Environmental Sustainability Integrated Strategies: Analysing Existing Literature

The Collective-Action Problem and Climate Change

Discuss about the Environmental Sustainability Integrated Strategies.

Changed climate is one of the most common issues affecting the global standard of living for human and any other living population. Climate change is referred to the change in statistical distribution of weather pattern throughout a longer period. The climate change is causing due to factors associates with the biotic processes, plate tectonics, variations in solar radiation and certain human activities like abruptly cutting trees. Global warming is one of the major issues raised due to climate change (Wilby & Dessai, 2010). Thus, a number of national and international intentions have been developed for combating the climate change. In this essay, the existing literatures on climate change and adaptations for sustainable development would be analyzed. The role of government on sustaining those initiatives would also be assessed by reviewing existing literatures related to the current topic. Selection of this topic is significant because “global climate change” is a wide topic, which can address different specific issues covered in this topic.

Wilby and Dessai (2010) defined the global environment change as a global collective-action problem as the entire world is suffering from its negative impact and the reduction strategies needs expensive actions. According to Conventional collective action theory, these problems need appropriate action taken by the external authority to get the solution. The global sea level change in the last century has been estimated widely, which have widely affected the survival of marine animals. On the other hand, the decline in arctic sea ice level through several last decades is the evidence for rapid change in climate. Due to changes in sea level and overall climate change, the increase of surface temperature and changes in hydrological cycle is changing the waterfall patterns, which is affecting the water reservation and management. From a global perspective, a number of disasters caused by the weather associated phenomenon have been enhanced. Thus, Huntjens, Pahl-Wostl and Grin (2010) have focused upon the management of the “river basin at sub national level”. For dealing with new and existing complexities regarding water resource management, there should be a significant response towards the change in social and natural environment for predicting related doubts. The author highlighted that an integrated and adaptive “water resource management” involves “a real paradigm shift” in “water management”, which aims to enhance the “adaptive capacity of river basins in Europe”, thereby involving an alteration in entire “water management regime”. Author revealed several important regime elements that need to be considered for identifying standard patterns in “adaptive and integrated water management” and to address the function of these regimes in dealing with  climate change effect on droughts or floods. Findings revealed two ways association between collaboration and information management are important instead of bottom-up governance. It has been revealed from this research that all the regimes are attempting to achieve a “balance between bottom-up and top-down governance”. However, it has also been revealed that the river basins where one type of extreme is predominating, the impact of other extreme’s urgency should also be considered.

River Basin Management for Water Resource Management

In the last two decades, the European climate policy concentrated on mitigation of climate change issue and with the observation of its increased impact on the issue, the strategies were included to the policy agenda and development of National Adaptation Strategies (NAS) began. Biesbroek et al., (2010) assessed the level of sustainable development of NASs in Europe. Through a framework of six themes researchers analyzed the NASs in different European countries.  The thematic analyzed revealed that nine EU member states already developed a National Adaptation Strategy, whereas other state were going through a developing process. These countries showed sustainable development in Europe for climate change adaptation. The research study revealed that the EU policies, international climate negotiations, economic costs of inactions, development in other countries, media presentation, opportunity recognition, scientific research are the motivational factors for countries to develop National Adaptation strategy. Moreover, these drivers are facilitating good cooperation between political leers, enhancing political will, enhanced knowledge availability and compatibility, thereby promoting the development of National Adaptation Strategy. In addition, it h s also been found that a multi-level interaction is very important for development of long term and sustainable NAS and its implementation.  Analyzing NASs across different states in Europe, it has been revealed that multilevel governance, policy integration is wider challenge in this context compared to technical solutions.

Ford, Berrang-Ford and Paterson (2011) conducted a systematic mixed method literature review for analyzing the climate change adaptation in different nations. In contrast to the article provided by Biesbroek et al., (2010), this research is not limited in Europe, rather has been focused on the maintenance and sustainability of the climate change adaptation strategies in developed nations. The systematic review revealed that in developed nations, climate change adaptation actions are not reported frequently. Moreover, higher-levels of government are key players in reporting adaptations. Adaptations are mostly implemented in municipality and higher-levels of government and government mechanism, institutional guidelines were found to be the predominating adaptation forms. The review documented that the most adaptation interventions were non-structural involving plans, policies, guidelines, regulations or operating frameworks. The key component of these non-structural climate change adaptations involved interventions for improving the way of dealing and experiencing with change by the human system. The finding revealed negligible most focus of climate change adaptation was on the Arctic and coastal areas, especially in the UK and US publications; whereas no significant reporting was found for other vulnerable groups outside thee areas. However, the review revealed a wider documentation regarding the barriers of adaptation implementation. Within this context, the institutional challenge is one of the mostly noted barriers related to sustainability of change. Whereas, Tompkins et al., (2010) argued that coastal planning in UK is hindered by the local political necessity, where long term planning are scarified in national level.

National Adaptation Strategies for Addressing Climate Change

Supporting the findings of Biesbroek et al., (2010), Bauer and Steurer (2015) compared the NAS in German and Dutch water management. Throughout Europe, comprehensive multi-sectoral adaptation strategies were the predominating adaptation strategies for dealing with climate change. Like the European strategies, German adaptation strategies also include 14 different sectors with national issues and measures to make the approach comprehensive, which also provided orientation to other sub-national actors. In contrast, Netherland represented a climate change adaptation known as Dutch Delta Program, which is focused upon sectoral approach. In contrast to the multi-sectoral approach, in delta program, a Delta committee is appointed for flood protection and risk management in Netherlands; the committee recommended a Delta act with its fund. Upon comparing the multi-sectoral, comprehensive approaches with the sectorally focused approach, it has been revealed that there is no significant superiority in the multi-sectoral strategy implementation by Germany and other OECD countries over the sectorally focused approach. Based on the findings, it can be interpreted that weaknesses in each approach can be compensated by implementation of combined approach. However, Bauer and Steurer (2015) argued that there should be diversity in governance of climate change adaptation.

Eriksen et al., (2011) argued that limate adaptation is a vital issue, but slight attention has been paid over the impact of adaptation policies and practices for sustainability. The article provided by the author represented the normative principles for guiding different strategies towards sustainable practice with long term effects. Climate change adaptation strategies are well adapted by the developed and developing countries, but the sustainability is barely considered and reported by the nations, which is an important aspect. In this context, Eriksen et al., (2011) had identified key principles of ensuring sustainability of those climate change adaptation strategies. These principles include “recognizing the context for vulnerability, “acknowledging that different values and interests affect adaptation outcomes”, including multiple stressors”, “considering potential feedbacks between local and global processes” and “integrating local knowledge into adaptation responses”. Therefore, it has been revealed that along with the selection of the best possible adaptation strategies, its sustainability should also be ensured. It needs attaining strategies beyond single climate proofing measures. The authors highlighted the importance of considering social, environmental and other related contexts along with cost-effectiveness of its applicability.

Munasinghe (2011) supported the viewpoints and findings revealed in the articles by Eriksen et al., (2011), by addressing two chief global challenges including climate change and sustainable development. Due to climate change, population is facing several social, economic and “environmental threats”, within which, the economic downturn is the most pressing issue. Eriksen et al., (2011) claimed that policy makers or strategy developers should focus more on ensuring sustainability and cost effectiveness of the adaptation strategies, whereas Munasinghe (2011) highlighted that deeper issues should be addressed in a systematically approach by concentrating on both direct drivers and basic strains. This statement is supported by Eriksen et al., (2011), but Munasinghe (2011) put an addition to the previous work, by considering the importance of using sustainomics in national sustainable strategy development regarding “climate change adaptation”. Sustainomics is a practical frame for integration in the strategy development process, to ensure sustainability of a strategy. This approach can be applied at global level for reconciling “climate change risk management and development aspirations”. Moreover, Munasinghe (2011) addressed the integration of some pivotal adaptation and mitigation policies including “sustainable pricing policies, macroeconomic policy adjustment, and climate impacts on agriculture, food security, and water management and renewable energy projects”, which has been addressed by Biesbroek et al., (2010) and other authors. Immediate collaborative action can mitigate these complex issues.

Climate Change Adaptation in Developed Nations

Adger (2010) highlighted a different perspective of climate change strategies adaptation. The author provided a view point of how social capital is being affected by the climate change strategy adaptation and how it is affecting the cascade of social system. The author highlighted that with increased climate change related consequences, all the social and environmental levels should be considered while learning from the past and present strategy adaptations for understanding the limitations of different aspects of change including markets, states and civil society; eliminating those hindrance would make the future strategies more sustainable practices. Adger (2010) claimed that “these aspects are bound up in their capability to act cooperatively”. Therefore, the author’s viewpoint is supporting the viewpoint of Munasinghe (2011), Eriksen et al., (2011) and Berrang-Ford and Paterson (2011) findings.

Klein (2011) has shown the important role of technology in climate change sustainable strategy adaptation. However, author highlighted the role and importance of government and addressed that effectiveness of a technology relies upon its necessity of being a part of broader strategy, acknowledging uncertainty and addressing the factors influencing future vulnerability. The author highlighted that such a strategy requires the integration of economic development efforts along with human resource consideration, thereby supporting the findings of Eriksen et al., (2011). Casado-Asensio and Steurer (2014) showed the importance of collaborative operations for developing multi-sectoral strategies related to adaptation for climate change. Alike Bauer and Steurer (2015) the importance of considering policy rationale, governance characteristics and performance standards has been highlighted in by the author. The author also suggested opportunities for further integrated strategy development. Finally, supporting the previous literatures, Casado-Asensio and Steurer (2014) recommended recalibration of strategies towards better communication, which is a key aspect in improving collaborative practices and raising awareness. Measham et al., (2011) addressed issues or barriers for implementing the climate change adaptation strategies, which should be mitigated for sustainable development, as found in some previously discussed resources, representing barriers. Author showed that considering these issues in “local and state based planning” can help to get better climate change adaptation.

The literature review revealed that temperature rise is the most evident cause of climate change, and the increase in CO2 level due to the emissions from fossil fuel combustion, ozone layer depletion and deforestations are the key reasons behind massive climate change and its negative impacts upon lives on earth In conclusion, it has been revealed that a collaborative and focused approach involving systematic process will enhance the effectiveness of the practices along with enhanced sustainability of environmental well being. The literature review identified the barriers of climate change adaptation strategies along with the suitable ways to mitigate those challenges and making the change sustainable.

Reference List

Adger, W. N. (2010). Social capital, collective action, and adaptation to climate change. In Der klimawandel (pp. 327-345). VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.

Bauer, A., & Steurer, R. (2015). National Adaptation Strategies, what else? Comparing adaptation mainstreaming in German and Dutch water management. Regional Environmental Change, 15(2), 341-352.

Biesbroek, G. R., Swart, R. J., Carter, T. R., Cowan, C., Henrichs, T., Mela, H., … & Rey, D. (2010). Europe adapts to climate change: comparing national adaptation strategies. Global environmental change, 20(3), 440-450.

Casado-Asensio, J., & Steurer, R. (2014). Integrated strategies on sustainable development, climate change mitigation and adaptation in Western Europe: communication rather than coordination. Journal of Public Policy, 34(03), 437-473.

Eriksen, S., Aldunce, P., Bahinipati, C. S., Martins, R. D. A., Molefe, J. I., Nhemachena, C., … & Ulsrud, K. (2011). When not every response to climate change is a good one: Identifying principles for sustainable adaptation. Climate and Development, 3(1), 7-20.

Ford, J. D., Berrang-Ford, L., & Paterson, J. (2011). A systematic review of observed climate change adaptation in developed nations. Climatic change, 106(2), 327-336.

Huntjens, P., Pahl-Wostl, C., & Grin, J. (2010). Climate change adaptation in European river basins. Regional Environmental Change, 10(4), 263-284.

Klein, R. J. (2011). Adaptation to climate change. In Climate (pp. 157-168). Springer Netherlands.

Measham, T. G., Preston, B. L., Smith, T. F., Brooke, C., Gorddard, R., Withycombe, G., & Morrison, C. (2011). Adapting to climate change through local municipal planning: barriers and challenges. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 16(8), 889-909.

Munasinghe, M. (2011). Addressing sustainable development and climate change together using sustainomics. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 2(1), 7-18.

Tompkins, E. L., Adger, W. N., Boyd, E., Nicholson-Cole, S., Weatherhead, K., & Arnell, N. (2010). Observed adaptation to climate change: UK evidence of transition to a well-adapting society. Global environmental change, 20(4), 627-635.

Wilby, R. L., & Dessai, S. (2010). Robust adaptation to climate change. Weather, 65(7), 180-185.