IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/sustdv/v34y2026is1p1282-1308.html

Climate Change and Livability: A Systematic Review of Adaptation Strategies and Policy Challenges

Author

Listed:
  • Rajani Shakya
  • Smita Khan

Abstract

Climate change impacts urban livability, but research on its effects and adaptations is incomplete. This review examined 94 studies (2008–2024) according to PRISMA across five databases. Thematic synthesis was applied to data regarding stressors, affected areas, socioeconomic influences, and adaptation methods. Extreme temperatures and heatwaves were the predominant stressors (53.19%), followed by floods (18.08%) and air pollution (11.07%). Public health (37.23%), agriculture (15.95%), and infrastructure (6.38%) were the primary domains affected. Vulnerability was closely associated with socioeconomic factors like inequality, urban density, and governance capacity (60%). Adaptation strategies were categorized into environmental (26.59%), technological (24.46%), social (18.08%), urban planning (14.89%), economic (19.14%), and governance (23.34%) actions. Although green infrastructure and early warning systems showed potential, their effectiveness was hindered by fragmented implementation and unequal resource distribution. Research offers new insights by categorizing adaptation strategies across sectors, pinpointing regional and methodological deficiencies, and integrating climate stressors, vulnerability, and resilience pathways.

Suggested Citation

  • Rajani Shakya & Smita Khan, 2026. "Climate Change and Livability: A Systematic Review of Adaptation Strategies and Policy Challenges," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(S1), pages 1282-1308, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:34:y:2026:i:s1:p:1282-1308
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.70242
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.70242
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sd.70242?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sally Brooks & Michael Loevinsohn, 2011. "Shaping agricultural innovation systems responsive to food insecurity and climate change," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 35(3), pages 185-200, August.
    2. Balint, T. & Lamperti, F. & Mandel, A. & Napoletano, M. & Roventini, A. & Sapio, A., 2017. "Complexity and the Economics of Climate Change: A Survey and a Look Forward," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 252-265.
    3. Ulijona Kaklauskaite & Dalia Streimikiene, 2024. "Climate justice from the lens of sustainable development," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(6), pages 6788-6800, December.
    4. Benz, Susanne A. & Burney, Jennifer, 2021. "Widespread race and class disparities in surface urban heat extremes across the United States," OSF Preprints r5svd, Center for Open Science.
    5. Eriksen, Siri & Schipper, E. Lisa F. & Scoville-Simonds, Morgan & Vincent, Katharine & Adam, Hans Nicolai & Brooks, Nick & Harding, Brian & Khatri, Dil & Lenaerts, Lutgart & Liverman, Diana & Mills-No, 2021. "Adaptation interventions and their effect on vulnerability in developing countries: Help, hindrance or irrelevance?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    6. repec:osf:osfxxx:r5svd_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Bethuel Sibongiseni Ngcamu, 2023. "Climate change effects on vulnerable populations in the Global South: a systematic review," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 118(2), pages 977-991, September.
    8. Paul Lachapelle & Patrick Belmont & Marco Grasso & Roslynn McCann & Dawn H. Gouge & Jerri Husch & Cheryl Boer & Daniela Molzbichler & Sarah Klain, 2024. "Academic capture in the Anthropocene: a framework to assess climate action in higher education," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(3), pages 1-26, March.
    9. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/1nlv566svi86iqtetenms15tc4 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. David J. Frame & Suzanne M. Rosier & Ilan Noy & Luke J. Harrington & Trevor Carey-Smith & Sarah N. Sparrow & Dáithí A. Stone & Samuel M. Dean, 2020. "Climate change attribution and the economic costs of extreme weather events: a study on damages from extreme rainfall and drought," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(2), pages 781-797, September.
    11. Yannis E. Doukas & Luca Salvati & Ioannis Vardopoulos, 2023. "Unraveling the European Agricultural Policy Sustainable Development Trajectory," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-24, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Thomas O’Shea & Dónall Cross & Mark G. Macklin & Chris Thomas, 2025. "Advancing Sustainability and Resilience in Vulnerable Rural and Coastal Communities Facing Environmental Change with a Regionally Focused Composite Mapping Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-25, September.
    2. Thomas H. Douthat & Fahmida Akhter & Rachelle Sanderson & Jerrod Penn, 2023. "Stakeholder Perceptions about Incorporating Externalities and Vulnerability into Benefit–Cost Analysis Tools for Watershed Flood Risk Mitigation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-23, May.
    3. Tambo, Justice A. & Wünscher, Tobias, 2016. "Beyond adoption: welfare effects of farmer innovation behavior in Ghana," Discussion Papers 235297, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).
    4. Hossain, Marup & Songsermsawas, Tisorn, 2025. "Adapting to Thrive: Training and Access to Finance to Reduce Climate Vulnerability Among Smallholder Farmers in Nepal," 2025 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2025, Denver, CO 361170, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Pigford, Ashlee-Ann E. & Hickey, Gordon M. & Klerkx, Laurens, 2018. "Beyond agricultural innovation systems? Exploring an agricultural innovation ecosystems approach for niche design and development in sustainability transitions," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 116-121.
    6. Matteo Coronese & Davide Luzzati, 2022. "Economic impacts of natural hazards and complexity science: a critical review," LEM Papers Series 2022/13, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    7. Shanshan Wen & Buda Su & Jinlong Huang & Yanjun Wang & Simon Treu & Fushuang Jiang & Shan Jiang & Han Jiang, 2024. "Attribution of streamflow changes during 1961–2019 in the Upper Yangtze and the Upper Yellow River basins," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(4), pages 1-20, April.
    8. Isik Akin & Meryem Akin, 2025. "Promoting sustainable practices through green investments in the United Kingdom real estate industry," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(1), pages 1526-1544, February.
    9. Lackner, Teresa & Fierro, Luca E. & Mellacher, Patrick, 2025. "Opinion dynamics meet agent-based climate economics: An integrated analysis of carbon taxation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    10. Coronese, Matteo & Occelli, Martina & Lamperti, Francesco & Roventini, Andrea, 2023. "AgriLOVE: Agriculture, land-use and technical change in an evolutionary, agent-based model," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    11. Saint Ville, Arlette S. & Hickey, Gordon M. & Phillip, Leroy E., 2017. "How do stakeholder interactions influence national food security policy in the Caribbean? The case of Saint Lucia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 53-64.
    12. Xiaoxue Feng & Jun Chen & Zebing Mao & Yanhong Peng & Suhaiza Zailani, 2025. "Exploring Determinants of and Barriers to Climate-Smart Agricultural Technologies Adoption in Chinese Cooperatives: A Hybrid Study," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-28, May.
    13. Marcin Czupryna & Christian Franzke & Sascha Hokamp & Jürgen Scheffran, 2020. "An Agent-Based Approach to Integrated Assessment Modelling of Climate Change," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 23(3), pages 1-7.
    14. Curcio, Domenico & Gianfrancesco, Igor & Vioto, Davide, 2023. "Climate change and financial systemic risk: Evidence from US banks and insurers," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    15. Anita Wreford & Meike Guenther & John T Saunders, 2026. "Evaluating the Economic Impacts of Climate Change on Aotearoa–New Zealand's Dairy Sector," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 70(1), pages 71-86, January.
    16. Muhammad Yazid & Dessy Adriani & Riswani & Dini Damayanthy, 2024. "Farm Household Vulnerability Due to Land and Forest Fire in Peatland Areas in South Sumatra," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-17, May.
    17. Usman Sattar, 2025. "Capacity Determinants of Climate Action in Developing Countries," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(5), pages 7053-7068, October.
    18. Eleftherios Giovanis & Oznur Ozdamar, 2025. "The transboundary effects of climate change and global adaptation: the case of the Euphrates–Tigris water basin in Turkey and Iraq," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 68(4), pages 1935-1972, April.
    19. Monasterolo, Irene & Raberto, Marco, 2018. "The EIRIN Flow-of-funds Behavioural Model of Green Fiscal Policies and Green Sovereign Bonds," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 228-243.
    20. Junqiu Chen & Xinqiang Zhou & Tingting Liu & Guo Lin & Bing Chen, 2025. "Evaluating the Risk of Population Exposure and Socio-Cultural Shifts in Ethnic Tibetan Areas Under Future Extreme Climate Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-18, October.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:34:y:2026:i:s1:p:1282-1308. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1719 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.