VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT UPTAKE FOR ADAPTATION SUCCESS

Keynote for ARCC Expert’s Meeting 2014

HEATHER MCGRAY, MOUSHUMI CHAUDHURY, AYESHA DINSHAW Image © Flickr/CGIAR ClimateWORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE

ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE Difficult to Define

Pictures: © Thomas Leuthard © M. Defreese/CIMMYT © Nigel Finn © T. Samson/CIMMYT

DEFINING ADAPTATION SUCCESS: MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS MATTER

• The intention of the adaptation intervention

• The result of the adaptation intervention

• The potential for transformation in the adaptation intervention

VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT IN THE ADAPTATION PROCESS

Source: ICLEI Europe

A WORKING DEFINITION OF UPTAKE

Use or an application of findings from a scientific study, such as vulnerability assessments, to

inform decision making.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN UPTAKE-READY VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT

Salience

Legitimacy

Credibility

• Credibility: The perceived technical quality and adequacy of the presented evidence and claims. Findings perceived as having high technical quality are likely to be more compelling to a decision maker.

• Salience: The perceived relevance of the technical information provided.

• Legitimacy: Demonstrates that the process of collecting scientific information involves participation of various stakeholders in an unbiased manner.

Adopted from: Cash DW, Clark WC, Alcock F, Dickson NM, Eckley N, Guston D, Jager J, Mitchell R (2003) Knowledge systems for sustainable development. Proceeding of the National Academy of Science USA 100(14):8086–8091.

BUILDING CREDIBILITY

Picture: Participatory planning processesPhoto: Pieter Terpstra

• Use appropriate, high quality data and information and recognized analysis procedures

• Communicate uncertainties to better explain the range of

possible vulnerabilities

• Allow stakeholders to debate over various sources of data and information to assess whether it presents unbiased views and incorporates multiple perspectives

DEVELOPING SALIENCE

Picture: Meeting with town planners in KeralaPhoto: sathiallforpartnerships.org

• Gather and share input from decision makers about their information needs and intended uses of the CC VA findings

• Structure CC VA findings to directly address critical, expressed needs

• Release information from the CC VA in a timely manner aligned with policy, planning and procurement schedules

SOURCES OF LEGITIMACY

Picture: Stakeholder participation, KenyaPhoto: Moushumi Chaudhury

• Ensure that stakeholders representative of different sectors of society are involved throughout the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment process

• Assess power dynamics to ensure that various stakeholder groups have equal voice

FACTORS THAT ENABLE UPTAKE

• Knowledge brokers

• Champions

• Communication

• Context

A FRAMEWORK FOR UPTAKE

Salience

Legitimacy

Credibility

CONTEXT

Champions

Knowledge brokers

Communication

UPTAKE by

decision

makers

FROM ASSESSMENT TO SUCCESS

Salience

Legitimacy

Credibility

CONTEXT

Champions

Knowledge brokers

Communication

UPTAKE by

decision makers

SUCCESSIMPLEMENTATION

Thank you!

For questions, please contact:Moushumi Chaudhury: Mchaudhury@wri.org;Ayesha Dinshaw: Adinshaw@wri.org; orHeather McGray: Hmcgray@wri.org