How can cities and communities best plan for climate change? This program seeks to understand future climate risks, and to explore how cities, communities, and individuals can best adapt to climate change in the context of complex socio-ecological stress.
Water from flooded Flinders Street in Melbourne running down to the Yarra River. Photo credit: 'City Waterfall' Melbourne by melburnian, Flickr.
This program explores solutions for different elements at risk within the urban environment, as well as considering sectoral and thematic adaptation.
The Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP) research approach is based on the integration of quantitative, qualitative, and participatory methodologies. CCAP’s activity is deliberately multi-disciplinary, working closely with different academic schools and disciplines; as well as being shaped by new forms of engagement between scientific, policy, and practitioner communities. This integrative approach to research is essential if we are to effectively address the complexity of global environmental change and the ‘real world’ issues associated with a changing climate.
CCAP applies an analytical ‘prism’ that enables research questions to be tackled according to different hazards, sectors, spatial scales and case study locations in order to gain wider insights into our conceptual and applied understanding of risks, vulnerability, resilience and adaptation.
The geographical scope of CCAP interests range from the local to the global, with the Asia-Pacific region as an important international focus for the program. In pursuit of this multi-level agenda, we continue to foster strong collaborative links both nationally and across the world.
Darryn McEvoy, the Program Leader of CCAP also occupies the role of Deputy Director of the Victorian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Research (VCCCAR).
Research themes
Conceptual research: critical analysis of adaptation processes
Critical assessment of what is meant by adaptation in different arenas, and how it can be used by decision-makers in practice. Topics of interest include disciplinary framings, the use of scenarios, adaptation metrics, synergies and conflicts between adaptation and mitigation etc.
Applied research: characterisation and assessment of climate-related risks and evaluation of potential adaptation options
‘Systems’ analysis of cities, towns, and communities; as well as more detailed analyses of different ‘elements at risk’ in the urban environment (infrastructure, buildings, the space between buildings, and people). Thematic and sectoral studies also form part of the research portfolio.
Institutional dimensions of adaptation
Consideration of structural driving forces (political, economic etc), institutional adaptive management and the barriers to (and opportunities for) change, and the importance of adaptation as a learning process. Of particular interest is the interaction and ‘fit’ between bottom-up approaches (e.g. local narratives, equity considerations, the building of adaptive capacity) with top down structures and processes (e.g. international agreements and national strategies).
Bridging the science – policy interface
Translation of conceptual and applied understanding of adaptation into best practice guidance for a range of different policy and practitioner end-users. This theme distils knowledge from research themes 1 to 3 and integrates it with governance and urban management processes to promote more strategic pathways to climate-resilient communities. Innovative aspects are also being explored, for instance new ways of communicating climate change, cities as laboratories of innovation etc.
Capacity strengthening in the Asia-Pacific region
A combination of joint research activity and shared learning on adaptation and sustainable urban development in the Asia-Pacific region which actively promotes the sharing of knowledge and associated methodologies in order to contribute to the strengthening of local adaptive capacity. From 2011, special emphasis will be placed on collaborative activities in Vietnam, Bangladesh, and the Pacific Island nations.
Active engagement with global networks/knowledge transfer
Members of the research team are active participants in the sharing of knowledge and good adaptation practice through a variety of international networks.
Contact
For more information on CCAP, please contact the Program Manager, Jane Mullett.