Adaptive Capacity
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Some of the definitions below may refer to Adaptation to Climate Change.
Contents
Definitions
European Definitions
CLIMATE-ADAPT
Adaptive capacity: The ability of a system to adjust to climate change (including climate variability and extremes) to moderate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences. [1]
Adaptive capacity can be framed in many different ways; an inventory has been made by the Dutch Climate Changes Spatial Planning research programme.
RESIN project
The RESIN project [2] gives the following definition:
The ability of systems, institutions, humans and other organisms to adjust to potential damage, to take advantage of opportunities, or to respond to consequences [3]
Other International Definitions
OECD
Adaptive capacity – Is the property of a system to adjust its characteristics or behaviour, in order to expand its coping range under existing climate variability, or future climate conditions. The expression of adaptive capacity as actions that lead to adaptation can serve to enhance a system’s coping capacity and increase its coping range thereby reducing its vulnerability to climate hazards. [4]
The adaptive capacity inherent in a system represents the set of resources available for adaptation, as well as the ability or capacity of that system to use these resources effectively in the pursuit of adaptation. It is possible to differentiate between adaptive potential, a theoretical upper boundary of responses based on global expertise and anticipated developments within the planning horizon of the assessment, and adaptive capacity that is constrained by existing information, technology and resources of the system under consideration.
United Nations/IPCC
Adaptive capacity: The combination of the strengths, attributes, and resources available to an individual, community, society, or organization that can be used to prepare for and undertake actions to reduce adverse impacts, moderate harm, or exploit beneficial opportunities. [5]
National Definitions
Germany
The adaptive capacity of a country depends on what institutions, skills and resources it has available. [6]
Mexico
Capacidad de adaptación: Capacidad de un sistema para ajustarse al cambio climático (incluida la variabilidad climática y los cambios extremos) a fin de moderar los daños potenciales, aprovechar las consecuencias positivas, o soportar las consecuencias negativas. [7]
Nepal
Adaptive Capacity: The ability of a system to adjust to climate change (including climate variability and extremes) to moderate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences. [8]
Peru
Capacidad de adaptación o adaptativa al cambio climático: Capacidad de un sistema para ajustarse al cambio climático (incluso a la variabilidad del clima y a los episodios extremos) con el fin de moderar los daños potenciales, beneficiarse con las oportunidades o afrontar las consecuencias. Tener capacidad adaptativa no implica su utilización (IPCC 2007). [9]
Rwanda
Adaptive capacity is ‘the ability of a system to adjust to climate change (including climate variability and extremes) to moderate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences’ (Parry et al, 2007). [10]
United Kingdom (UK)
Adaptive capacity describes the ability of a sector to design or implement effective adaptation measures, using information on possible future climate change and extreme weather to moderate potential damage, take advantage of opportunities or to cope with the consequences. [11]
Adaptive capacity – The ability of a system to adjust to climate change (including climate variability and extremes), to moderate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences. [12]
Other Definitions
Scotland
The ability of a system to adjust to climate change (including climate change variability and extremes) to moderate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences. [13]
Standard Definition
Discussion Topic
See also
Notes
- Jump up ↑ European Climate Adaptation Platform, EU/EEA
- Jump up ↑ http://www.resin-cities.eu/
- Jump up ↑ Mach, K.J., S. Planton and C. von Stechow (eds.). Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Annex II: Glossary. [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, pp. 117-130.
- Jump up ↑ ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE: KEY TERMS, E. Levina and D. Terpak, OECD (2006) - derived from (UNDP, 2005)
- Jump up ↑ IPCC, 2012: Glossary of terms. In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation [Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stocker, D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D. Mastrandrea, K.J. Mach, G.-K. Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (eds.). A Special Report of Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA, pp. 555-564.]
- Jump up ↑ Combating Climate Change: The German Adaptation Strategy
- Jump up ↑ Glosario IPCC, Mexico
- Jump up ↑ Climate Change and Community Based Adaptation Planning Training Manual, Government of Nepal (2015)
- Jump up ↑ Portal de Cambio Climático
- Jump up ↑ BASELINE CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY INDEX FOR RWANDA 2015
- Jump up ↑ The National Adaptation Programme: Making the country resilient to a changing climate, UK Government (2013)
- Jump up ↑ ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE: KEY TERMS, E. Levina and D. Terpak, OECD (2006) - derived from UKCIP (2003)
- Jump up ↑ Preparing for a Changing Climate: Second Consultation to Inform Scotland's Climate Change Adaptation Framework
References
