New publication on Selecting and Using Indicators of Climate Resilience
The EPA has published the EPA Research Report 379: Policy Coherence in Adaptation Studies: Selecting and Using Indicators of Climate Resilience, that is based on a recently completed MaREI report by the PCAS Project authored by Stephen Flood, Jeremy Gault and Ned Dwyer.
Download A SUMMARY of the report by the PCAS project here
Author, Stephen Flood gives a short synopsis of the report below:
Selecting and using indicators of climate resilience for Ireland
Why?
Adaptation actions are urgently needed to reduce the impact of current and future climate change on our society, economy and environment and ensure a climate resilient future. This project identified a tailored suite of Ireland-relevant climate adaptation indicators, using a co-designed process.
What does it tell us?
- Climate resilient indicators need to:
(i) address local and national strategic priorities and hazards.
(ii) be scalable from a local to a national context and they need to be appropriate for reporting at national and international levels.
- Sea level rise and coastal storms, pluvial and fluvial flooding, and extreme events (extreme heat, extreme wind, wildfires, drought and frost) were identified as priority climate hazards.
- 127 indicators were recommended, comprising climatological, impact implementation and outcome indicators
How might the research be used?
To track progress in implementing adaptation actions and to evaluate the outcomes of such actions, it is necessary to ensure that a monitoring, reporting and evaluation (MRE) system is in place. Climate adaptation indicators, when properly designed and implemented, are valuable measures to incorporate into any MRE system and can provide information on the level of resilience of the system.
There is a strong potential policy alignment of climate change adaptation monitoring and evaluation with emergency management planning, and sustainable development, in the context of developing green infrastructure and sustainable planning.
The implementation of a capacity-building and communications programme in relation to climate resilience indictors that will engage all relevant stakeholders should be resourced and supported.
