Assessing Climate Change in the Trinational Upper Rhine Region: How Can We Operationalize Vulnerability Using an Indicator-Based, Meso-Scale Approach?

Nicolas Scholze, Nils Riach and Rüdiger Glaser
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Nicolas Scholze: Department for Physical Geography, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg, Germany
Nils Riach: Department for Physical Geography, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg, Germany
Rüdiger Glaser: Department for Physical Geography, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg, Germany

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 16, 1-21

Abstract: Climate vulnerability assessments are an important prerequisite for establishing successful climate adaptation strategies. Despite a growing number of assessments on the national or global scale, there is still a need for regionalized studies with a high resolution to identify meso-scale vulnerability patterns. In this paper, we present an indicator-based assessment that was carried out in the Trinational Metropolitan Region Upper Rhine within the Interreg-V project Clim’Ability. The analyzed region is characterized by strong cross-border and transnational linkages, similar ecological features and climatic stressors but differing political, administrative, cultural and legal conditions. In this rather complex setting, we operationalized a state-of-the art vulnerability framework using 18 quantified indicators and aggregating them into a vulnerability index. We show that it is possible to downscale the methods used in recent assessments to a regional context with a challenging data situation and discuss strengths and uncertainties. The results are mapped for stakeholder communication purposes. They provide an evidence-base to the identification of the trinational vulnerability pattern and may enable stakeholders and decision-makers to enhance their own climate adaptation planning.

Keywords: regional climate vulnerability; assessment; operationalization; indicators; mapping; climate communication; adaptation strategies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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