This presentation was given to a workshop organised by the International Institute for Environment and Development. It covers the purpose of the indicators and their relationship with policy development.

The workshop discussed a new framework for tracking the social impacts of efforts to adapt to climate change in Africa and South Asia.

Useful links

Terminology needs to be clear, understood and inclusive both in research and policy documents. What is the best term to use to describe how we are responding to and managing the consequences of a changing climate?
 
This brief looks at how the term ‘adaptation’ is used and how appropriate it is in different contexts. This is particularly important in relation to communicating the impacts of climate change to the general public and for motivating action. The Scottish Government asked for this brief to stimulate thinking around the language that could be used in the Scottish Adaptation Programme.

This brief sets out key principles and features for a good adaptation strategy, based on an international review of adaptation strategies. The summary was provided to the Scottish Government as a follow up to the international review and to inform the development of the Scottish Adaptation Programme.

‘Flexible adaptation pathway(s)’ is a relatively loose term used to look at how building flexibility in to adaptation can help to manage the long-term and uncertain nature of climate change impacts.

The approach uses risk-based decision frameworks involving thresholds and trigger points for making systematic adjustments in response to new information and changing circumstances.  It has its roots in financial risk management. 
 
This brief looks at how the flexible adaptation pathways approach is being used internationally and considers how it might be used in Scotland.

The Scottish Government asked ClimateXChange to conduct a comparative review of strategies for adapting to climate change in other countries. The review looks at how other countries have approached certain key issues in their adaptation strategies. It provides evidence and learning points for the Scottish Government to consider in formulating Scotland’s first statutory Adaptation Programme. ClimateXChange researchers reviewed 12 strategies from countries in Europe and beyond. 

The report has already informed policy thinking on how lessons from other countries can be applied in the Scottish context. It has also sparked some further, more focused pieces of work, which ClimateXChange is now undertaking.