CIVE5092 - Climate Change Vulnerabilities: Qualitative Research Report

This report presents a qualitative research approach to understanding climate change vulnerabilities, focusing on perceptions, policies, and the use of online tools for prediction and adaptation. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of qualitative research, including its in-depth understanding capabilities and limitations in generalizability. The report includes interview questions designed to assess residents' perceptions of climate change, the role of policies, and the utilization of online tools for predicting vulnerabilities and developing adaptation measures. It also addresses the challenges faced in implementing these measures. The report references relevant research on qualitative research design and provides a framework for analyzing climate change impacts in specific coastal cities in South Australia, using online tools to gather data on temperature, rainfall, storm surges, sea-level rise, and community vulnerability and adaptability. Desklib offers a wealth of resources including similar reports and solved assignments to aid students in their studies.

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METHODOLOGY
Online Tools
The table below gives the descriptions of the online tools.
Table 1: Description of Online Tools
Online Tool Tool Use Decision Making
SA Climate Ready Data for
South Australia User Guide
( Goyder Institute for Water
Research)
As a manual on the use of the
Goyder Institute for Water
Research data
This tool provides
information on the use and
modelling of the data from
Goyder Institute for Water
Research.
OzCoasts As a source for coastal spatial
information; the shape and
features over time.
The information available on
this tool informs on the level
of vulnerability of a coastline
through the observation of the
coastal features over time.
NatureMaps As a source of spatial
information of the natural
resources of South Australia.
The information from this
tool helps in deciding
whether an area has been
exposed to climate change
vulnerability by observing the
spatial information of the
natural resources over time.
AurinMap As a source of geospatial
information on Australia.
The information from this
tool helps in determining
whether an area is to climate
change vulnerability by
observing the spatial
information of the natural
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resources over time.
Coastal Risk Australia As a source of information on
rising sea levels in Australia.
The information from this
tool informs on whether a
coastal area is vulnerable to
rising sea levels as a result of
climate change.
CoastAdapt dataset As a source of information on
rising sea levels, temperatures
and rainfall patterns in
Australia.
The information from this
tool informs on whether a
region in Australia is
vulnerable to rising sea levels
and, abnormal temperature
and rainfall patterns as a
result of climate change.
RegionsAdapt As a source of information on
the adaptation measure to
climate change.
The information from this
tool informs on which
adaptation measures can be
taken to address climate
change.
Critique of the qualitative research design approach
The advantages of the qualitative research approach for this study are as follows (Marshall &
Rossman, 2011):
1. An in-depth understanding of the attitude can be obtained through qualitative research
design. This is especially significant when considering gathering information on
perceptions.
2. The qualitative research approach also does not require large sample sizes. The small
sample sizes reduce the cost of the study, making it a cost-effective approach for our
study.
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3. The data collected from the qualitative research approach has high predictive ability. This
means that the data is reliable for the prediction of future variables of interest, in our case
vulnerabilities of climate change.
The disadvantages of the qualitative research approach for this study are as follows (Creswell,
2014):
1. Qualitative research approach is limited in terms of applicability and generalizability. The
results and findings obtained from this study, therefore, cannot be easily replicated in
other studies.
2. The qualitative research approach has a subjective bias which can have a negative impact
on the research. This subjective nature implies that our study may be subject to bias.
Interview questions
1. Despite intensive and continued climate change awareness campaigns, getting individuals
to support the initiatives to reduce the spread climate change still remains a challenge.
There still exist sentiments from normal citizens as well as elected individuals around the
world refuting the existence of climate change. How would you describe the perception
of the residents within this area with regards to climate change and the vulnerabilities it
exposes the residents to?
2. Two key aspects are important in addressing the climate change vulnerabilities, these are
perceptions and policies. The perceptions inform on whether there is need to act on the
vulnerabilities the area is exposed to due to climate change. Policies on the other hand
inform on whether any plans are in place to address the vulnerabilities. What role would
you say the perceptions and policies play in the prediction of the climate change
vulnerabilities in this area as well as in the ability of the area to effectively adapt?
3. There exist online tools that are essential in the predicting climate change vulnerabilities
that an area is exposed to. These online tools also form a basis for the development of
adaptation measures for climate change vulnerabilities. Does this city use these online
tools for the prediction of the climate change vulnerabilities and the development of
adaptation measures?
4. In addressing the vulnerabilities of climate change, there cannot be said to be a single
template that works for all scenarios. Due to this fact, there is always a need for
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developing custom measures that work for a given area. How relevant would you say the
online tools are for your city with regards to the predicting the climate change
vulnerabilities and developing adaptation measures?
5. Every undertaking, regardless of the goodness of the intentions and the profitability of the
results, always face challenges. Despite the existence of the online tools for the prediction
of the climate change vulnerabilities and the development of adaptation measures for
these climate change vulnerabilities, what barriers does the council face in predicting the
climate change vulnerabilities and applying the adaptation measures?
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References
Creswell, JW 2014, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Approaches, 4th edn,
SAGE Publications, Inc., Michigan.
Marshall, C & Rossman, GB 2011, Designing Qualitative Research, 5th edn, SAGE
Publications, Los Angeles.
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