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Reflecting on Vulnerability and Adaptation Science: Enhancing Research Impact

Explore the intersection of vulnerability and adaptation science, assessing climate change impacts on the Millennium Development Goals. Delve into uncertainty, stakeholder involvement, and integrated assessment techniques.

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Reflecting on Vulnerability and Adaptation Science: Enhancing Research Impact

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  1. What makes a GREAT research project?(Personal reflections on a vulnerability/adaptation science) Thomas E. Downing SEI Oxford Office

  2. Nature-society integration • Uncertainty and integrated assessment • A human dimensions working group

  3. Nature-society integration • Millenium development goals • Mult-agent modelling

  4. Millennium Development Goals

  5. Do the impacts of climate change mean MDGs are more difficult to achieve? • Can adaptation to climate change help achieve the MDGs? • Does climate mitigation affect the MDGs?

  6. Linking driving forces, institutions and stakeholders Drivers of change Thematic networks Stakeholders Warning and operational responses Signal events 1 Marketisation 2 Regulation and mitigation Naturisation 3 Rescaling decisions 4 Land use and economic development Inclusion/exclusion n Integration Climate change

  7. Why a stakeholder approach? • Model discourses • Can we predict human-environment interactions over the next decade and beyond? • What are formal (quantitative) models for? • How can formal models support stakeholder insight? • Expanding the range of model approaches • Mulit-criteria • Multi-agent • Tolerable windows • Risk and probabilistic scenarios • Coping ranges for representative stakeholders/activities • Interactive vulnerability mapping

  8. Uncertainty and integrated assessment • How can we evaluate uncertainty in integrated assessment? • NUSAP • What are the local concern? • Framing risk using the IPCC ‘reasons for concern” • Do global/downscaled scenarios frame local conditions of adaptive capacity? • Compare alternative approaches

  9. Location of uncertainty • Input data • Parameters • Technical model structure • Conceptual model sruct. /assumptions • Indicators • Problem framing • System boundary • Socio-political and institutional context

  10. NUSAP • A protocol for evaluating integrated assessments • Both models and stakeholder participation • Based on the implications of post-normal science • Notational system for evaluating models: • Numerical • Unit • Spread • Assessment • Pedigree • University of Utrecht: www.nusap.net

  11. IPCC Fire Poker I Risks to Unique and Threatened Systems II Risks from Extreme Climate Events III Distribution of Impacts IV Aggregate Impacts V Risks from Future Large-Scale Discontinuities WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR CONCERN FOR LOCAL/REGIONAL STAKEHOLDERS? HOW GREAT ARE THE RISKS FOR THOSE CONCERNS?

  12. How well does SRES capture local adaptive capacity? • Macro driving forces are not directly related to local vulnerability • Optimistic boundary conditions: • In the SRES scenario with the lowest rate of per capita growth, developing countries are as rich in 2050 as OECD countries are now • Some SRES population projections are now unrealistic

  13. A human dimensions group • Exchanges of ideas, models, training material, students • Possible project extensions • Multi-agent modelling • Links to climate outlooks • Representation in IHDP and other international forums

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