Assessing Vulnerability to Global Environmental Change

Anthony Patt leads the Decisions and Governance Research Group in the Program on Risk and Vulnerability at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, in Austria. He has published extensively on climate vulnerability and climate adaptation in Africa. Dagmar Schratter is currently scientific coordinator of a European Era-Net project on climate change adaptation. She has published extensively on global change vulnerability, ecosystem processes and ecosystem services. Richard Klein coordinates climate policy research at the Stockholm Environment Institute. His research interests include methodological aspects of vulnerability assessment, societal adaptation to climate change, and integration of climate and development policy. Anne Cristina de la Vega-Leinert is currently a researcher and lecturer in applied geography at Greifswald University, Germany. She investigates emergent synergies between biodiversity, development, food and human rights issues in the context of global change.

• Forewords by Hans Joachim Schellnhuber and Rik Leemans List of Acronyms and Abbreviations 1 Vulnerability Research and Assessment to Support Adaptation and Mitigation: Common Themes from the Diversity of Approaches Anthony G.Patt, Dagmar Schr ter, A.Cristina de la Vega-Leiner and Richard J.T. Klein2 The House is Both Empty and Sad: Social Vulnerability, Environmental Disturbance, Economic Change and the Irish Potato Famine Evan D.G. Fraser3 Vulnerability Assessments in the Developed World:The UK and Norway Ian Holman and Lars Otto N‘ss4 Vulnerability Assessments in the Developing World: Mozambique and South Africa Siri Eriksen, Coleen Vogel, Gina Ziervogel, Franziska Steinbruch and Florence Nazare5 Global Assessment of Coastal Vulnerability to Sea-Level Rise: Experience from DINAS-COAST Richard J.T. Klein and Jochen Hinkel6 Our Vulnerability to Changes in Ecosystem Services Dagmar Schr ter7 Assessing Vulnerability of Human Health Hans-Martin F‘ssel and Kristie L. Ebi8 Mapping Double Exposure to Climate Change and Trade Liberalization as an Awareness-Raising Tool Robin Leichenko and Karen O'Brien 1566.qxd 8/11/08 8:54 AM Page v9 An Agent-Based Framework for Assessing Vulnerability Futures Lilibeth Acosta-Michlik and Mark Rounsevell10 Assessing Financial and Economic Vulnerability to Natural Hazards: Bridging the Gap between Scientific Assessment and the Implementation of Disaster Risk Management with the CatSim Model Stefan Hochrainer and Reinhard Mechler11 Evaluation of a Stakeholder Dialogue on European Vulnerability to Global Change A. Cristina de la Vega-Leinert and Dagmar Schr ter12 Defining Dangerous Climate Change:The Beijing Exercise Martin Welp, Antonella Battaglini and Carlo C. Jaeger13 A Framework for Analysing Methodologies of Vulnerability Assessments Jochen HinkelIndex

'This book presents the state-of-the-art in vulnerability science ... an essential resource.' Wolfgang Cramer, Professor of Global Ecology, Potsdam institute for Climate Impact Research'Our understanding of vulnerability is changing rapidly through advances in both fundamental research and practical application. This book provides a rare bridge between the two, and will be an exciting stimulus to learning across the communities of science and policy.' William C. Clark, Harvey brooks Professor of international Science, Public Policy and Human Development, Harvard University'This book presents the state-of-the-art in vulnerability science, based on first-hand experience since this new field emerged - an essential resource for advanced students and scholars. Covering aspects of natural and social sciences, it discusses case studies from developed and developing countries.' Wolfgang Cramer, Professor of Global Ecology, Potsdam institute for Climate Impact Research