Post date: Oct 12, 2016 7:07:18 PM
Mondal, P., H. Nagendra, and R. DeFries. 2016. Addressing issues of climate change impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability on the ground: Challenges and opportunities. In "Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation," eds. P. Mondal, H. Nagendra, and R. de Fries. Special Section, Current Science 110(7): 1193–1194. (http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/110/07/1193.pdf)
Abstract: Vulnerability to climate change is “the degree to which a system is susceptible to, and unable to cope with, adverse effects of climate change, including climate variability and extremes,” as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Vulnerability is a function of many factors, ranging from socio-political and institutional factors to biophysical factors, including temperature, precipitation, topography and soil. Variations and changes in these factors occur at multiple spatial scales, which makes it particularly difficult to quantify vulnerability. Similarly, adaptive capacity–defined by IPCC as “the ability of a system to adjust to climate change (including climate variability and extremes) to moderate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences”–is context-specific, and varies among individuals, communities, social groups and over time. Hence adaptation strategies face difficulties in scaling up from case studies, posing limitations for integrating adaptation methods into a policy perspective. While academic researchers and government/non-governmental organizations are working towards achieving this goal independently, they address different facets of the problem. Thus there is a substantial need for collaborative assessment and action to synergistically address these issues. This special section brings together detailed case studies of climate change impacts on agriculture and responses from different Indian ecoregions.