Summary of lecture given by Professor Judith Rees, Director of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change & Environment and the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy. This was a part of India-Uk Lecture Series 2010
Two of the massive challenges identified by the National Action Plan on Climate Change are to implement the pathways to a low carbon economy and secondly to shape adaptation policies minimizing cost of climate change impacts on economy and society.
The adaptation strategies have to be undertaken considering the markets and technology in consideration, focus on human development, plans for deforestration and ecosystems, developing capacities and legal instruments for governance of climate change, and evolving institutions which will take care of economics of climate risks especially insurance.
We should consistently ask adaptation questions in terms of research approaches and gaps, decision making under uncertainty, distinctive approaches between science based action and social science inspired action, cost-benefit trade-off.
There are basically two types of adaptation mechanisms; Planned and Autonomous Adaptation। Scientific knowledge of climate change takes care of quantitative aspects of impacts arising out of climate change. We should give more and more emphasis on qualitative aspects through certain specific case studies by suggesting cost effective interventions either as governmental, community based approach or private firm level approach.
There exists huge knowledge gaps regarding adaptation mechanism. Science and technology has measure role to provide input to this mechanism by proposing
adaptation measures, strategies and risk aversion policies. While doing this sources of adaptation investment, adaptation cost have to be generated while taking care of barriers towards adaptation. Here individual and community incentivisation of the adaptations is very very necessary.
Therefore we must start thinking adaptation in social science way.
There is lot of uncertainty at the decision making level. The limitations of climate and integrated models for decision making are obvious. Limitations of local climate trend data are also beyond any question.Uncertain abilities of eco-systems have been observed many times. Uncertain pace and success of mitigation is also not in question, Paucity of socio-economic projections for assessments of vulnerability, adaptive capacity and growth paths are also increasingly visible.
The science of climate change believes in evolving predictions and then moving towards action. This approach first tries to structure a problem, assess the relevant changes, assess the relevant impacts, design and assess adaptation options, evaluate outcome. Approach considering socio-economic priorities believes in assessing risk and then evolving towards policy regime. First it structures a problem, then it proposes adaptive strategies, further it assesses strategies, assess trade-off between various options available and eventually evaluating outcome. Here it should be remembered than science based approach comes with optimization and that of social science approach comes with robustness. In both the situations it is the social cost that is very very significant to take into account.
As we know that adaptation is deliberate action reducing adverse consequences and harness beneficial opportunities from climate change which may be actual, anticipated, perceived. These also may be normal actions, and mechanisms to cope with past climate variability and address adaptation deficit. These are responsive actions to climate related change in macro economy. These are actions not related to climate change nevertheless reducing vulnerability or increase adaptive capacity.
In the planned adaptation it is public actions by national, state, local government owned bodies that are responsible for adhering to the procedures. Autonomous adaptation is done by private companies (transitional or local), NGOs, community groups are equally crucial.
There seems to be artificial divide due to uncoordinated autonomous actions by spatially and functionally segmented public sector actors. So, there is need for governments to inform, incentivise and regulate both public and private actors.In essence character of agency affects outcome of the process. Understanding nature of agency is significant in managing trade-off between different interest groups, thus balance in coordination is keenly desirable.
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Two of the massive challenges identified by the National Action Plan on Climate Change are to implement the pathways to a low carbon economy and secondly to shape adaptation policies minimizing cost of climate change impacts on economy and society.
The adaptation strategies have to be undertaken considering the markets and technology in consideration, focus on human development, plans for deforestration and ecosystems, developing capacities and legal instruments for governance of climate change, and evolving institutions which will take care of economics of climate risks especially insurance.
We should consistently ask adaptation questions in terms of research approaches and gaps, decision making under uncertainty, distinctive approaches between science based action and social science inspired action, cost-benefit trade-off.
There are basically two types of adaptation mechanisms; Planned and Autonomous Adaptation। Scientific knowledge of climate change takes care of quantitative aspects of impacts arising out of climate change. We should give more and more emphasis on qualitative aspects through certain specific case studies by suggesting cost effective interventions either as governmental, community based approach or private firm level approach.
There exists huge knowledge gaps regarding adaptation mechanism. Science and technology has measure role to provide input to this mechanism by proposing
adaptation measures, strategies and risk aversion policies. While doing this sources of adaptation investment, adaptation cost have to be generated while taking care of barriers towards adaptation. Here individual and community incentivisation of the adaptations is very very necessary.
Therefore we must start thinking adaptation in social science way.
There is lot of uncertainty at the decision making level. The limitations of climate and integrated models for decision making are obvious. Limitations of local climate trend data are also beyond any question.Uncertain abilities of eco-systems have been observed many times. Uncertain pace and success of mitigation is also not in question, Paucity of socio-economic projections for assessments of vulnerability, adaptive capacity and growth paths are also increasingly visible.
The science of climate change believes in evolving predictions and then moving towards action. This approach first tries to structure a problem, assess the relevant changes, assess the relevant impacts, design and assess adaptation options, evaluate outcome. Approach considering socio-economic priorities believes in assessing risk and then evolving towards policy regime. First it structures a problem, then it proposes adaptive strategies, further it assesses strategies, assess trade-off between various options available and eventually evaluating outcome. Here it should be remembered than science based approach comes with optimization and that of social science approach comes with robustness. In both the situations it is the social cost that is very very significant to take into account.
As we know that adaptation is deliberate action reducing adverse consequences and harness beneficial opportunities from climate change which may be actual, anticipated, perceived. These also may be normal actions, and mechanisms to cope with past climate variability and address adaptation deficit. These are responsive actions to climate related change in macro economy. These are actions not related to climate change nevertheless reducing vulnerability or increase adaptive capacity.
In the planned adaptation it is public actions by national, state, local government owned bodies that are responsible for adhering to the procedures. Autonomous adaptation is done by private companies (transitional or local), NGOs, community groups are equally crucial.
There seems to be artificial divide due to uncoordinated autonomous actions by spatially and functionally segmented public sector actors. So, there is need for governments to inform, incentivise and regulate both public and private actors.In essence character of agency affects outcome of the process. Understanding nature of agency is significant in managing trade-off between different interest groups, thus balance in coordination is keenly desirable.
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