Page 10 - Module_9_en
P. 10
Overview
Impacts of climate change pose very serious risks for countries, vital ecosystems,
Module and sectors including agriculture, forestry, health, local economic activities and
biodiversity. In conjunction with other pressures, they could also exacerbate
other serious local and regional challenges, such as poverty, poor healthcare,
inequitable distribution of resources, diminishing ecological resiliency and energy
insecurity. This module will help you identify impacts of changing climate and
developing adaptive responses. It aims to help carry out a vulnerability and impact
assessment based on an ecosystem analysis and suggest sectoral adaptation
options that are relevant to the decision-makers. The adaptation options could
be developed into practical implementation plans at the sub-ministerial level.
The module builds on the IEA conceptual framework and analytic methods
by providing guidance for their application to the case of climate change while
preserving the integrated approach.
Supported by examples and exercises, the module describes the process for
addressing climate change in the context of other development priorities and
ecosystems to help decision-makers move towards more sustainable development
pathways and ecosystem resilience. In this module, we emphasize that, when
developing responses to climate change, the following key principles need to be
taken into account (Bizikova, et al., in press):
? First, since maintaining healthy and resilient ecosystems, achieving development
priorities and improving the quality of life are as important as adaptation
to climate change, it is the combination of promoting conservation and
restoration of ecosystems, development choices, adaptation actions and
capacities that will allow us to effectively address the climate change.
? Second, understanding the linkages between the impacts of a changing climate
and their implications at the local level is more complex than is captured in
spatial, regional and global climate models. Participation of local partners is
8 Volume Two - Themes
Vulnerability and Impact assessments for Adaption to Climate Change (VIA Module)
