Browsing by Author "Toikka, Saila"

Since the current climate change mitigation efforts are inadequate to meet the goals and targets of the Paris Agreement, there is an accelerated need for climate change adaptation. With the increased attention to designing and implementing adaptation measures, monitoring the progress and effectiveness is also essential. The indicator-based systems are widely considered as an approach to monitor adaptation. While specific aims and objectives of adaptation vary by context, reducing the vulnerability of human and natural systems to the impacts of climate change continues to be one broad aim associated with adaptation policies and actions. To further build an understanding of how the existing indicator systems reflect or measure climate vulnerability dimensions as adaptation benefits, I applied a prominent framework of vulnerability dimensions to categorise 1765 climate change adaptation indicators and their associated actions and objectives in nine city-level planning documents. Content analysis revealed that the vulnerability dimensions of exposure, sensitivity and adaptative capacity are a recognisable part of the indicator systems. Indicators and their association with these dimensions vary by planning context, their association with different benefiting units, and hazard description. In addition, the indicators do not necessarily measure the vulnerability dimensions as an outcome-level change but relate to the adaptation process or adaptation rationale towards the reduction of the vulnerability. The findings suggest further avenues for research on adaptation monitoring and indicators utilizing adaptation benefits typology on exposure, sensitivity, and adaptative capacity.