Abstract
This study analyzes processes of adaptation to climate change through participatory research in Sweden’s two largest cities, Stockholm and Gothenburg. Perceptions of climate risks and constraints to adaptation are discussed. Practitioners from the public and private sector have identified stakeholders who are, and who should be, giving attention to adaptation, including the risks and threats facing the regions and how and which factors hinder the implementation of adaptation. In this study, it is found that those issues where adaptation is considered most difficult are mainly related to response capacity.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Adger WN, Arnell N, Thompkins E (2005) Successful adaptation to climate change across scales. Glob Environ Change 15(2):77–86
André K, Simonsson L (2008) Who has influence on adaptation to climate change and climate risk reduction? Identification and analysis of the stakeholder landscape for the Stockholm region – report for the Mistra-Swecia research programme. Centre for Climate Science and Policy Research, Linköping University, Norrköping
Arctic Climate Impact Assessemt [ACIA], Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme [AMAP], International Arctic Science Committee [IASC] (2005) Arctic climate impact assessment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Arnell NW, Charlton BM (2009) Adapting to the effects of climate change on water supply reliability. In: Adger NW, Lorenzoni I, O’Brien KL (eds) Adapting to climate change: thresholds, values, governance. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Bryniellson H (ed) (2003) På jakt efter en ny regional samhällsordning! Svenska Kommunförbundets FoU-råd, Stockholm [in Swedish]
Climate bill (2008 Prop. /09:162). En sammanhållen klimat- och energipolitik. Klimat. Miljödepartementet, Stockholm [in Swedish]
Conde C, Lonsdale K (2005) Engaging stakeholders in the adaptation process. In: Lim B, Spanger-Siegfried E, Burton I et al (eds) Adaptation policy frameworks for climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Eden S (1998) Environmental issues: knowledge, uncertainty and the environment. Prog Hum Geogr 22(3):425–432
European Commission (2003) Common implementation strategy for the water framework directive (2000/60/CE) – guidance document no.8. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-framework/index_en.html. Cited 19 Jan 2008
Few R, Brown K, Tompkins E (2007) Public participation and climate change adaptation: avoiding the illusion of inclusion. Clim Policy 7(1):46–59
Füssel H-M (2005) Vulnerability in climate change research: a comprehensive conceptual framework – paper 6. University of California International and Area Studies, Berkeley
Grothmann T, Patt A (2005) Adaptive capacity and human cognition: the process of individual adaptation to climate change. Glob Environ Change 15(3):199–213
Hågeryd A-C, Viberg L, Lind B (2007) Frekvens av skred i Sverige. Varia 583. Swedish Geotechnical Institute, Linköping [in Swedish]
Keskitalo C (2008) Vulnerability and adaptive capacity in forestry in northern Europe: a Swedish case study. Clim Change 87(1–2):219–234
Koussidjou SA (2001) Strategies of stakeholder analysis to improve participation and project performance: concepts, fields and techniques. In: Interests groups and organization as stakeholders social development papers – paper no.35. http:www-wds.worldbank.org. Cited 15 Oct 2007
Länsstyrelsen i Stockholms län (2008) Regional risk- och sårbarhetsanalys 2007. Länsstyrelsen i Stockholms län, Räddnings- och säkerhetsavdelningen, Stockholm [in Swedish]
Länsstyrelsen i Västra Götalands län, enheten för skydd och säkerhet (2008) Risk- och sårbarhetsanalys 2007. Rapportnr: 2008:22. Länsstyrelsen i Västra Götalands län, enheten för skydd och säkerhet, Göteborg [in Swedish]
Lorenzoni I, Pidgeon NF (2006) Public views on climate change: European and USA perspectives. Clim Change 77(1–2):73–95
Lorenzoni I, Pidgeon NF, O’Connor RE (2005) Dangerous climate change: the role for risk research. Risk Anal 25(6):1387–1397
O’Brien K, Eriksen S, Sygna L et al (2006) Questioning complacency: climate change impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation in Norway. AMBIO J Hum Environ 35(2):50–56
Parry ML, Canziani OF, Palutikof JP et al (eds) (2007) Climate change 2007: impacts adaptation and vulnerability – contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Petersson O (1998) Statsbyggnad. Den offentliga maktens organisation. SNS förlag, Stockholm [in Swedish]
Regionplane- och trafikkontoret [RTK] (2002) Regional utvecklingsplan 2001 för Stockholmsregionen. Program och förslag 2002. Regionplane- och trafikkontoret, Stockholm [in Swedish]
RTK (2009) Klimatförändringar: dags att anpassa sig? En rapport om anpassning till effekterna av klimatförändringar i Stockholmsregionen. Rapport 4:2009. Regionplane- och trafikkontoret, Stockholms Läns Landsting, Stockholm [in Swedish]
Smit B, Skinner MW (2002) Adaptation options in agriculture to climate change: a typology. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change 7(1):85–114
SOU 2000:85 (2000) Regionalt folkstyre och statlig länsförvaltning. Finansdepartementet, Den parlamentariska regionkommittén, Stockholm [in Swedish]
SOU 2007:60 (2007) Sweden facing climate change – threats and opportunities. Swedish Government Official Reports, Final report from the Swedish Commission on Climate and Vulnerability, Stockholm
SOU 2008:24 (2008) Svensk klimatpolitik (Swedish Climate Policy). Miljödepartementet, Stockholm [in Swedish]
Stockholms läns landsting [SLL] (2010) Regional utvecklingsplan för Stockholmsregionen – RUFS 2010. Stockholm [in Swedish]
Sturgis P, Allum N (2004) Science in society: re-evaluating the deficit model of public attitudes. Public Underst Sci 13(1):55–74
Willows RI, Connell RK (eds) (2003) Climate adaptation: risk, uncertainty and decision-making. UK Climate Impacts Programme [UKCIP] Technical Report. UKCIP, Oxford
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express their gratitude to all stakeholders who participated in the study. Their help has made a valuable contribution to a better understanding of the process of adaptation to climate change. Thanks are also due to Peter Rudberg and Tom Gill from Stockholm Environment Institute and the two anonymous reviewers for valuable contributions to the text. The research is funded by The Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (2006-4871-7662-55), and the Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (Mistra) through the Mistra-SWECIA programme (www.mistra-swecia.se).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Simonsson, L., Swartling, Å.G., André, K., Wallgren, O., Klein, R.J.T. (2011). Perceptions of Risk and Limits to Climate Change Adaptation: Case Studies of Two Swedish Urban Regions. In: Ford, J., Berrang-Ford, L. (eds) Climate Change Adaptation in Developed Nations. Advances in Global Change Research, vol 42. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0567-8_23
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0567-8_23
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-0566-1
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-0567-8
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)