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Climate change is dramatically altering the environmental context in which marine resources are harvested and managed. A growing field of academic literature has begun to explore the adaptive capacity of fishers and managers to respond to this change, but much of this field is abstract and theory-driven. Therefore, it is unclear whether this literature accurately reflects the adaptation priorities of fishery management practitioners, or whether there are gaps in the literature that these practitioners could fill with on-the-ground knowledge. Second, even if these principles of adaptive capacity are perfectly aligned with management practitioners’ priorities, it is unclear to what extent these principles are actively considered in the decision making process, and if not, why. This study seeks to address these questions by confronting fisheries professionals with academic ideas around adaptive capacity through a series of semi-structured interviews with federal fishery managers and scientists whose work informs decision making in the United States regional fishery management system. The study then uses these interviews to identify three low-cost, high-impact action items that could make concepts from the academic literature more accessible and useful to these practitioners and expand the literature by incorporating practitioners’ expertise. These action items are: 1) distinguish adaptive capacity from adaptive management, 2) use practitioner insights to contextualize the elements of adaptive capacity within the constraints and opportunities of governance systems, and 3) expand academic research to explicitly consider the capacity to adapt on appropriate timelines given the scale and pace of systemic change.

Poetic inquiry is used to highlight contrasting lived experiences of vulnerability and worsening socio‐ecological outcomes among Australia's fastest growing coastal communities. Our approach interweaves multiple participant voices across local and national scales to juxtapose the contrasts of inequality, enmesh social and ecological experiences, and ask reflexive questions of audiences. We offer an evocative portrayal of inequality to the growing body of work demonstrating that unequal and intensifying vulnerabilities are created and sustained through complicated, non‐adaptive and hierarchical social systems. We demonstrate that poetic inquiry can interrogate complex system phenomena and broad concepts, such as the Anthropocene, to distil critical and systemic issues while retaining undeniable connections with the deeply personal implications of socio‐ecological change. Hence, poetic inquiry can serve analytical and descriptive purposes towards an emotional and political aesthetic providing a compelling reorientation from more conventional modes of inquiry and representation. In this study, the misuse of power and privilege in the Anthropocene is reduced and revealed as the Obscene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pastoralists' livelihood on natural rangelands is increasingly influenced by the destructive impacts of climate change. While the phenomenon of climate change continues globally, it is expected to put more pressure on unfavourable rangelands and pastoral households whose livelihood source is only based on pastoralism activities. Thus, it is vital to reduce the livelihood vulnerability of pastoralists to climate change impacts through appropriate adaptation strategies. Accordingly, the aim of the current study was to assess the compatibility of adaptation strategies with the vulnerabilities posed by climate change to pastoralists' livelihoods. The evaluation was based on a spatial survey that was conducted with a random sample of 393 Iranian pastoralists distributed in the counties of Eghlid, Sepidan, and Shiraz in the northern Fars province. The results showed that pastoralists were commonly vulnerable in terms of high-risk exposure and low adaptive capacity. About 27 livelihood vulnerability patterns were detected using data mining based on the relationships among the sub-components of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptation in three counties. The scores of the livelihood vulnerability were high in most of the livelihood vulnerability patterns. Only four patterns obtained relatively low vulnerability scores through accurate decisions on adopting the appropriate set of adaptation strategies. According to the low compatibility of pastoralists' livelihood with climate change, the results of this study can assist policymakers to introduce appropriate adaptation strategies for pastoralists. In this regard, appropriate adaptation strategies in each vulnerability pattern are able to reduce livelihood vulnerability to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilience and vulnerability are widely used concepts in global change research. Resilience and vulnerability are related, but they are not synonymous and should not be used interchangeably. We offer a joint perspective on these two concepts, highlighting their strengths and synthesising ways forward to use them to advance the assessment of global change impacts in social–ecological systems. Resilience and vulnerability are important concepts to understand, anticipate, and manage global change impacts on forest ecosystems. However, they are often used confusingly and inconsistently, hampering a synthetic understanding of global change, and impeding communication with managers and policy-makers. Both concepts are powerful and have complementary strengths, reflecting their different history, methodological approach, components, and spatiotemporal focus. Resilience assessments address the temporal response to disturbance and the mechanisms driving it. Vulnerability assessments focus on spatial patterns of exposure and susceptibility, and explicitly address adaptive capacity and stakeholder preferences. We suggest applying the distinct concepts of resilience and vulnerability where they provide particular leverage, and deduce a number of lessons learned to facilitate the next generation of global change assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerabilities of the global food system, underscoring the need for a sustainable transformation of the food system. With the advent of new digital technologies emerging as critical tools for achieving the agricultural shift, it is important to understand farmers' adoption decisions better. This study aims to systematically uncover and delineate the varied forms of experiences farmers have with new digital technologies and investigate how these experiences impact the organizational adoption decisions on the farm. In this study, twenty interviews with apple growers, wine makers, and intermediaries from a German region encompassing Saxony, Thuringia, and Saxony–Anhalt were conducted and analyzed. Through the lens of the modified adaptive capacity wheel and alongside the interview data, five relevant types of experiences were identified. These types of experiences are closely related to farmers' adaptation motivation (AM) and adaptation belief (AB), potentially influencing their future decisions about the adoption of digital technologies. This study highlights the importance of creating meaningful experiences with technologies to strengthen farmers' AM and AB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is increasing challenges in the agricultural sector for smallholder farmers. A key element in successful formulation of adaptation strategies is the analysis of vulnerability to climate change. This study examines smallholder farmers' contextual vulnerability to climate change through their perceived vulnerability and focuses on gendered narratives and power structures in the Taita Hills, Kenya. The key methods are semi-structured interviews (N = 28) and a critical discourse analysis. The collected data consists of two-headed household interviews, single-headed household interviews, and key informant interviews with different stakeholders from the agriculture sector. Results indicate that contextual vulnerability can form a baseline for understanding individuals' possibilities to adapt to changing environmental and climatic conditions. Outcome vulnerability analysis, that treats vulnerability as an endpoint output following mitigation actions, offers highly relevant information, but it is not alone enough for understanding the challenges and possibilities of climate change adaptation. Women and men farmers' coping and adaptation response strategies did not differ notably, which supports the criticism of the gendered nature of vulnerability discourse. Differences in strategies appeared to be more linked in intersectional aspects between farmers in single-headed and two-headed households. Furthermore, the vulnerable women narrative did not reflect women farmers' agency and centrality in the agriculture sector. The discourse of climate change adaptation should be corrected towards addressing structural challenges that can place people in a vulnerable position within diverse contextual conditions and intersecting attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how charities have survived, and sometimes thrived, in the face of crisis has given rise to an increased interest in the resilience of these organizations. Research on dealing with uncertainty and crisis situations notes the ability to adapt as a critical resilience component (Siders, 2019). However, resilience and adaptive capacity in the charity sector are under‐researched areas. This paper contributes to filling this gap by investigating two midsized Scottish charitable organizations that have weathered two significant crises: austerity as a result of the financial crisis of 2008 and the COVID‐19 pandemic. The study findings enhance resilience research by shedding light on the processes, actions and collaborations that facilitate resilience, and the importance of adaptive capacity in response to crisis. Two distinct approaches to resilience were identified: (1) a strategic approach to resilience, where the charity thrived in the face of crisis and demonstrated high levels of adaptive capacity, and (2) a pragmatic approach, where resilience equated to survival, adaptive capacity was low and, as a result, growth was limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: As complementary terrestrial and aquatic habitats are pulled apart by environmental change, animals will have to adjust their behaviours to successfully track their fundamental niches. We introduce a novel example of how climate change impacts can drive separation between complementary foraging and breeding habitats in seabirds. Objectives: We evaluated how Black Noddies (Anous minutus) modified their movement behaviour across the seascape to access complementary habitat types during a period of local food scarcity; and whether this influenced their breeding success. Methods: We quantified characteristics of foraging behaviour relating to energy consumption (time, distance and area covered) over four breeding seasons for Black Noddies (A. minutus) and compared favourable years (2019, 2020 and 2021) to an unfavourable year (2022). We also quantified and compared chick health and survival rates over the same period. Results: In 2022, severe reduction in local food abundance on Heron Island led breeding Black Noddies to forage further by an order of magnitude, utilizing a remote wooded island (Bushy Islet) as an overnight roosting location. This was a novel and completely unexpected response to the altered environmental conditions. At the same time, 2022 saw significant increases in chick mortality and decreases in chick health compared to other years. Conclusions: We show how a growing mismatch between nesting, roosting, and foraging sites pushed individuals in a breeding tropical seabird population to extend their foraging range by an order of magnitude, with direct negative consequences for juveniles. Our findings highlight the need to explicitly consider habitat complementation in land- and seascape conservation initiatives and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is more frequent and intensified due to global warming. Changed conditions in Beijing‐Tianjin–Hebei region which is drier and warmer than before, make it necessary to investigate various optimized irrigation schemes in the winter wheat production. In this study, the DSSAT–CERES‐Wheat model verified by field experimental data was applied to simulate the yield of winter wheat in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region from 2010 to 2069a under RCP8.5 climate scenario. The irrigation schemes were set up by adjusting the irrigation amount and irrigation structure to evaluate their adaptive capacity to climate change. The results showed that the regional average yield reduction rates of potential drought were 81.98% and 78.86% in 2010–2039a and 2040–2069a, which were higher in the north than that in the south. The yield reduction rate of potential drought increased with the decrease of irrigation amount, and the adaptive capacity declined with the decrease of irrigation amount, under the same irrigation structure. When 3‐9‐6 irrigation structure was applied, the regional averages of adaptive capacity to potential drought were 28.30%, 26.23%, and 22.22% in 2010–2039a, 29.00%, 26.67%, and 21.76% in 2040–2069a. The shortage of water resources caused by climate change and the possibility of drought limit the potential yield of winter wheat as high as 80% in this region. Priority shall be given to meeting the water demand in jointing stage and filling stage. Irrigation scheme of 3‐9‐6 structure with 180 mm irrigation amount shall be recommended and its adaptive capacity to climate change is the strongest in the near term and the medium‐term. Even if a further 20% reduction in irrigation is applied (144 mm), the dual goals of reducing yield loss and saving 8.28 × 108 t irrigation water per winter wheat season can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a serious challenge that poses an additional problem to the many existing difficulties in the agricultural sector. It will likely exacerbate an already dire situation by making current production methods less sustainable. Previous studies concluded that most people in developing countries perceive climate change as a spatially and temporally distant threat. However, recent studies have raised a new narrative, suggesting that rural communities are becoming more aware of climate change and variability. The study, therefore, aimed to compare the perceptions of climate change among small-scale sugarcane farmers with scientifically observed climate trends in the study area. The study mainly analysed rainfall and air temperature trends over twenty years and compared these with climate change, as farmers in the study area perceived. Additionally, it assessed whether the participants had implemented adaptation plans to minimise the adverse effects of the observed climate variations, both scientifically and perceptually. The study findings indicate that small-scale sugarcane farmers perceive climate change fairly accurately. Less than half of the small-scale sugarcane farmers (nearly 40%) observed increased temperatures, rainfall, drought frequency, and frost occurrence. Their perceptions aligned with the findings from the scientific data, which indicated that maximum temperature has been increasing at 0.049 oC per annum-1 from 1997 to 2017 while the rainfall showed an increase of 15.475 mm per annum-1 over the same period. These findings confirm that these farmers are becoming more aware of climate change occurring in their communities. However, the study results also show that despite the accurate perception of climate change, farmers struggle to adapt to this accurately perceived climate change. This highlights their vulnerability to climate change due to a lack of adaptive capacity. The study recommends government intervention to facilitate improved collaboration between academics and farmers for information sharing to identify possible adaptation strategies for small-scale farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, the use of vulnerability assessments has grown substantially to support rural communities in developing countries. These studies aim to help these communities achieve their livelihood goals, such as sustainable resource use and adaptation to global changes, by evaluating their susceptibility to climate change impacts. This systematic review critically examines the extensive body of literature on Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) assessments related to climate change impacts in developing countries. By synthesizing findings from various studies, this review highlights patterns and methodologies used to understand the effects of climate change on vulnerable populations. Key focus areas include geographical distribution, methodological approaches, and the frameworks utilized in vulnerability assessments. The review identifies prominent frameworks, such as the LVI and LVI-IPCC, which integrate indicators of sensitivity, exposure, and adaptive capacity to evaluate climate risks. Findings reveal a concentration of studies in Asia and Africa, with a strong emphasis on agricultural and coastal ecosystems. Methodologically, there is a notable reliance on stratified random sampling to accurately capture community and household-level vulnerabilities. A detailed comparative analysis of the LVI, LVI-IPCC, and Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF) is also presented, highlighting their characteristics, benefits, and limitations. The review underscores the need for methodological refinements to better address temporal and regional variations in vulnerability. It concludes with recommendations for future research, integrating broader climate scenarios, exploring sectoral interdependencies, and adopting dynamic approaches to enhance the accuracy and applicability of vulnerability assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces an index to assess the adaptive capacity of Indigenous Lands in the context of climate change vulnerability. The index was developed considering two sub-indices, one to evaluate the indigenous autonomy and ability to self-organize and establish relationships with other groups and the surrounding society, and the other that assesses the level of protection of the Indigenous Land surroundings. The aim is to guide integrated climate adaptation strategies for electricity companies operating near Indigenous Land. The paper also presents an application of the proposed index in the Belo Monte hydropower plant, in the Amazon region, with a strong presence of Indigenous Lands, and one of Brazil's most important hydropower plants. From the results, it was possible to compare the adaptive capacity of the Indigenous Lands and evaluate their different degrees of engagement and environmental protection, which can help in the proposition of adaptation actions.

Climate change is currently one of the most important challenges faced by mankind. The purpose of this article is to give a coherent account of the scope and nature of these changes and their impact on universal security threats. The research process consisted largely of a review of the literature on the subject and an analysis of specialized, available documents and reports prepared by international environmental organizations. Climate change includes increases in temperature, changes in precipitation, sea level rise, extreme weather events and many other impacts that have enormous consequences for people, ecosystems and economies. Barriers are described that could prove to be an obstacle to implementing more sustainable development that could directly contribute to increased preventive and adaptive capacity, reduced emissions and vulnerability. The importance of adaptive capacity, which is a complex function of wealth, technology, information, skills, infrastructure, institutions and equity, was emphasized.

In Morocco, the historical record depicts a situation characterized by increasing temperatures and diminishing precipitation, which often ends up in severe drought episodes. This research examines the vulnerability of wheat, barley, and maize to growing season temperature changes as well as socio-economic adaptive capacity proxies. This work uses a composite index of vulnerability that posits that the vulnerability index is a function of the exposure, sensitivity, and the adaptive capacity indexes. FAOSTAT and Yield Gap Atlas data were used for the period 1991-2016 to calculate the sensitivity index. The World Bank Climate Portal provided the mean annual growing season temperature data used to compute the exposure index. The World Bank, figshare, and MPR archives were used to capture the proxies of adaptive capacity such as literacy and poverty rates. These findings indicate that wheat has the lowest vulnerability index and the greatest adaptive capacity index, while barley has the strongest vulnerability and lowest adaptive capacity indexes. Sub-nationally, the indices of vulnerability and the standardized growing season's temperature decreased northwards. Northwards, wheat records the lowest vulnerability and highest adaptive capacity, and the second highest standard growing season temperature. In perspective, enhance adaptive capacity for climate resilience in policies, reduce vulnerability. HIGHLIGHTS Wheat shows the lowest vulnerability score and the greatest index of adaptive capacity.; The temperature of the growing season is a strong predictor of yield.; Sub-nationally, the indices of vulnerability and the standardized growing season's temperature decreased as one traveled northward.; With each latitude north, wheat records the lowest vulnerability and the greatest adaptive capacity indices.; Overall, vulnerability is highly influenced by adaptive capacity.;

Impacts of climate change are evident and intensifying for coastal communities and natural resource-dependent stakeholders. As climate impacts mount, so does the need to understand mechanisms that enable and impede proactive adaptation. Through two years of focus groups and interviews with fisheries participants in the Gulf of Alaska, we explore subjective climate change attribution—the expressed connection between an observed ecosystem change and climate change itself—amongst fisheries stakeholders, and its extension to other stakeholders and coastal communities. Participants’ observations differentiate fishing communities’ experiences of climate change, revealing perceptions of marine heatwave impacts and trends in target and non-target fishery species. We interrogate these findings through models for climate attribution, risk appraisal, and adaptive capacity. Fishermen (We use the term fishermen instead of fishers in keeping with how those participating in the fishing industry in Alaska refer to themselves, irrespective of their gender) recognize tremendous ecosystem change but convey a mismatch between those observations and climate attribution. Perceptions of individual risk and adaptive capacity are complicated by psychological roadblocks, opportunity costs, and a lack of perceived options for adaptation. Yet fishermen’s discussion reveals pathways to reconcile observations of change with attribution, risk appraisal, and adaptive capacity, especially with science in a critical role to bridge the gaps within and across these processes for fishermen, natural resource users, and coastal communities more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farm households along the coastlines of Myanmar and Vietnam are becoming increasingly vulnerable to flooding, saltwater intrusion, and rising sea levels. There is little information available on the relative vulnerability of men- and women-headed households, and the governments of Myanmar and Vietnam have not identified or implemented any adaptive measures aimed specifically at vulnerable peoples. This study aims to fill these gaps and assess the relative climate change vulnerability of men- and women-headed farm households. This study considers 599 farm households from two regions of Myanmar and 300 households from Thua Thien Hue province of Vietnam for the period 2021–2022. We offer a livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) analysis of men- and women-headed farm households using 46 indicators arranged into seven major components. The aggregate LVI scores indicate that farm households in Myanmar are more vulnerable (scores of 0.459 for men and 0.476 for women) to climate-related natural disasters than farm households in Vietnam (scores of 0.288 for men and 0.292 for women), regardless of the gender of the head of household. Total vulnerability indexing scores indicate that women-headed households are more vulnerable than men-headed households in both countries. Poor adaptive capacity and highly sensitive LVI dimensional scores explain the greater vulnerability of women-headed farm households. The findings also highlight the importance of the adaptive capacity components reflected in the LVI analysis in reducing farm households' vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this literature review is to rejuvenate the traditional climate change adaptation strategies employed by smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study adopts a systematic approach, analyzing 77 relevant articles published in English between 2000 and 2022. The findings highlight the detrimental impact of climate change on African agriculture, which serves as the backbone of the continent's population. In response to the effects of climate change, smallholder farmers and agro-pastoral communities have devised and put into practice various indigenous adaptive strategies. These strategies include livelihood diversification, integrating livestock with crop production, incorporating agroforestry into farming systems, diversifying cropping patterns, adjusting planting schedules based on traditional weather forecasting, and conserving soil moisture through techniques like mulching and physical structures. These indigenous strategies have proven to be effective, affordable, sustainable, and easily adaptable, significantly bolstering communities' resilience to climate change-related disruptions. Nevertheless, the sustainable adoption of indigenous knowledge-based climate change adaptation strategies developed by smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa faces several challenges. These include insufficient documentation, limited support from younger and educated individuals, and inadequate integration with modern science. These obstacles hinder the widespread implementation and effectiveness of these valuable indigenous practices in addressing climate change impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces an index to assess the adaptive capacity of Indigenous Lands in the context of climate change vulnerability. The index was developed considering two sub-indices, one to evaluate the indigenous autonomy and ability to self-organise and establish relationships with other groups and the surrounding society, and the other to assess the level of protection of the Indigenous Land surroundings. The aim is to guide integrated climate adaptation strategies for electricity companies operating near Indigenous Land. The paper also presents an application of the proposed index in the Belo Monte hydropower plant in the Amazon region, with a strong presence of Indigenous Lands and one of Brazil's most important hydropower plants. The results made it possible to compare the adaptive capacity of the Indigenous Lands and evaluate their different degrees of engagement and environmental protection, which can help in the proposition of adaptation actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater-influenced ecosystems (GIEs) are increasingly vulnerable due to groundwater extraction, land-use practices, and climate change. These ecosystems receive groundwater inflow as a portion of their baseflow or water budget, which can maintain water levels, water temperature, and chemistry necessary to sustain the biodiversity that they support. In some systems (e.g., springs, seeps, fens), this connection with groundwater is central to the system's integrity and persistence. Groundwater management decisions for human use often do not consider the ecological effects of those actions on GIEs. This disparity can be attributed, in part, to a lack of information regarding the physical relationships these systems have with the surrounding landscape and climate, which may influence the environmental conditions and associated biodiversity. We estimate the vulnerability of areas predicted to be highly suitable for the presence of GIEs based on watershed (U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Unit Code 12 watersheds: 24–100 km2) and pixel (30 m × 30 m pixels) resolution in the Atlantic Highlands and Mixed Wood Plains EPA Level II Ecoregions in the northeastern United States. We represent vulnerability with variables describing adaptive capacity (topographic wetness index, hydric soil, physiographic diversity), exposure (climatic niche), and sensitivity (aquatic barriers, proportion urbanized or agriculture). Vulnerability scores indicate that ~26% of GIEs were within 30 m of areas with moderate vulnerability. Within these GIEs, climate exposure is an important contributor to vulnerability of 40% of the areas, followed by land use (19%, agriculture or urbanized). There are few areas predicted to be suitable for GIEs that are also predicted to be highly vulnerable, and of those, climate exposure is the most important contributor to their vulnerability. Persistence of GIEs in the northeastern United States may be challenged as changes in the amount and timing of precipitation and increasing air temperatures attributed to climate change affect the groundwater that sustains these systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional knowledge pertaining to Islands is crucial in combating climate change. Many scholars have examined the usage of traditional knowledge amongst Island communities. However, studies regarding traditional knowledge from the stance of Island dwellers on monitoring and responding to climate change in Terengganu, Malaysia, are scarce. Therefore, this study assessed the mediating impact of adaptive capacity on the relationship between traditional knowledge use (i.e., cultural beliefs, cultural practises, and personality traits) and the economic wellbeing of Island residents in Terengganu in light of climate change. This cross-sectional study deployed the survey questionnaire method by involving 354 Redang and Perhentian Island communities selected via purposive sampling. The two Islands were selected due to their size and topographical features. The collected data were analysed via structural equation modelling–partial least square (SEM-PLS) by using descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. The findings revealed that two traditional knowledge dimensions (i.e., cultural belief and cultural practice) were correlated in a significantly positive manner with the economic wellbeing of the two Island communities due to climate change, while personality traits did not exert any impact. Next, adaptive capacity mediated the link between the personality traits and the economic wellbeing of the communities in the two Islands. In conclusion, this research work succeeded in examining the use of traditional knowledge and the mediating impact of adaptive capacity on the correlation between traditional knowledge and economic wellbeing of the communities dwelling in Redang and Perhentian Islands in view of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Taiwan, the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis chinensis) remains the only extant native wild cat species. Previous studies have suggested anthropogenic factors as a cause of their decline, mainly due to conflicts with local farmers. Adaptation strategies that generate co-benefits are key to achieving human–wildlife coexistence. However, an understanding of the local views on such strategies is currently lacking. In this study, we performed the first regional assessment of 10 adaptation strategies for human–leopard cat coexistence and examined the impact of the socio-demographic factors affecting farmers' willingness to participate in these strategies based on quantitative interviews with 418 farmers in Miaoli County, employing an importance–performance analysis. We also present an integrated conceptual framework capturing five adaptation strategy domains and their resulting benefits, which lay the structural foundation for facilitating resilient coexistence. Our findings suggest that (1) respondents' perceived importance and performance of adaptation strategies were significantly different; (2) respondents most agreed with improvements in the incorporation of local knowledge/skills into science and policy and the establishment of adaptive co-management with local associations/non-governmental organisations; and (3) respondents aged below 49 years, supportive of coexistence, who did not own poultry, and preferred local farmer organisations to facilitate coexistence, were more likely to participate in the proposed adaptation strategies. Our findings provide guidelines for the future direction of the conservation and management of leopard cats that help achieve harmonious coexistence in shared landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identified the practices of adaptation strategies to climate change in Jimma, Bedelle, Bonga, and Sokorru urban centers using a survey of 384 households, 55 key informant interviews, 4 focus group discussions, and field observations. A cross-sectional study design was employed from 2019 to 2021. The adaptive capacity of municipalities to reduce climate extreme events was rated as poor by the majority (51%), mostly reactive measures (76%). The climate hazards identified in four urban centers were riverine and flash floods, urban heat waves, landslides, and windstorms. The urban households practiced lifestyle modification, reduce paved surfaces, the use of air conditioner, planting trees, and multiple windows. The adaptation strategies practiced by municipalities include the relocation of prone areas, the support of basic amenities, the construction of protection walls, diversion ditches, the clearance of waterways and rivers, greenery, and park development. The adaptation actions were constrained by a lack of awareness, commitment, cooperation and coordination, adaptive capacity, and participation. Gray/physical infrastructures (costly but important) as adaptation actions were hampered by the low municipal capacity. We recommend that urban authorities should incorporate climate change adaptation strategies into urban planning and development proactively to ensure future resilient climate smart urban centers of southwest Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper attempts to examine the factors that influence climate-smart adaptation (CSA) strategies. The study used binary logit and multivariate probit models to understand the dynamics and factors of agricultural households' behavioural decisions on CSA strategies. Based on the results of the binary logit model, the study indicated that factors such as access to extension services and training, gender, educational level, land ownership, access to irrigation, access to credit and crop damage level positively and significantly influenced farmers' decisions to use CSA strategies. Similarly, the results of the multivariate probit model reveal that factors such as educational level, access to extension services and training, and land ownership had significant impacts on the adoption of the majority of CSA strategies. To improve the intensity of CSA strategies, the study recommends expanding training and extension services to farming masses, the expansion of irrigation facilities and weather information at the farm level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the team‐member exchange theory, in this paper, we examine how the knowledge‐based three team capabilities (team knowledge management capacity, team absorptive capacity, adaptive team capacity), when shared among team members, will influence the effectiveness of team decision‐making and team innovation. The study was conducted in Indian organizations. Data collected from 112 team members (with experience in innovation projects) were analyzed using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping procedure. The findings reveal that team members' capability (knowledge management capacity, adaptive capacity) plays a significant role in team innovation when there is team decision‐making. However, the study found no significant relationship between absorptive capacity and team innovation. The study contributes to the literature on team innovation by offering fresh insights into how the high‐quality Team‐member exchange leads to better capitalization of distinct team capabilities leading to effective team decision‐making, culminating in the generation of creative and novel ideas and solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is often hypothesized that adaptive capacity leads to increased yield. However, the veracity of this assumption in quantitative terms has largely remained understudied by researchers. Also, adaptation depends on the vulnerability of the agricultural sector, climate risks, biocapacity of the area, readiness and adaptive capacities of stakeholders. Adaptation can only take place if stakeholders are ready to respond and resources are also available. To understand these relationships, the paper examined the impacts of climate change, food vulnerability, adaptive capacity, biocapacity and readiness on yields of major cereal crops in thirty-five African countries. We used the panel autoregressive distributive lag model to analyse publicly available panel data obtained from FAOSTAT, Global Foot Print Network, and Notre Dame Adaptation Index databases, and World Bank Group Climate Change Knowledge Portal. The results show that biocapacity, adaptive capacity, food sector vulnerability, and temperature decreased rice yield in the long. Biocapacity increased maize and sorghum yields, while adaptive capacity decreased their yields in the long run. Food sector vulnerability and temperature decreased maize yield in the long run, while temperature increased sorghum yield in the long run. The results suggest that improvement in adaptive capacity is an important policy tool to increase the yield of some cereal crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a descriptive-analytical method to assess how vulnerable farmers in Fars Province's rural regions near the Tashk and Bakhtegan lakes are to the effects of climate change. For this purpose, 17 villages around Tashk and Bakhtegan lakes with 2511 households, who are engaged in agricultural activities, were investigated. To achieve the research goals, a broad range of indexes were determined with the dimensions of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity to climate change according to the Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) and were evaluated in the field studies. According to the results, 52.93% of communities were highly vulnerable to climate change. On the other hand, only 23.52% of farmers had very low vulnerability, and 23.52% had moderate vulnerability. The local farmers were aware of the climate change in the studied region with an average of 4.56. Given that more than half of the villagers are highly vulnerable to climate change, the government and relevant institutions need to increase their resilience to vulnerability. Increasing vulnerability requires careful measurement and monitoring of all related variables, increasing adaptation to the generalization of insurance, access to facilities, and reducing climatic sensitivities by increasing livelihood diversification, reducing unemployment, and using drought-resistant plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Climate change is causing various impacts worldwide, including heat waves, droughts, floods, and pest infestations. Understanding how communities cope with predicted impacts and reduce vulnerability is crucial for designing effective policies that enhance their adaptive capacities. This study presents empirical evidence on how climate change manifests in cocoa-forest-dominated landscapes, its impacts, and the mechanisms communities in the Sefwi-Wiawso, Juaboso, and Bia West adopt to reduce their vulnerabilities. Data were collected through focus group discussions and face-to-face interview involving 97 respondents within the landscape. The results indicate that the most common climate change hazards in the area are drought, floods, wildfires, wind/rainstorms, excessive heat, and pest infestations. Women, who are primarily responsible for water fetching and fuelwood collection, were found to be particularly vulnerable. The study identifies various coping strategies and adaptation practices adopted by these communities. The integration of trees into farming practices was found to be the most prevalent coping strategy for both men and women. Other strategies include diversification into alternative livelihood activities, the establishment of early warning systems, and the cultivation of cash crops. The research highlights that adaptation strategies vary depending on the economic opportunities and priorities within different landscapes. While adaptive capacities already exist, they need to be further strengthened, and policies should support, rather than hinder, these capacities and strategies. Existing adaptation strategies also need to be recognized and reinforced through policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need for new tools in urban planning, design, and management (urban PDM) of green-blue infrastructure (GBI) to better support resilience and sustainable development. Virtual Reality (VR) emerges as a potential tool in this context. GBI provides a diversity of ecosystem services that increase the capacity of urban environments to absorb change while continuing to develop (adaptive capacity), a key factor in resilience and sustainability. However, there is a lack of tools capable of effectively capturing and communicating the designs, functions, and uses of GBI. Despite this need, research on the contributions of VR as a tool in urban PDM of GBI remains limited. To address this gap, an exploratory experiment using inductive qualitative data analysis was conducted. Participants of different ages and with different expertise viewed 360-degree video clips from urban areas through VR, completed a questionnaire, and participated in interviews. The results showed that the 360-degree video VR experience enhanced participants’ understanding of the viewed sites. Specifically, participants paid attention to details, captured the context, responded by generating emotional engagement, identified site development potential, and described an immersive experience. These results align with key principles for the sustainable management of ecosystem services, such as participation, learning, diversity, place-making, and stewardship; and adaptive capacity aspects such as processes and results grounded in complexity-embracing creativity. Our analysis shows that 360-degree video VR can increase the understanding of complexities, connections, and nuances in the urban environment. We conclude that 360-degree video VR could serve as a valuable complement to traditional tools in urban PDM, enriching decision-making with information that can support adaptive capacity, resilience, and sustainability.

The Himalayan forest communities historically lived in harmony with their environment; however, anthropogenic activities have disrupted this balance. Deforestation, climate change, and habitat degradation have heightened vulnerability, compounded by human-wildlife conflicts (HWCs) and limited access to crucial livelihood capitals. Addressing these challenges requires a deeper understanding of factors associated with household-level vulnerability, prompting this study in the Buxa Tiger Reserve of sub-Himalayan India. Data from 345 households across ten villages reveal significant exposure to HWCs, particularly elephant crop raiding and leopard-induced livestock losses. Sensitivity arises from water scarcity, health issues, food shortages, and inadequate housing conditions, while limited adaptive capacity stems from infrastructural and financial constraints, among others. Spatial disparities emerge, with tribal households exhibiting lower exposure but lesser adaptive capacity compared to non-tribal communities. Proximity to different facilities (e.g., markets, financial institutions, primary healthcare centers) and government schemes significantly influence vulnerability, revealing unexpected associations. Besides, villagers’ willingness to relocate demonstrates higher adaptive capacity and perceived benefits outside the reserve. By unraveling the layers of vulnerability at the household level, this study provides valuable guidance for policymakers, forest managers, and other stakeholders. It offers insights into sustainable development strategies, resonating globally to harmonize human actions with environmental conservation.

Agricultural insurance plays a crucial role in managing and mitigating damages from natural disasters, while also providing support to farmers through equitable risk distribution. This study focuses on identifying vulnerabilities of the Agricultural Insurance Fund (AIF) in Iran during natural disasters and proposing solutions for maintaining preparedness and adapting to new circumstances. Utilizing a qualitative approach, the research involved a three-stage classic Delphi technique with 24 experts in agricultural insurance which purposefully selected using snowball sampling. Three open-ended questions on AIF vulnerabilities in facing natural disasters, AIF's adaptive capacity, and forecasting strategic measures for the future, were provided in the first research round. After refining in subsequent rounds, a consensus was reached on 19 vulnerability points, 7 adaptive capacity factors, and 20 strategic actions. Key indicator of vulnerabilities includes the “weak financial capacity of the insurance fund”. “Designing an integrated agricultural insurance system” was the most crucial factor in enhancing AIF's adaptive capacity. Finally, the study proposes strategies like ''strengthening financial capacity and ensuring sustainable credit resources,'' ''developing capacities of the insurance system with location-based technologies,'' and ''differentiating catastrophic damages in the insurance tariffing system'' to address vulnerabilities and enhance agricultural insurance resilience.

Climate change has brought about credible changes in arid landscapes which have resulted in further challenges for pastoralists who require good quality rangeland resources to sustain their livestock. This study assessed local level coping and adaptive management strategies by pastoralists in Namibia and South Africa using a capital assets approach, and also explored non-climate related barriers that increase their vulnerability to climate change. A case study approach was used, which included focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. The main findings of the research indicate that pastoralists have been exposed to increased temperature extremes and droughts of varying duration over time which reduced the quality and quantity of forage and resulted in losses of income and animal health. The 46 different coping and adaptation strategies used by pastoralists included financial (n = 15), natural (n = 15), human (n = 12), physical (n = 2) and social (n = 2) capital. Of these, 61% of the strategies were common between the two countries. Strategies included income diversification, supplementary feeding and livestock mobility. Pastoralists had to overcome a hierarchy of barriers to implement their coping and adaptation strategies, which were largely related to human capital in Namibia and to natural capital in South Africa. These barriers included a lack of access to grazing lands, land degradation and the loss of traditional knowledge to manage livestock and rangeland resources. Policy development should take these barriers into account while building on the foundation of existing adaptation strategies to reduce the vulnerability to climate change of pastoralists in dryland regions.

Abstract Drought is more frequent and intensified due to global warming. Changed conditions in Beijing‐Tianjin–Hebei region which is drier and warmer than before, make it necessary to investigate various optimized irrigation schemes in the winter wheat production. In this study, the DSSAT–CERES‐Wheat model verified by field experimental data was applied to simulate the yield of winter wheat in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region from 2010 to 2069a under RCP8.5 climate scenario. The irrigation schemes were set up by adjusting the irrigation amount and irrigation structure to evaluate their adaptive capacity to climate change. The results showed that the regional average yield reduction rates of potential drought were 81.98% and 78.86% in 2010–2039a and 2040–2069a, which were higher in the north than that in the south. The yield reduction rate of potential drought increased with the decrease of irrigation amount, and the adaptive capacity declined with the decrease of irrigation amount, under the same irrigation structure. When 3‐9‐6 irrigation structure was applied, the regional averages of adaptive capacity to potential drought were 28.30%, 26.23%, and 22.22% in 2010–2039a, 29.00%, 26.67%, and 21.76% in 2040–2069a. The shortage of water resources caused by climate change and the possibility of drought limit the potential yield of winter wheat as high as 80% in this region. Priority shall be given to meeting the water demand in jointing stage and filling stage. Irrigation scheme of 3‐9‐6 structure with 180 mm irrigation amount shall be recommended and its adaptive capacity to climate change is the strongest in the near term and the medium‐term. Even if a further 20% reduction in irrigation is applied (144 mm), the dual goals of reducing yield loss and saving 8.28 × 108 t irrigation water per winter wheat season can be achieved.

Protected areas play a crucial role in safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, they face mounting challenges from environmental pressures. This study examines the Oshtorankooh Protected Area (OPA) in Iran, evaluating its vulnerability to various environmental hazards from 2010 to 2020.A comprehensive set of variables, including physiographic, climatic, geological, edaphic, vegetative, hydrological, and socio-economic factors, were utilized to compute 45 vulnerability indicators across three dimensions: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity for 2010 and 2020. Maps of these indicators were created and standardized, with weights assigned using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP). Composite indices for exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity were then developed by integrating these weighted and standardized maps.The vulnerability indices for grid cells within the OPA enabled the identification of spatial vulnerability patterns, highlighting heightened vulnerability in the northern and western sectors influenced by factors such as drought variability, social vulnerability, evapotranspiration rates, spring discharge, and runoff dynamics. Results indicate a notable increase in vulnerability over the study period, with index values rising from 0.76 in 2010 to 2.04 in 2020. This spatially explicit vulnerability assessment underscores the dynamic nature of vulnerabilities within protected areas, emphasizing the necessity for adaptive management strategies. The findings stress the importance of tailored, evidence-based management approaches to mitigate risks and preserve ecological and socio-economic values. Implementing adaptive management strategies informed by this assessment can bolster the resilience of protected areas against environmental threats, thereby advancing global conservation efforts.

The COVID-19 pandemic’s profound impacts on global health, driven by preparedness gaps and systemic risks, underscore the need to enhance societies’ ability to manage both predictable risks and uncertainties inherent in disasters. While disaster research emphasises risk management for predictable threats and adaptive capacity for unexpected challenges, there is a lack of empirical examination of the impact of adaptive capacity on disaster resilience. This study addresses this gap by identifying three key adaptive capacities – quality of institutions, collaborative governance, and social capital – and examining their effects on COVID-19 resilience outcomes, measured by the ability to reduce excess mortality. Analysing secondary data from 129 nations using partial least squares structural equation modelling, the research finds significant positive effects of institutional quality and social capital on resilience outcomes. Conversely, collaborative governance shows a significant negative association, suggesting potentially intricate impacts beyond initial expectations. The findings highlight the need to enhance institutional quality and social capital to address preparedness gaps and unexpected challenges posed by biological hazards such as COVID-19. Future research should explore collaborative governance using a disaggregated approach that considers the roles of different stakeholders in various disaster phases. Contribution: This study advances disaster research by presenting practical methodologies for operationalising adaptive capacities and empirically examining their effects on disaster resilience. For practitioners and policymakers, it highlights the need to adopt a long-term perspective in building disaster resilience, focussing on improving institutional quality and social capital to manage the uncertainties and complexities inherent in disaster scenarios effectively.

Abstract: Fisheries face unprecedented environmental change. An important aspect of resilience to this change is the adaptive capacity of managers and stakeholders to respond to new conditions. A growing academic literature has demonstrated the value of fostering this adaptive capacity and highlighted key elements of fisheries social-ecological systems that can promote it. However, it is unclear to what extent these abstract academic ideas around adaptive capacity are relevant and valuable to on-the-ground resource managers, and if so, whether there are aspects of the literature that particularly resonate with their needs. Here, we compare academic concepts of adaptive capacity to the ways that management practitioners conceptualize and implement these ideas in practice, elicited through interviews with key professionals in United States federal fishery management bodies. Practitioners overwhelmingly cited flexibility to respond to change as the most consistently important element of adaptive capacity. Yet, they also detailed how the U.S. fishery management system routinely limits and constrains the flexibility of managers and stakeholders. Seeking out opportunities that enhance flexibility without jeopardizing other key aspects of adaptive capacity could increase management’s adaptive capacity to global change in the USA and elsewhere.

IntroductionUnderstanding the adaptive capacity to current climate change of drought-sensitive tree species is mandatory, given their limited prospect of migration and adaptation as long-lived, sessile organisms. Knowledge about the molecular and eco-physiological mechanisms that control drought resilience is thus key, since water shortage appears as one of the main abiotic factors threatening forests ecosystems. However, our current background is scarce, especially in conifers, due to their huge and complex genomes.MethodsHere we investigated the eco-physiological and transcriptomic basis of drought response of the climate change-threatened conifer Cedrus atlantica. We studied C. atlantica seedlings from two locations with contrasting drought conditions to investigate a local adaptation. Seedlings were subjected to experimental drought conditions, and were monitored at immediate (24 hours) and extended (20 days) times. In addition, post-drought recovery was investigated, depicting two contrasting responses in both locations (drought resilient and non-resilient). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were also studied to characterize the genomic basis of drought resilience and investigate a rapid local adaptation of C. atlantica.ResultsDe novo transcriptome assembly was performed for the first time in this species, providing differences in gene expression between the immediate and extended treatments, as well as among the post-drought recovery phenotypes. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis showed a regulation of stomatal closing and photosynthetic activity during the immediate drought, consistent with an isohydric dynamic. During the extended drought, growth and flavonoid biosynthesis inhibition mechanisms prevailed, probably to increase root-to-shoot ratio and to limit the energy-intensive biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Drought sensitive individuals failed in metabolism and photosynthesis regulation under drought stress, and in limiting secondary metabolite production. Moreover, genomic differences (SNPs) were found between drought resilient and sensitive seedlings, and between the two studied locations, which were mostly related to transposable elements.DiscussionThis work provides novel insights into the transcriptomic basis of drought response of C. atlantica, a set of candidate genes mechanistically involved in its drought sensitivity and evidence of a rapid local adaptation. Our results may help guide conservation programs for this threatened conifer, contribute to advance drought-resilience research and shed light on trees' adaptive potential to current climate change.