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Normative Principles for Adaptation to Climate Change Policy Design and Governance

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Climate Change Governance

Part of the book series: Climate Change Management ((CCM))

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Abstract

Recognising climate change as a highly complicated and basically unstructured problem, the purpose of this paper is to suggest a theoretical frame supplemented with practical elements for adaptation to climate change policy design in the context of the requirements of sustainable development normative principles and criteria. The paper attempts to break the business-as-usual approach to policy design and decision-making practice concerning complicated and unstructured problems. The first recommendation for achieving that purpose is the application of a systemic and analytical approach to the elaboration process of adaptation policy, required by the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and reflecting the systemic nature of climate systems and climate change. The second recommendation touches on sustainable development principles, as well as appropriate criteria to be taken into account when proceeding from one policy cycle stage to another. Analysis of experiences from international and Latvian climate change and adaptation policy led to the conclusion of the necessity for a more systemic approach to exploring and managing the risks and benefits related to climate change. It also concluded that an adequate database should be established for assessing socio-economic effects and improving the system of forecast models, including systems related to natural ecosystems and human welfare. Addressing adaptation to climate change from the social dimension and emphasising the national (state) level as the foundation for resolving the issue in a systemic way (minimising risks and maximising benefits), the paper suggests a new approach for practical analysis and preparation of a set of policies employing cause and effect cognition.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Adopted at the national level as “Law on the framework Convention on Climate Change of the United Nations Organisation”, by the national parliament Saeima of Latvia on 23 February 1995.

  2. 2.

    Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, (1940) has been elected as Chairman of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) from 20 April 2002 onwards. He has been active in several international forums dealing with the subject of climate change and its policy dimensions.

  3. 3.

    Source: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/064-24711-084-03-13-911-20080319STO24704-2008-24-03-2008/default_en.htm.

  4. 4.

    Source: Munich Climate Insurance Initiative.

  5. 5.

    Agreed at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in January 2005, in Kobe, Japan, by 168 governments and endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly, the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015: Building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters, provides the foundation for the global implementation of disaster risk reduction. See: http://www.unisdr.org/eng/hfa/hfa.htm.

  6. 6.

    Disaster risk reduction strategies and risk management practices: critical elements for adaptation to climate change. Submission to the UNFCCC Ad Hoc working group on long-term cooperative action by the informal task force on climate change of the inter-agency standing committee 1 and the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), 11 November 2008. This paper was prepared as a submission to the UNFCCC parties on the risk-related matters identified in the Bali Action Plan (1/CP.13, paragraph 1. (c)). The paper provides further background in respect to the submission to the AWG-LCA on 29 September 2008 from the ISDR entitled “Proposals for the AWG-LCA chair’s assembly document on enhanced action on adaptation”, and includes specific information from the humanitarian perspective.

  7. 7.

    http://www.iag.com.au/

  8. 8.

    For principles used to introduce notions of three, four or five capitals, see part II “A framework for sustainable capitalism” in (Porritt 2007, pp. 137–212).

  9. 9.

    Choice of individual indicators included in the CC vulnerability index is determined by: (a) change in population affected by river floods; (b) population in areas below 5 m; (c) potential drought hazard; and (d) vulnerability of fisheries, agriculture and tourism to changes in temperature and precipitation. We have to note, for example, that economic benefits of climate change, ecological effects or effects on health are not included in this indicator.

  10. 10.

    LVL 1 = EUR 0.7098.

  11. 11.

    Source: Rural Support Service, reports from 2000 to 2009.

  12. 12.

    Publication of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia (2007) “Agriculture and Fields of Latvia” (in Latvian).

  13. 13.

    Source: State Forestry Service.

  14. 14.

    Source: JSC “Latvia’s State Forests”.

  15. 15.

    OJ C 283, 20 November 2002.

  16. 16.

    Examples of research projects are “Biological Diversity of Swamp Woods under the Impact of Climate Changes” (2006) and “Changes in the Growing of Trees under the Impact of Climate and Environmental Changes and Connection Thereof with Indicators of Biological Diversity” (2007).

  17. 17.

    Examples of research projects are “Variability of Global Climate and Actions for Reduction of Impact thereof in Latvia” (2005) and “National Adaptation Strategy for the Management of the Risk Caused by Variability of Climate: Extreme Climatic Phenomena and Effects Thereof” (2006).

  18. 18.

    An example of a research project is “Impact Assessment of Extreme Wind Velocity on the Stability of Forest Stand, Development of System for Support of Decision-making” (2006).

  19. 19.

    Source: Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia.

  20. 20.

    Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia No. 187 (11 March 2009) “On the Programme for Environmental Monitoring 2009–2012”include a wide spectrum of indicators reflecting climate change impacts (air temperature, precipitation, wind strength, etc.)

  21. 21.

    State material reserves are understood to be the aggregate of material and financial resources formed in accordance with the procedures specified in this Law, which is used by the institutions involved in the management of disasters; the resources at their disposal are insufficient for the implementation of measures.

  22. 22.

    Conditions of the EU ETS are described in the Directive 2004/101/EC of European Parliament and Council of 27 October 2004 amending the Directive 2003/87/EC establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community, in respect of the Kyoto Protocol’s project mechanisms.

  23. 23.

    ECSSD Sustainable Development Department and ENVCF Carbon Finance Unit (2007). “Latvia’s Participation in International Emissions Trading”. Options Study, p. 136.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia, Raina Boulevard 19, Riga, LV 1586, Latvia

    Ieva Bruneniece

  2. Faculty of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia, Riga, 6 LV 1586, Latvia

    Maris Klavins

Authors
  1. Ieva Bruneniece
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  2. Maris Klavins
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Correspondence to Ieva Bruneniece .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. HafenCity Universiät Hamburg, Winterhuder Weg 29, Hamburg, 22085, Germany

    Jörg Knieling

  2. Wissenschaften Hamburg, Forschungs- und Transferzentrum,, Hochschule fĂĽr Angewandte, Lohbruegger Kirchstr. 65, Hamburg, 21033, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

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Bruneniece, I., Klavins, M. (2013). Normative Principles for Adaptation to Climate Change Policy Design and Governance. In: Knieling, J., Leal Filho, W. (eds) Climate Change Governance. Climate Change Management. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29831-8_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29831-8_4

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