Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Strategies for the Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Land in Southern Taiwan

Kuo-Ching Huang, Chen-Jai Lee, Shih-Liang Chan and Cheng-Hsin Tai
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Kuo-Ching Huang: Department of Real Estate & Built Environment, National Taipei University, New Taipei City 237303, Taiwan
Chen-Jai Lee: Department of Real Estate & Built Environment, National Taipei University, New Taipei City 237303, Taiwan
Shih-Liang Chan: Department of Real Estate & Built Environment, National Taipei University, New Taipei City 237303, Taiwan
Cheng-Hsin Tai: Department of Real Estate & Built Environment, National Taipei University, New Taipei City 237303, Taiwan

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 11, 1-21

Abstract: Maintaining a certain amount of agricultural land and promoting its agricultural land utilization efficiency is essential in a country. Many innovative strategies for adapting to climate change have been implemented in developed countries. To achieve the goal of climate change adaptation for agricultural land, a vulnerability assessment of farmland is indispensable. Based on the research framework of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, this study applied the structure of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptation to build criteria and conduct an evaluation of a designated area in Southern Taiwan. We identified the key factors of the vulnerability of farmland, through mapping with spatial analysis, and by using geographic information system tools. The main purpose of the application of a vulnerability assessment is not to explicitly describe the status of agricultural land to climate change, but to help local government and farmers to identify the critical area, and to discuss the appropriated adaptive policies. According to the results of the vulnerability assessment of agricultural land, the entire study region can be divided into three patterns: Pattern 1, located in the western coastal zone, filled with various attributes of high vulnerability; Pattern 2, distributed on the central plain region in the east, with complete blocks of agricultural land and low vulnerability; and Pattern 3, located in the central plain region to the west, a region in which areas with various vulnerability levels. The following three types of adaptation strategies for climate change for farmland were established: (1) the enhancement of agricultural production, (2) the maintenance of agricultural production, and (3) the conservation of the agricultural environment. The current results can serve as valuable guidelines for governments to implement feasible local adaptation strategies in the future.

Keywords: agricultural land; vulnerability assessment; adaptation strategy; geographic information system; Taiwan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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