This study highlights drought characteristics and the many responses to drought stresses employed by Turkana pastoralists of northwestern Kenya. Multiple data sources, including socioeconomic interviews with 302 house...This study highlights drought characteristics and the many responses to drought stresses employed by Turkana pastoralists of northwestern Kenya. Multiple data sources, including socioeconomic interviews with 302 households, focus group discussions, and informal interviews with pastoralists were used to capture various aspects of drought and drought adaptation and coping practices.Standardized precipitation index derived from long-term rainfall data obtained from the Kenya Meteorological Service was used to quantify different degrees of drought intensity between 1950 and 2012. Results revealed that extreme drought events were increasingly frequent, and have impacted negatively on pastoral livelihoods. In order to adapt to or cope with climatic anomalies, households are using a variety of strategies. In addition to the traditional short-term coping mechanisms, the long-term adaptation strategies used include diversification of livelihood sources; livestock mobility to track forage and water resources;diversification of herd composition to benefit from the varied drought and disease tolerance, as well as fecundity of diverse livestock species; and sending children to school for formal education as a long term investment expected to pay back through income from employment. Policies anddevelopment interventions that reduce risks, diminish livelihood constraints, and expand opportunities for increased household resilience to drought are critical complements to the existing pastoral strategies.展开更多
Seaports are critical for global trade and development but are at risk of climate change-driven damages,operational disruptions and delays with extensive related economic losses.The aim of the present contribution is ...Seaports are critical for global trade and development but are at risk of climate change-driven damages,operational disruptions and delays with extensive related economic losses.The aim of the present contribution is to(a)provide an overview of the main impacts of climate variability and change(CV&C)on ports;(b)present recent research on trends and projections involving the main climatic factors/hazards affecting global ports;(c)provide an analytical overview of emerging international and regional policies and legislation relevant to port risk assessment and resilience-building under climate change;and(d)consider issues and areas for further action.As shown by projections under different climatic scenarios and timelines,many global ports will increasingly be exposed to significantly growing hazards under increasing CV&C,including extreme sea levels(ESLs),waves,and extreme heat events.Depending on scenario(RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5)by 2050,55%to 59%of the 3630 global ports considered could face ESLs in excess of 2 m above the baseline mean sea levels(mean of the 1980-2014 period);by 2100,between 71%and 83%of ports could face ESLs of this magnitude.Ports in most tropical/sub-tropical settings will face the baseline(mean of the 1976-2005 period)1-in-100 year extreme heat every 1-5 years,whereas with 3 oC global warming,most global ports(except some in higher latitudes)could experience the baseline 1-in-100 years extreme heat event every 1-2 years.A range of policy and legal instruments to support climate change adaptation,resilience-building and disaster risk reduction have been agreed internationally as well as at regional levels.At the EU level,relevant legal obligations and related normative technical guidance aimed at ensuring the climate proofing of new infrastructure are already in place as a matter of supra-national law for 27 EU Member States.These could significantly enhance levels of climate-resilience and preparedness for ports within the EU,as well as for EU funded port projects in other countries,and may serve as useful examples of good practices for other countries.However,further action is needed to advance and accelerate the implementation of effective adaptation measures for ports across regions.展开更多
Beate Trankmann, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in China, tells Beijing Review about the cooperation between the UNDP and China and what the results mean for the world. This...Beate Trankmann, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in China, tells Beijing Review about the cooperation between the UNDP and China and what the results mean for the world. This is an edited excerpt of the interview:Beijing Review:What is going to be the focus of development in the post-novel coronavirus pandemic period?展开更多
基金funded by African Climate Change Fellowship ProgramGlobal Change for System Analysis, Research & Training—ACCFP/START+1 种基金support from the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Center/STARTUnited Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) under Climate and Development Knowledge Network small grant
文摘This study highlights drought characteristics and the many responses to drought stresses employed by Turkana pastoralists of northwestern Kenya. Multiple data sources, including socioeconomic interviews with 302 households, focus group discussions, and informal interviews with pastoralists were used to capture various aspects of drought and drought adaptation and coping practices.Standardized precipitation index derived from long-term rainfall data obtained from the Kenya Meteorological Service was used to quantify different degrees of drought intensity between 1950 and 2012. Results revealed that extreme drought events were increasingly frequent, and have impacted negatively on pastoral livelihoods. In order to adapt to or cope with climatic anomalies, households are using a variety of strategies. In addition to the traditional short-term coping mechanisms, the long-term adaptation strategies used include diversification of livelihood sources; livestock mobility to track forage and water resources;diversification of herd composition to benefit from the varied drought and disease tolerance, as well as fecundity of diverse livestock species; and sending children to school for formal education as a long term investment expected to pay back through income from employment. Policies anddevelopment interventions that reduce risks, diminish livelihood constraints, and expand opportunities for increased household resilience to drought are critical complements to the existing pastoral strategies.
基金supported by the research project ResPorts("Enhancing resilience for Greek ports-ResPorts")which is being implemented within the framework of the"Natural Environment&Innovative Actions 2022/Priority Axis 3:Research and Application"program,funded by the Green Fund of the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy.
文摘Seaports are critical for global trade and development but are at risk of climate change-driven damages,operational disruptions and delays with extensive related economic losses.The aim of the present contribution is to(a)provide an overview of the main impacts of climate variability and change(CV&C)on ports;(b)present recent research on trends and projections involving the main climatic factors/hazards affecting global ports;(c)provide an analytical overview of emerging international and regional policies and legislation relevant to port risk assessment and resilience-building under climate change;and(d)consider issues and areas for further action.As shown by projections under different climatic scenarios and timelines,many global ports will increasingly be exposed to significantly growing hazards under increasing CV&C,including extreme sea levels(ESLs),waves,and extreme heat events.Depending on scenario(RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5)by 2050,55%to 59%of the 3630 global ports considered could face ESLs in excess of 2 m above the baseline mean sea levels(mean of the 1980-2014 period);by 2100,between 71%and 83%of ports could face ESLs of this magnitude.Ports in most tropical/sub-tropical settings will face the baseline(mean of the 1976-2005 period)1-in-100 year extreme heat every 1-5 years,whereas with 3 oC global warming,most global ports(except some in higher latitudes)could experience the baseline 1-in-100 years extreme heat event every 1-2 years.A range of policy and legal instruments to support climate change adaptation,resilience-building and disaster risk reduction have been agreed internationally as well as at regional levels.At the EU level,relevant legal obligations and related normative technical guidance aimed at ensuring the climate proofing of new infrastructure are already in place as a matter of supra-national law for 27 EU Member States.These could significantly enhance levels of climate-resilience and preparedness for ports within the EU,as well as for EU funded port projects in other countries,and may serve as useful examples of good practices for other countries.However,further action is needed to advance and accelerate the implementation of effective adaptation measures for ports across regions.
文摘Beate Trankmann, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in China, tells Beijing Review about the cooperation between the UNDP and China and what the results mean for the world. This is an edited excerpt of the interview:Beijing Review:What is going to be the focus of development in the post-novel coronavirus pandemic period?
