Coastal communities in the Circumpolar North and the need for sustainable climate adaptation approaches
Loading...
Date
Author(s)
Citation for Previous Publication
Bonnett, N., Birchall, SJ. (2020). Coastal communities in the Circumpolar North and the need for sustainable climate adaptation approaches. Marine Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2020.104175.
Link to Related Item
Abstract
Description
Climate change is one of society’s greatest contemporary challenges. Increasing global
temperatures leave coastal locations in particular, vulnerable to impacts that include rising sea
levels and more extreme and variable weather events. Stress can be acute for small coastal
communities located in the Circumpolar North, where a lack of capacity and awareness along
with institutional constraints, can exacerbate vulnerability. Given that continued climate change
is inevitable regardless of the extent of mitigative action, adaptation is a necessity. In northern
regions, there is evidence that adaptation planning is occurring in response to observed climate
stressors, with structural (or hard) adaptation approaches prevalent across the sensitive coastline.
However, structural adaptations are often associated with several drawbacks and may not be
suitable, particularly in a region that is facing rapid rates of warming, enhanced exposures, and
significant environmental and socio-economic constraints. To enhance resilience, small northern
coastal communities should adopt a diversified portfolio of adaptations that incorporate more
sustainable non-structural and ecosystem-based (or soft) adaptation approaches.
Item Type
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 http://purl.org/coar/version/c_b1a7d7d4d402bcce http://purl.org/coar/version/c_71e4c1898caa6e32
Alternative
Other License Text / Link
Language
en