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Challenges to adaptation: a fundamental concept for the shared socio-economic pathways and beyond

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  • Dale Rothman
  • Patricia Romero-Lankao
  • Vanessa Schweizer
  • Beth Bee

Abstract

The framework for the new scenarios being developed for climate research calls for the development of a set of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), which are meant to differ in terms of their challenges to mitigation and challenges to adaptation. In order for the scenario process to fulfill its goals, the research and policy communities need to develop a shared understanding of these concepts. This paper focuses on challenges to adaptation. We begin by situating this new concept in the context of the rich literatures related to inter alia adaptation, vulnerability, and resilience. We argue that a proper characterization of challenges to adaptation requires a rich, exploration of the concept, which goes beyond mere description. This has a number of implications for the operationalization of the concept in the basic and extended versions of the SSPs. First, the elements comprising challenges to adaptation must include a wide range of socioeconomic and even some (non-climatic) biophysical factors. Second, careful consideration must be given to differences in these factors across scales, as well as cross-scale interactions. Third, any representation of the concept will require both quantitative and qualitative elements. The scenario framework offers the opportunity for the SSPs and full scenarios to be of greater value than has been the case in past exercises to both Integrated Assessment Modeling (IAM) and Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability (IAV) researchers, but this will require a renegotiation of the traditional, primarily unidirectional relationship between the two communities. Copyright The Author(s) 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Dale Rothman & Patricia Romero-Lankao & Vanessa Schweizer & Beth Bee, 2014. "Challenges to adaptation: a fundamental concept for the shared socio-economic pathways and beyond," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 122(3), pages 495-507, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:climat:v:122:y:2014:i:3:p:495-507
    DOI: 10.1007/s10584-013-0907-0
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    1. Gabriele Standardi, 2023. "Exploring market-driven adaptation to climate change in a general equilibrium global trade model," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 1-29, February.
    2. Assela Pathirana & Mohanasundar Radhakrishnan & Nguyen Hong Quan & Chris Zevenbergen, 2018. "Managing urban water systems with significant adaptation deficits—unified framework for secondary cities: part I—conceptual framework," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 149(1), pages 43-56, July.
    3. Céline Guivarch & Julie Rozenberg & Vanessa Schweizer, 2016. "The diversity of socio-economic pathways and CO2 emissions scenarios: Insights from the investigation of a scenarios database," Post-Print halshs-01292901, HAL.
    4. Standardi, Gabriele, 2017. "Endogenous technical change linked to international mobility of primary factors in climate change scenarios: global welfare implications using the GTAP model," Conference papers 332920, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    5. Vanessa J. Schweizer, 2020. "Reflections on cross-impact balances, a systematic method constructing global socio-technical scenarios for climate change research," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(4), pages 1705-1722, October.
    6. O'Neill, Brian, 2016. "The Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and their extension and use in impact, adaptation and vulnerability studies," Conference papers 332808, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    7. Eric Kemp-Benedict & Crystal Drakes & Timothy J. Laing, 2018. "Export-Led Growth, Global Integration, and the External Balance of Small Island Developing States," Economies, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-25, June.
    8. Guillaume Rohat & Olga Wilhelmi & Johannes Flacke & Andrew Monaghan & Jing Gao & Martin Maarseveen & Hy Dao, 2021. "Assessing urban heat-related adaptation strategies under multiple futures for a major U.S. city," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 164(3), pages 1-20, February.
    9. Guillaume Rohat & Johannes Flacke & Hy Dao & Martin Maarseveen, 2018. "Co-use of existing scenario sets to extend and quantify the shared socioeconomic pathways," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 151(3), pages 619-636, December.

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