Climate Change Adaptation and Extreme Events: Assignment Solution

This assignment solution addresses various aspects of climate change adaptation, covering topics from technological transitions to complex system dynamics and extreme events. The solution explores centralized, decentralized, and hybrid systems for technology and their role in enhancing adaptive capacity, using examples like coastal area accommodations and flood mitigation strategies. It also examines the impacts of human activities on ecosystems, emphasizing the resilience approach and the importance of societal adaptation. Furthermore, the assignment analyzes the Chennai floods of 2015, discussing the causes, adaptation responses, and the need for relocation and restoration efforts. The solution highlights the interplay between climate change, urban sprawl, and the importance of mitigation and adaptation strategies in building resilience to extreme events, supported by references to relevant academic literature.

CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
[Author Name(s), First M. Last, Omit Titles and Degrees]
[Institutional Affiliation(s)]

TOPIC 4: CONCEPTS OF TRANSITION PROCESSES – TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
AND CCA
Q1. Centralized systems for technology are able to enhance adaptive capacity for changing the
patterns of using land on a wide scale for example insurance practices, development of
floodplains and management of the coastal zones. This management must be done in certain
suitable manners that are able to increasingly account for the impacts of climate change over the
entire world. Still, centralized approaches to the management of resources, agricultural
resources, design of wildlife reserves and efforts in relieving disaster may aid in accounting for
the vulnerabilities which is expected by change in the overall climate (Brones, de Carvalho& de
Senzi Zancul, 2017). Decentralized systems for technology promote the use of varied and
extensive techniques in addressing adaptations to adaptations to climate change. It offers the
opportunity of using different approaches and incentives in combating the changes in the climate
from the national government levels to the local levels.
Q2. Hybrid systems aid in enfranchising people with rights for resources and representative
decision making. It also offers the resource responsibilities which are needed to ensure that
people are able to apply the knowledge they have towards climate change adaptation. This is
meant to supplement the local and non-local knowledge by the various members of a community
to make better adjustments to climate change. The better adjustment to climate has significant
socio-economic impact as it leads to increase in the overall health of the people along with
improvement in the biodiversity and overall natural diversity which again promotes better living
(Brones, de Carvalho& de Senzi Zancul, 2017).
Q3: Mini-Case Study

An example of a technology that is related to climate change adaptation in the coastal areas is
accommodation which often comes in a variety of options (Schot, & Kanger, 2018). Such are
inclusive of warning systems regarding extreme weather even alongside longer term measures
including improvements made on the drainage systems through the increase in the capacity of the
pumps or the adoption of wider pipes and new building codes. Climate change in the coastal
areas is likely to have an impact on the water and food security, biodiversity as well as the safety
and health of the human population. These are systems for which the government tend to have a
prime responsibility and thus the need for the very government to engage the public in
continuous consultations as the people have sole rights of taking part in the decisions which have
either a direct or indirect impact on their lives. Care should be taken to ensure local acceptance
and cooperation from the people since most of the strategies heavily rely on the local expertise
for effective implementation and acceptance (Luederitz et al., 2017).
References
Luederitz, C., Schäpke, N., Wiek, A., Lang, D. J., Bergmann, M., Bos, J. J., ... & Farrelly, M. A.
(2017). Learning through evaluation–A tentative evaluative scheme for sustainability transition
experiments. Journal of Cleaner Production, 169, 61-76
Schot, J., & Kanger, L. (2018). Deep transitions: Emergence, acceleration, stabilization and
directionality. Research Policy, 47(6), 1045-1059
Brones, F. A., de Carvalho, M. M., & de Senzi Zancul, E. (2017). Reviews, action and learning
on change management for ecodesign transition. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142, 8-22

TOPIC 5: COMPLEX SYSTEM DYNAMICS AND CCA
Q1: Summary
Activities carried out by human beings like fishing, timber and water harvesting,
poaching of wildlife, poor waste management and many others have had a lot of impacts on the
environment. This kind of activities is found to decrease the overall bio-diversity and thereby
creating imbalance. These activities have been perceived as the source of outward force of
ecosystem change. Therefore, the immense effects of these human actions need to be addressed
to help in the recovery and healing of ecosystems. This has made ecology to become the epitome
of research work (Folke et al., 2010).
The resilience approach on socio-ecological systems will be a better tool to help solve
this global change in our environment. It is an element of gradual change of ecosystem that
needs to be adopted. This will help to check climatic adaptation by adjusting reaction to the
changing outward force and inward actions hence better transformative and stable climatic
growth condition. Therefore, a stable growth of ecosystem is achieved by exercising the concept
of resilience (Folke et al., 2010). The concept of resilience will help the society to lead a steady
life via outnumbering the additional environmental threats and adapting into environmental
sustainable approach.
Q2: Climatic change adaptations

There exists a dependable approach between the society and nature. This is the act of
resilience on the ecosystems. Since people and their surroundings are inseparable, the actions of
human beings on ecosystems have been of global great concern. It is therefore a future issue and
if not addresses properly would result to instability of social-ecological systems. To continue
addressing these challenges then more research work, creativity and transformation is
paramount.To achieve a better climatic change adaptation, the resilience approach must
incorporate the principle of conformability and flexibility (Folke et al., 2010). The principle of
conformity encompasses the process where people in society influences resilience thought
whereas flexibility concept will lead to the creativity of new approaches to ecosystem in situation
where socio-economic and cultural issues are not achievable. Transformation will help to
blossom the new geographical look alongside the path of invention and innovation. This
therefore calls for resilience thinking to help in the assessment of recent benefits against
alternative measures. It should be noted that bit by bit transformation process often results to
bigger and wider scale of resilience.
The ecosystem that sustains humanity depends upon the resilience of social-ecological
systems and how it is viewed globally. It is important therefore for global societies to change
their ways, technological skills and develop a better ecosystem. Transformative and adaptive
agenda should therefore take the center stage for better innovation and inventions (Folke et al.,
2010).
Reference

Folke, C., Carpenter, S. R., Walker, B., Scheffer, M., Chapin, T., & Rockström, J. (2010).
Resilience thinking: integrating resilience, adaptability and transformability. Ecology and
society, 15(4)

TOPIC 6: ADAPTATION PROCESSES AND EXTREME EVENTS
Q1. The months that led to the end of the year 2015 saw Chennai washed out by the yearly
northeast monsoon specifically in the months of November and December in 2015. The floods
claimed more than 500 lives and to the tune of more than 18 lakh persons were displaced. Apart
from the loss of life to the human begins there are also high level of loss to the economy of the
city along with the destruction of the property and other resources. More than 22 lake vehicles
were destroyed beyond repair and the economic losses were estimated to be in the range of $7-15
billion as per the estimates by the popular media(Fernandes, Borah& Shetty, 2017).
Q2. The adaptation response that was used for the floods disaster was mitigation. Mitigation is
an important step that can be undertaken for the effective disaster management especially in case
of flood where occurs loss of life along with the loss of biodiversity and loss of resources. The
main process of mitigation involved the intensification and enhancement of the national efforts
aimed at restoration of the natural flood prone zones of the rivers thereby alleviating to
significant levels the impacts of floods. Going by the reports issued by the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, the level of the sea was expected to rise by about 9 cm to about 88 cm
by the year 2100 and the temperature of the surface of the earth would increase by 1.4 degrees to
hit a staggering 5.8 degree Celsius by the same time. These climate condition will further call in
the chances of natural calamities like flood and thus mitigation can be seriously considered as an
important principle (Fernandes, Borah& Shetty, 2017).
Q3. There were numerous causes that were linked to the built up of the Chennai floods, one of
such being uncontrolled urban sprawl and the loss in the natural drainages which enhanced the
risk of flooding in Chennai. The river beds and the urbanlakes for example that of Coolum were

found to have been filled and encroached and the canals polluted and degraded. A research that
was carried out pointed at waterway contamination and anaerobic digestion as to have led to the
accumulation of sludge leading to challenges with hydrolysis (Fernandes, Borah & Shetty,
2017). Another survey as well pointed out that the city had just 855km of storm drains against
the recommended 2847 km of urban roads leading to inadequacy of the storm water drainage.
The factors aforementioned as the cause of the floods are partly attributed to climate change and
partly not attributed to climate change. Urban sprawl leads to destruction of the natural
environment to accommodate more human population resulting in significant changes in the
climate. This change in the overall climatic condition further hampers the health and well-being
of the people and invites in natural calamities (Fernandes, Borah & Shetty, 2017).
Q4. The second adaptations that will be needed in order to provide support to the first order
adaptation include the relocation of people from the regions that are perceived to be prone to the
floods owing to their physical and geographical features. The relocation of the people does not
just mean spatial relocation of the occupants of a dwelling unit but instead calls for additional
processes that would enhance adaptation processes relating to their livelihoods, patterns of
mobility as well as social networks (Fernandes, Borah& Shetty, 2017). These would ensure that
the new place to which the relocation has been made is just as sustaining as the previous place
with only the hazard eliminated making it even better. The restoration must also be made in the
domain of increase in the job opportunities among the relocated group of population. This will
help them to sustain a stable life in a stable socio-economic condition (Fernandes, Borah &
Shetty, 2017).
Reference

Fernandes, E., Borah, H., & Shetty, S. (2017). Mainstream disaster health as a policy priority:
experiences from Chennai floods and a cross sectional study during disaster relief
phase. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 3(6), 1589-1592