A global network of researchers has flagged eight areas for prioritisation in adaptation research, as the world braces for continued climate change impacts – from increases in temperature to extreme weather events and the varied risks to lives and livelihoods. The group of 126 researchers, including The University of the West Indies’ Dr. Donovan Campbell of the Department of Geography and Geology, Mona, and Dr. Aidan Farrell of the Department of Life Sciences, St Augustine campus, recently did a stocktake of evidence of human adaptation to climate change.
“Ultimately, and in most cases,” the researchers explained, “adaptation success results in avoided harm at some point in the future. This is intrinsically difficult to measure, but it is possible to assess change in climatological, ecological and human health outcome variables, such as flood damage, crop yield and health impacts. Introducing effective monitoring of these variables at the start of adaptation programmes, ideally in a comparative way with counterfactuals, would allow assessment of the response effectiveness, and at least observed, current benefits.” Also required is financing to do the work.
Published on 07 Jan, 2022
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