Integration in Climate Risk Management#
At the local level, Climate Risk Management (CRM) addresses the unique challenges that the changing climate is bringing to the region. It focuses on developing and implementing strategies that anticipate, prevent, and prepare for climate risks.
The Key Risk Assessment as fourth step of the CLIMAAX CRA helps to prioritize climate risks based on risk severity and urgency. Here, risks are ranked by stakeholders and/or experts regarding their potential impact, the immediacy with which they need to be addressed, the local capacity and readiness to respond to these risks as well as opportunitites emerging from dealing with these risks. Risk perception does not only play a crucial role in this evaluation of risks but may also influence public support for CRM and adaptation strategies. Therefore, the quantitative risk estimation (Risk Analysis) (ideally combined with qualitative, participatory approaches) must be used to inform and raise awareness among relevant stakeholders, key local actors, or priority groups. This not only facilitates initiating adequate CRM actions but also ensures public buy-in and alignment with local priorities and needs.
The climate risk profile of a region, including its projected changes over time, is the primary indicator of what, where and how CRM and adaptation responses should be initiated. However, there are additional entry points for CRM. Previous risk management interventions and ongoing adaptation processes in place can reveal valuable opportunities for introducing additional or complementary measures. This may include CRM and adaptation responses undertaken in other areas and sectors, thus broadening the perspective.
CRM is a comprehensive process involving various iterative and dynamic steps. In the context of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, CRM and adaptation planning are further addressed by e.g., the Pathways to Resilience (P2R) programme or the Regilience project. Also, the Regional Adaptation Support Tool provided by the European Environment Agency also supports regional authorities with climate change adaptation strategies and plans.
Fig. 20 The CLIMAAX Framework for CRA with linkage to CRM with the goal of adaptation and building resilience. Credit: CLIMAAX consortium.#
To link CRM efforts to the CLIMAAX CRA Framework, four major steps may be followed (Fig. 20):
Identify potential adaptation options that can either reduce the vulnerability of climate impacts or enhance its resilience. This step involves detailing relevant actions, approaches, and strategies that could be taken to manage identified climate risks. These could include structural, technological, nature-based, community-based, institutional, behavioural, financial, and informational interventions. In this step, stakeholder and expert engagement is fundamental to ensure that the options are viable and aligned with the needs and capacities of the affected communities.
Prioritise adaptation options based on criteria such as cost-effectiveness, feasibility, impact, and stakeholder preferences. This step involves a detailed analysis to assess the benefits and drawbacks of each adaptation option, considering both short-term and long-term implications. Prioritization helps in allocating limited resources to the most effective and efficient CRM strategies and adaptation responses. It may also consider other aspects, such as implementation readiness and immediate performance, based on the level of urgency identified in the Key Risk Assessment.
Securing funding consists of identifying potential sources of finance for the prioritized measures, which could include government budgets, international climate funds, private-sector investments, or public-private partnerships. The process also entails ensuring that the financial mechanisms are in place to support the implementation of chosen options and the intervention’s long-term financial sustainability. This is of particular relevance given that effective and secured funding strategies allow for turning planned adaptation projects into actionable responses.
Implement the chosen CRM and adaptation responses. This involves not only executing and managing the interventions but also continuously coordinating various stakeholders, such as government agencies, local communities, and private entities, to ensure successful implementation. Stakeholders that have been involved since the beginning of the process are more likely to have the buy-in necessary for implementation.
The implementation of the responses should be regularly monitored and evaluated to assess the effectiveness and progress of building resilience to the targeted climate risk. This process therefore feeds back to the CRA Framework itself as it allows for adjustments and improvements over time, ensuring that the CRM endeavours deliver the expected outcomes adequately (i.e., reduce risks).
Taking Responsibility#
In CRM, the definition of risk ownership arises prominently and thus connects back to the Scoping step of the CRA Framework. Risk ownership refers to the assignment of accountability for identifying, assessing, and managing specific climate risks to designated individuals or organizations. It is the cornerstone for defining responsibilities and delineating roles at each stage of the CRM process. This is crucial for ensuring that risks are not only recognized but also actively managed through tailored CRM strategies. For instance, local governments might take ownership of urban flood risks, engaging in infrastructure planning and community education, while agricultural businesses might own risks related to drought, focusing on water conservation practices and crop diversification. This clear demarcation of responsibilities ensures that all stakeholders are engaged and accountable, facilitating a coordinated and effective response to climate risks while enhancing transparency through e.g., reporting back. Moreover, it enables stakeholders to understand their specific duties and how they contribute to the broader CRM objectives, as well as fostering resource mobilization, effective resilience-building against key climate risks and proactive adaptation to future climate conditions.
Monitoring and Evaluation#
Tracking the implementation and performance of CRM and adaptation responses supports the monitoring and evaluation of climate risks. This can be done by e.g., following the SMART-approach. On the one hand, establishing specific, measurable, and relevant metrics of the effectiveness of CRM and adaptation actions allows for targeted data collection directly connecting to critical areas of the specific identified risk. On the other hand, achievable and time-bound CRM interventions allow for tracking progress in reducing vulnerability and enhancing local adaptative capacity. Adopting this reporting approach is helpful for CRA, considering that an objective evaluation of the CRM effectiveness can indicate unattended areas or drivers of risk. Therefore, the systematic tracking and reporting process is essential not only for transparent communication or for updating risk management plans but also for informing new cycles of CRA and the need to analyse additional facets of climate risks.