Adaptation to change

In the effort towards sustainability, it has become increasingly important to develop conceptual frames to understand the dynamics of social and ecological systems. Drawing on complex systems theory, this book investigates how human societies deal with change in linked social-ecological systems, and build capacity to adapt to change. The concept of resilience is central in this context.

This book documents the "Implementing a Resilience Framework to Support Climate Change Adaptation in the Mt. Elgon Region of the Lake Victoria Basin" project, which was funded by USAID and implemented by the IUCN Uganda Office. 

The recent increase in exposure to natural hazards among the communities of Bangladesh is linked to the new generation of threats posed by climate variability and change resulting from anthropogenic activity. Adaptation is not a new approach, but there are still a number of challenges inherent in adaptation and in building resilience to climate-induced threats.

This guidelines outlines one management tool, strategic adaptive management, that has been developed by the staff and managers of Kruger National Park. This approach recognises and is responsive to global change factors in a realistic and practical manner. The guideline aims to present an overview of strategic adaptive management practice, or SAM, as it has emerged within the specific context of Kruger National Park.

This publication presents 18 case studies to demonstrate how Protected Areas (PAs) can be better managed for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA). The chapters vary from scientific studies to good practices, as well as (existing or required) policy frameworks that enable appropriate management. The book presents approaches from different regions and aims to cover a range of hazard events as well as a variety of ecosystem types.

Management of transboundary waters in increasingly becoming more challenging, and climate change is likely to exacerbate these pressures. Not least because climate change is a global issue, adaptation will require an international response. This book aims to identify issues, both theoretical and practical, that States face in establishing cooperative transboundary mechanisms to effectively adapt water management to climate change.