochastic events, as expected in climate change scenarios, may have strong effects on the ecological functioning of coastal lagoons, altering the C and nutrient budgets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea level change is an important indicator of climate change. Our study focuses on the sea level budget assessment of the Arctic Ocean using: (1) the newly reprocessed satellite altimeter data with major changes in the processing techniques; (2) ocean mass change data derived from GRACE satellite gravimetry; (3) and steric height estimated from gridded hydrographic data for the GRACE/Argo time period (2003–2016). The Beaufort Gyre (BG) and the Nordic Seas (NS) regions exhibit the largest positive trend in sea level during the study period. Halosteric sea level change is found to dominate the area averaged sea level trend of BG, while the trend in NS is found to be influenced by halosteric and ocean mass change effects. Temporal variability of sea level in these two regions reveals a significant shift in the trend pattern centered around 2009–2011. Analysis suggests that this shift can be explained by a change in large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns over the Arctic. The sea level budget assessment of the Arctic found a residual trend of more than 1.0 mm/yr. This nonclosure of the sea level budget is further attributed to the limitations of the three above mentioned datasets in the Arctic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vulnerable population groups in South Africa, especially those living in poverty, young children, women, the elderly and people with pre-existing diseases, are susceptible to new or exacerbated health threats resulting from climate change. Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) can play an important role in helping communities adapt to climate change health impacts, however, effective coordination of this requires further understanding of their roles in implementing climate change-related adaptation actions in communities.Methods: A cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling was undertaken at the January 2017 conference for EHPs hosted by the South African Institute of Environmental Health in Cape Town. All EHPs who attended the conference were invited to complete a study questionnaire that requested information on participant demographics, as well as climate change related-knowledge, practices and perceptions.Results: Majority of participating EHPs (n = 48; 72.8%) had received formal or informal training on climate change and health. Thirty-nine percent of EHPs indicated that they had a climate change and health-related committee / working group in their department, a policy or strategy (41.0%) and budget allocated for climate change and health-related work (51.5%). A total of 33.3% had participated in climate change-related projects. Majority (62.2%) of EHPs believed that they should play a supportive role in addressing climate change while 37.8% believed that EHPs should play a leading role.Conclusions: Recognising the need for raising awareness about climate change adaptation as well as implementing appropriate interventions to combat climate-related ill health effects, especially among vulnerable groups, EHPs are well-placed to adopt significant roles in helping communities to adapt to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]