Article

Assessing climate change vulnerability in Alaska's fishing communities

February 2015
Fisheries Research 162:1-11

DOI:10.1016/j.fishres.2014.09.010

Authors:

Amber Himes-Cornell

Université de Bretagne Occidentale

Stephen Kasperski

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Creative Food Cycles - Book1 http://dx.doi.org/10.15488/10074

Book

Full-text available

Sep 2020

http://dx.doi.org/10.15488/10074 Creative Food Cycles addresses three interconnected fields of innovation: 1. CREATIVE FOOD CYCLES AS DRIVER FOR URBAN RESILIENCE. Fostering novel and adaptive Food Cycles as driver for resilience in cities, economy, society, and culture. 2. CREATIVE FOOD CYCLES AS SOCIAL INNOVATION. Extending civic participation in Food Cycles toward active engagement, new urban communities, and new models of social entrepreneurship. 3. CREATIVE FOOD CYCLES BASED ON DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES. Experimenting with interactive devices and digital protocols with a strong cultural and social impact, as an empowering force of Food Cycles Creative Food Cycles is funded by the European Union in the Creative Europe programme from 2018 to 2020. The project is coordinated by the Institute for Design and Urban Planning of the Leibniz University of Hannover and pre- formed with the project partners Institute for Advanced Architecture of Cat- alonia IAAC Barcelona/Spain and Department of Architecture and Design of the University of Genoa/Italy. Creative Food Cycles combines research with experimental prototyping, cultural actions and social dialogue.

Aligning integrated ecosystem assessment with adaptation planning in support of ecosystem-based management

Article

Jul 2021

Pamela J Woods

Supporting resilience is a common goal of natural resource management, but managing under changing conditions that requires adaptation is a modern challenge. A state-of-the-art framework for implementing an integrated ecosystem assessment (IEA), the NOAA IEA approach, is used as an example to demonstrate whether and how assessment in ecosystem-based management (EBM), as often implemented in fisheries, can be expected to facilitate planned adaptation. Using comparisons with another assessment framework developed for implementing a climate change adaptation project, the United Nations Development Programme-Global Environment Facility Adaptation Policy Framework (UNDP-GEF APF), this paper expands and operationalizes the concepts of managing for resilience versus change in EBM as presented by West et al.(2009). It first introduces a variety of terms from climate change adaptation literature to help institutionalize “planned adaptation” as a useful concept within fisheries, then presents an expanded map of adaptive management processes in EBM. Finally, it proposes steps for enhancing processes supporting planned adaptation in individual applications of EBM in fisheries. Steps include (i) recognizing interest and funding for adaptation planning as prerequisites, (ii) evaluating what information or actors are lacking to implement better planning, and (iii) determining what institutional processes within an adaptive management cycle need augmentation.

Progress in climate change adaptation in the Arctic

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Full-text available

Sep 2020
ENVIRON RES LETT

Climate adaptation is a priority for Arctic regions which are witnessing some of the most rapid warming globally. Studies have documented examples of adaptation responses in the Arctic, but assessments evaluating if and how progress is being made over time remain scarce. We identify and examine adaptation progress in the Arctic using a systematic tracking methodology to compare adaptations documented during 2014–19 to those documented for the period 2004–2013 in a benchmark study by Ford et al (2014). Utilising the peer reviewed literature as out data source, we find no noticeable increase in reported adaptations across the two time periods, with the profile of adaptations undertaken remaining largely the same. The majority of documented adaptations continue to be reported in North America, are being undertaken most often in the subsistence-based hunting and fishing sector, are primarily developed in response to a combination of climatic and non-climatic stimuli, are reactive and behavioural in nature, and are mainly carried out at the individual/community scale. Climate change is observed, however, to have a more prominent role in motivating adaptation between 2014–19, consistent with intensifying climate-related exposures in the Arctic. There is limited evidence in the reported adaptations analysed that potential opportunities and benefits from the impacts of climate change are being targeted. The paper provides a general characterisation of adaptation across the Arctic and how it is evolving, and needs to be complimented in follow-up work by studies using alternative data sources on adaptation and research at national to regional scales.

The Relationship between Climate Vulnerability and Disaster Declarations: A Case Study of Flood-Prone Indigenous Communities in Alaska

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2020

Using descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, one-way ANOVA, and an environmental justice lens, we considered the social and physical vulnerability factors associated with climate change and flood-related disaster declarations for Alaska Native Villages (ANVs), which are indigenous communities. We found that, on average, compared with communities not involved in disaster declarations, communities with disaster declarations between 1977 and 2014 had lower elevation, more exposure to erosion, less precipitation in summer and fall, larger populations, less population growth, a higher percentage of youth, larger household size, a higher percentage of Alaska Natives, more population below the poverty level, and lower per capita income. This finding is positive, because it suggests that, collectively, communities with greater vulnerability are getting more disaster declarations, which come with disaster aid. However, some of the most vulnerable communities may not be getting all the help they need. In particular, southwestern communities along the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers were statistically more likely to get disaster declarations than were ANVs that received attention in the media and the literature for their vulnerability.

Arctique : enjeux, opportunités et défis

Book

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Jan 2015

Trait‐based climate vulnerability assessments in data‐rich systems: An application to eastern Bering Sea fish and invertebrate stocks

Article

Sep 2019

Trait‐based climate vulnerability assessments based on expert evaluation have emerged as a rapid tool to assess biological vulnerability when detailed correlative or mechanistic studies are not feasible. Trait‐based assessments typically view vulnerability as a combination of sensitivity and exposure to climate change. However, in some locations, a substantial amount of information may exist on system productivity and environmental conditions (both current and projected), with potential disparities in the information available for data‐rich and data‐poor stocks. Incorporating this level of detailed information poses challenges when conducting, and communicating uncertainty from, rapid vulnerability assessments. We applied a trait‐based vulnerability assessment to 36 fish and invertebrate stocks in the eastern Bering Sea (EBS), a data‐rich ecosystem. In recent years, the living marine resources of the EBS and Aleutian Islands have supported fisheries worth more than US $1 billion of annual ex‐vessel value. Our vulnerability assessment uses projections (to 2039) from three downscaled climate models, and graphically characterizes the variation in climate projections between climate models and between seasons. Bootstrapping was used to characterize uncertainty in specific biological traits and environmental variables, and in the scores for sensitivity, exposure, and vulnerability. The sensitivity of EBS stocks to climate change ranged from “low” to “high,” but vulnerability ranged between “low” and “moderate” due to limited exposure to climate change. Comparison with more detailed studies reveals that water temperature is an important variable for projecting climate impacts on stocks such as walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus), and sensitivity analyses revealed that modifying the rule for determining vulnerability increased the vulnerability scores. This study demonstrates the importance of considering several uncertainties (e.g., climate projections, biological, and model structure) when conducting climate vulnerability assessments, and can be extended in future research to consider the vulnerability of user groups dependent on these stocks. We conducted a trait‐based climate vulnerability assessment for groundfish, salmon, and crab stocks in the eastern Bering Sea, a data‐rich region, and leveraged existing downscaled climate projections, species distribution models, and (for some stocks) detailed biological studies. The vulnerability ranged from “low” to “moderate”; however, comparison with more detailed studies indicates that water temperature may have important effects on climate vulnerability for some stocks. We also demonstrate how several types of uncertainties (climate projections, biological, and model structure) can be analyzed and communicated, including bootstrapping of the results.

Conceptualizations of Resilient Community for Social Futures

Chapter

Mar 2023

Eija Meriläinen

Understanding perceptions of climate vulnerability to inform more effective adaptation in coastal communities

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2023

Coastal social-ecological systems are vulnerable to climate change with impacts distributed unequally amongst human communities. Vulnerability assessments, an increasingly popular methodology for understanding variability in vulnerability and its components, often fail to include or recognize the perceptions of individuals in the focal system. Perceptions of climate vulnerability are influenced by experiences, social networks, and cognitive biases, and often differ from vulnerability as measured by subject experts. Because perceptions influence human behavior, including if and how people take adaptive action, a failure to recognize perceptions can lead to ineffective adaptation plans and an incomplete understanding of system vulnerability. Here, as part of a novel, multi-method effort to evaluate vulnerability to climate change in the California Current social-ecological system, we survey fishers from Washington, Oregon, and California to understand their perceived vulnerability and investigate what factors drive variability in their views. We find that while there is a connection between some factors known to influence vulnerability of fishers, including vessel size and the diversity of fishing portfolios, the most significant predictor of higher perceived vulnerability was environmental worldview, specifically a belief that climate change is occurring. Motivation to adapt is also influenced by the sentiment that the impacts of climate change are more urgent and consequential than other problems; thus, we also evaluate how concern levels for environmental issues compare to other challenges that may affect fishing success and wellbeing. While just under half think that they will be personally harmed by climate change, generally the fishers were more concerned about issues like costs and regulations than they were about environmental impacts. This assessment of perceptions highlights the importance of communication and addressing cognitive barriers to adaptation in the effort to develop climate resilient fisheries and fishing communities in the United States.

Harvester perceptions of climate vulnerability: Contributions to building climate resilient fisheries

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2023

The uncertainty of future ocean conditions caused by climate change challenges the conventional fisheries management model that assumes resource extraction occurs in a steady-state environment. As managers respond to climate impacts and focus on long-term preparedness, an overarching goal is to minimize the vulnerability of fishing businesses and communities. However, during the adaptation process, challenges can arise when perceptions of climate change vulnerability differ among scientists, managers, and harvesters. A harvester’s perception of their risk to climate change influences their willingness to plan for and respond to change, yet these views are often overlooked in adaptation planning. To better understand this dynamic, we conducted a regional survey to evaluate the perceptions harvesters hold regarding the impacts of climate change on commercially fished species in the Northeastern United States and the resulting risks from those changes. The waters in this region of the Northwest Atlantic shelf are warming faster than the global average resulting in shifting distributions of species, altered seasonal migrations, and changes in productivity. Respondents’ perceptions aligned with an analysis conducted by scientists on the directionality of climate impacts for 12 out of 27 (44%) of the most commercially important species in the region. Additionally, an understanding of the variability in perceptions of climate change vulnerability emerged: 72% of respondents believe climate change is occurring, 53% believe climate change will harm them personally, and 28% have already seen a negative impact on their ability to catch fish. Respondents who believe that climate change is occurring had higher perceptions of vulnerability on average than those who do not believe it is occurring. Despite a sense of vulnerability to climate change, respondents did not rank it among the top three concerns (fisheries regulations, market access, and access to working waterfronts) for their fishing businesses. Investigating harvester’s perceptions is an opportunity to share their experiences and understand the diversity of perspectives regarding the impacts of climate change. Increasing the inclusion of social science indicators and diverse perspectives will increase climate resilience of fisheries management.

Wpływ zmian klimatycznych i gospodarki zarybieniowej na efektywność gospodarki rybackiej na podstawie informacji uzyskanych od rybackich użytkowników wód [PhD Thesis - The effects of climate change and stocking programs on the effectiveness of fisheries management based on information obtained from fishery users of inland waters]

Thesis

Full-text available

Jun 2022

Marek Trella

(PL) Zmiany klimatyczne wywierają coraz większy wpływ na globalną, państwową i regionalną gospodarkę, gdyż pośrednio i bezpośrednio oddziałują na tak ważne segmenty, jak produktywność i efektywność rolnictwa czy energetyki, ale również na ochronę środowiska czy bezpieczeństwo ludności. Wpływ zmian klimatu na ekosystemy wodne i zasoby ryb stanowi przedmiot coraz liczniejszych badań naukowych prowadzonych w różnych częściach świata. łagodzenie zmian klimatu i adaptacja do jego zmian to kluczowe wyzwania, jakim musi stawić czoła w XXI w. cała branża rybacka. Gospodarkę rybacką na śródlądziu, w odróżnieniu od rybołówstwa morskiego, można nazwać niskoemisyjną, jednak globalne zmiany na pewno wpłyną i już wpływają na warunki jej prowadzenia. Do wdrożenia właściwych strategii zarządzania i zrównoważonej eksploatacji zasobów rybnych niezbędna jest podstawowa wiedza na temat zarządzanych wód. Gospodarka rybacka jest dość złożoną formą działalności zbudowaną z wielu elementów, takich jak: rybołówstwo komercyjne i rekreacyjne (wędkarstwo) oraz właściwie prowadzona gospodarka zarybieniowa. Gospodarka zarybieniowa musi spełniać trzy podstawowe warunki: musi być ekologicznie dopuszczalna (bezpieczna), a jednocześnie pożądana społecznie i ekonomicznie wykonalna. Efektywna gospodarka zarybieniowa jest kluczowym elementem gospodarki rybackiej, gdyż jednym z jej najważniejszych celów jest utrzymanie lub zwiększenie liczebności populacji cennych gospodarczo gatunków ryb do poziomu, który sprawia, że prowadzenie takiej gospodarki jest opłacalne ekonomicznie. Omawiana dysertacja nie bazuje na skomplikowanych modelach klimatycznych, ale na informacjach uzyskanych od rybackich użytkowników wód, którzy z racji specyfiki swego zawodu są z jednej strony najbliżej środowiska wodnego i jego zmian (a zatem pełnoprawnymi ich obserwatorami), a z drugiej żywotnie zainteresowani powstrzymaniem (jeśli takie występują) negatywnych skutków zmian klimatu na ichtiofaunę i prowadzenie gospodarki rybackiej. Odpowiednie zarządzanie zasobami ichtiofauny, czyli wyważona eksploatacja, zarówno w sposób komercyjny, jak i wędkarski oraz racjonalna gospodarka zarybieniowa, wraz z odbudową środowiska naturalnego, są głównymi zadaniami zrównoważonej gospodarki rybackiej prowadzonej w wodach śródlądowych. Zasadniczym celem prac badawczych składających się na przedmiotową rozprawę doktorską było określenie wpływu zmian klimatycznych i gospodarki zarybieniowej na efektywność gospodarki rybackiej. Prace badawcze podzielono ze względu na poruszoną tematykę. Pierwszy temat, z ogólnym tytułem wpływ zmian klimatycznych na gospodarkę rybacką, analizy przeprowadzono w oparciu o zebrane szczegółowe ankiety, wyplenione przez użytkowników, którzy prowadzą gospodarkę rybacką i wędkarską na jeziorach, oraz użytkowników, którzy prowadzą gospodarkę w zbiornikach zaporowych; w drugim temacie gospodarka zarybieniowa – problematyka odłowu tarlaków, badania przeprowadzono w oparciu o ankiety, które uzyskano od użytkowników rybackich, którzy prowadzą gospodarkę rybacką i wędkarską w jeziorach; w trzecim temacie wielkość i wartość odłowów rybackich oraz zarybień szczupakiem, wykorzystano informacje na temat podstawowych parametrów charakteryzujących analizowane podmioty oraz wielkości i wartości odłowów szczupaka, oraz ilości, rodzaju materiału zarybieniowego i jego wartości, liczby podmiotów zarybiających szczupakiem, wielkości zarybianej powierzchni, całkowitej wartości zarybień wszystkimi gatunkami ryb oraz wielkości i wartości złowionych tarlaków wszystkich gatunków ryb, zebrane przy pomocy kwestionariuszy statystycznych RRW-23 od podmiotów uprawnionych do rybactwa na wodach powierzchniowych płynących (jeziora, cieki, zbiorniki zaporowe); czwarty temat wielkości i wybrane cechy połowów rybackich i wędkarskich szczupaka w perspektywie długoterminowej, opisany został na bazie wieloletnich doświadczeń i badań prowadzonych w Zakładzie Bioekonomiki Rybactwa Instytutu Rybactwa Śródlądowego im. Stanisława Sakowicza; piąty temat ocena efektywności zarybień szczupakiem, podzielony został na dwa podtematy: a) ocena efektywności zarybień szczupakiem w jeziorach, w której analizę oparto na materiałach uzyskanych w Gospodarstwie Jeziorowym Sp. z o.o. w Ełku oraz wynikach badań cen ryb i materiału zarybieniowego, b) ocena efektywności zarybień szczupakiem w zbiornikach zaporowych, gdzie podmiotem uprawnionym do rybactwa w badanych zbiornikach zaporowych jest Okręg PZW w Katowicach. Zbiorniki te były systematycznie zarybiane szczupakiem, i mogły posłużyć jako przykład możliwości przeprowadzenia oceny efektywności zarybień przy wykorzystaniu metod statystycznych oraz informacji o zarejestrowanych przez wędkarzy odłowach i przeprowadzonych zarybieniach. Na podstawie uzyskanych wyników stwierdzono, że uprawnieni do rybactwa w znacznej większości zauważyli w ostatnich latach wpływ zmian klimatycznych na ichtiofaunę i rybackie gospodarowanie; gatunkiem, który według użytkowników rybackich najbardziej narażony jest na zmiany klimatyczne jest szczupak; zmiany klimatyczne najbardziej wpływają na wielkości połowów węgorza; ankietowani najbardziej obawiają się zjawiska dłuższego okresu przebywania kormoranów na akwenach; za najistotniejszy wpływ zmian klimatu na wybrane parametry hydrologiczne jezior respondenci wybrali niskie poziomy i wahania poziomów wód; użytkownicy zbiorników zaporowych uznali, że największy wpływ na populacje ryb nie mają zachodzące zmiany klimatyczne, ale sam zbiornik, który utrudnia migracje ryb; badanych respondentów charakteryzuje wysoka niechęć do potencjalnych zmian i innowacji w kwestii odłowu tarlaków; ilość wylęgu wprowadzana do wód obwodów rybackich w ostatnich latach wykazywała bardzo wyraźną tendencję wzrostową; w skali całego kraju odłowy wędkarskie szczupaka były 8-krotnie wyższe niż rybackie; zastosowanie rachunku korelacji wykazało, że wzrost dawek zarybieniowych szczupaka powodował wyraźne zwiększenie poziomu odłowów, ale po przekroczeniu granicznego poziomu zarybień nie następował wzrost, tylko nieznaczny spadek wydajności; w badaniach efektywności zarybień szczupakiem w jeziorach ełckich nie wykazano statystycznie istotnego związku z zarybieniami, lecz wykazano ekonomizację (dążenie do podnoszenia ekonomiczności) w tym zakresie gospodarowania szczupakiem. Określenie wpływu zmian klimatycznych, ale także gospodarki zarybieniowej na efektywność gospodarki rybackiej nie należy do zadań prostych, gdyż w odróżnieniu od badań laboratoryjnych, gdzie efekty badań widoczne są w stosunkowo krótkim czasie, w przypadku poruszanych w pracy doktorskiej zagadnień na efekty trzeba czekać dość długo. Z tego powodu zdecydowano się skorzystać z wieloletnich obserwacji uprawnionych do rybactwa, których praca zawodowa na tak różnych akwenach trwa czasem dłużej niż 30 lat, i warto podkreślić, jak wartościowe były te informacje. Przeprowadzone w ramach dysertacji doktorskiej badania, wobec znacznej liczby, złożoności i kompleksowego oddziaływania czynników wpływających na prowadzenie gospodarki rybackiej, nie pozwoliły na zidentyfikowanie wszystkich z nich, a tym bardziej na skwantyfikowanie ich wpływu na efektywność tej gospodarki. W związku z tymi ograniczeniami stworzono uproszczony schemat, na którym przedstawiono te z grupy czterech najważniejszych, a nauce znanych, elementów systemu (tj. przyrodniczych, społecznych, ekonomicznych i legislacyjnych), na których wpływ dzięki przeprowadzonym badaniom przynajmniej udało się zidentyfikować i wyrazić w formie pewników bądź wpływów bardzo prawdopodobnych. Wyniki tych badań mogą służyć jako odniesienie do przyszłych norm prowadzenia racjonalnej gospodarki rybackiej na wodach Skarbu Państwa i wprowadzania odpowiednich regulacji prawnych, które bardziej odpowiednio przygotują gospodarstwa rybackie na przyszłe, niestety nieuniknione, zmiany klimatyczne. (EN) Climate change is having an increasing impact on global, national and regional economies, as it directly and indirectly affects such important segments as agricultural or energy productivity and efficiency, but also on environmental protection or human security. The impact of climate change on aquatic ecosystems and fish resources is the subject of increasing scientific research in various parts of the world. Climate change mitigation and adaptation are the key challenges facing the entire fishing sector in the 21st century. Inland, as opposed to marine, fisheries management can be called low-carbon, but global changes will certainly affect and are already affecting the conditions under which it is conducted. Basic understanding of managed waters is required to implement appropriate management strategies and sustainable exploitation of fish resources. As a fisheries sector, fisheries management is a rather complex activity comprising a number of elements, such as commercial and recreational fishing (angling) and properly conducted stocking management. Stocking management must meet three fundamental conditions: it must be ecologically acceptable (safe), and at the same time socially desirable and economically viable. Effective stocking management is a critical component of fisheries management, since one of its most important objectives is to preserve or increase the population of economically valuable fish species to a level that makes such management economically profitable. This dissertation is not based on complex climate models, but on information collected from fisheries managers who, due to the specifics of their profession, are on the one hand closest to the water environment and its changes (and therefore rightful observers), and on the other are vitally interested in halting (if any) negative effects of climate change on fish fauna and fisheries management. Proper management of ichthyofauna resources, i.e. balanced exploitation, both commercially and by anglers, and rational stocking management, together with restoration of the natural environment, are the main objectives of sustainable fisheries management in inland waters. The primary aim of the research work for this dissertation was to determine the impact of climate change and stocking management on fisheries management efficiency. The study was divided according to the subject areas investigated. The first topic, with the general title of the influence of climate change on fisheries management, was analysed on the basis of detailed questionnaires collected from users who run fishing and angling management in lakes and from users who manage in dam reservoirs; the second topic, stocking management – the problem of spawners’ harvest, was based on questionnaires obtained from fishing users who manage fishing and angling in lakes; in the third topic, the volume and value of fishing catches and pike stocking, information was used on basic parameters characterizing the analysed fishing entities and the volume and value of pike catches, data on the quantity, type and value of stocking material, the number of entities stocking pike, the size of the stocked area, the total value of stocking with all fish species and the size and value of harvested spawners of all fish species; these data were collected using statistical questionnaires RRW-23 from entities authorised to fishing on flowing surface waters (lakes, rivers, dam reservoirs); the fourth topic, the size and selected characteristics of pike catches in the long-term perspective, was described on the basis of years of experience and research activities at the Department of Fishery Bioeconomics of The Stanisław Sakowicz Inland Fisheries Institute; the fifth topic, assessment of the effectiveness of pike stocking, was divided into two sub-themes: a) assessment of the effectiveness of pike stocking in lakes, in which the analysis was based on materials obtained from Gospodarstwo Jeziorowe Ltd in Ełk and resultsof studies on prices of fish and stocking material, b) evaluation of effectiveness of pike stocking in dam reservoirs, where the entity authorised to fishing in the investigated dam reservoirs is the Katowice District of Polish Angling Association. These dams were systematically stocked with pike and could serve as an example of how to assess stocking efficiency using statistical methods and information on anglers’ records of catches and stocking events. From the results, it was concluded that: fishery users have overwhelmingly reported the impact of climate change on ichthyofauna and fishery management in recent years; the species most affected by climate change according to fishing users is pike; climate change is having the highest impact on eel catches; respondents are most concerned about the longer residence time of cormorants in water bodies; respondents selected low water levels and fluctuations in water levels as the most important influence of climate change on selected hydrological parameters of lakes; in the opinion of dam users, the greatest impact on fish populations is not caused by climate change, but by the dam itself, which makes fish migration difficult; respondents are strongly averse to potential changes and innovations in the harvesting of spawners; the amount of pike stocking with larvae to the waters of the fishing zones in recent years has shown a very clear upward trend; at the scale of the whole country, anglers’ catches of pike were eightfold higher than commercial ones; application of the correlation calculus showed that an increase in the stocking rate of pike resulted in a clear increase in the level of catches, but when the limit of the stocking rate was exceeded there was no increase, only a slight decrease in the catch efficiency; studies on efficiency of pike stocking in Ełk lakes did not show statistically significant correlation with stocking rates, but showed economization (attempt to increase economy) in this area of pike management. Identifying the impact of climate change and stocking management on the effectiveness of fisheries management is not an easy task, because unlike in the case of laboratory studies, where the effects of research are visible in a relatively short period of time, in contrast to the issues discussed in the dissertation, one has to wait rather long for results. For this reason, it was necessary to make use of the many years of observations of authorised fisheries managers, whose professional work in such various waters sometimes lasted more than 30 years, and it is worth mentioning how valuable this information has been. The studies conducted as part of the dissertation, in the light of the large number, complexity and comprehensive impact of factors influencing fisheries management, did not make it possible to identify all of them, let alone quantify their influence on the effectiveness of fisheries management. In view of these limitations, a simplified diagram was created to present those of the four most important system elements known to science (i.e. natural, social, economic and law) whose impact could at least be identified and described as certainties or very likely. The results of this studies can serve as a reference for future standards of rational fishery management in waters belonging to the State Treasury and the introduction of appropriate legal regulations, which will more adequately prepare fishing entities for future, unfortunately unavoidable upcoming climate changes.

Community Climate Change Vulnerability in the South Atlantic, Florida Keys and Gulf of Mexico

Technical Report

Full-text available

Jan 2022

This report examines how a select group of commercial fishing communities in the Southeast rely on specific marine species and how those species are vulnerable to climate change. The objective of the community climate vulnerability indicators project is to forecast the possible effects of climate change on a coastal fishing community’s marine resource base and how that change may affect the businesses and people that work there. The following analysis contributes to that objective by providing a graphic presentation of species landed within coastal fishing communities in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic from 2000 to 2018 and showing how community vulnerability is related to the mix and the diversity of landed species over time.

Opinions of Owners and Managers of Fishing Entities in Central and Eastern Europe on the Im-pact of Climate Change on Lake Fisheries Management

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2021

The study of the impact of climate change on the fish fauna and fisheries management is a relatively young field of scientific research which has yielded very few analytical studies in the Central and Eastern European countries. This paper is the first attempt to examine the impact of this change on lake fisheries management, made based on an extensive and representative survey addressed at managers and owners of the entities authorised to use these waters for fishing and angling purposes. The conducted analyses enabled the determination of their opinions on the issues of climate change impact on the fish, selected hydrological and biological lake parameters, the possibility of use of fishing gear and its efficiency, the length of angling season, the amount of individual fish species caught by anglers and fishermen, and positive phenomena relating to climate change. Of all the phenomena arising from this change and perceived by the respondents surveyed, the growing population of the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo (L.)), which is exerting increasing pressure on the fishery resources, and conducive to this change, is definitely at the head of the list. As regards the fish species, the pike (Esox lucius L.) is the most vulnerable to this change. The presented results prove that the managers under the study are aware of the ongoing changes and their impact on lake fisheries management, and of the challenges that they will have to face as early as in the coming decades of the 21st century.

Climate change stressors and social-ecological factors mediating access to subsistence resources in Arctic Alaska

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2021
ECOL SOC

Human access routes to coastal subsistence resources are being altered in Arctic regions as temperatures warm. The accessibility dimension of climate impacts on coastal resources is critical to food sovereignty and resilience of Indigenous Arctic communities, yet the issue of access is understudied relative to food availability. This issue also has implications for the role of governmental agencies in mediating resource access in a changing landscape. We examined the role of climate stressors in affecting access to customary and traditional foods (subsistence) by Indigenous (Iñupiat) communities within and near Arctic National Parklands. We apply access theory to better understand (1) the climate stressors that most impact access to coastal animals and harvest areas, (2) how they affect the availability and reliability of harvest of coastal species, and (3) the mechanisms that facilitate or constrain access to coastal subsistence resources. Our study employed a combination of expert interviews and synthesis of pre-existing environmental time series data in the communities of Kotzebue and Kivalina, Alaska. We found that chronic climate stressors (sea ice retreat, coastal erosion, and changes in weather) most impacted harvest access. To mediate these changes, harvesters ubiquitously reported the use of access mechanisms including capital, knowledge, technology, and social identity; social relations, authority, and time were also reported at high rates. Potential adaptations in these communities include increased reliance on technology and capital to access animals despite landscape changes (e.g., using boats in the absence of sea ice), switching species or relying on social networks for sharing resources when animals become harder to find, and exploring alternatives to harvesting (such as growing food) in response to increasing access challenges. Our findings highlight the stewardship and sovereignty of Indigenous communities as a basis for resilience in a rapidly changing environment.

A More Comprehensive Climate Vulnerability Assessment Framework for Fisheries Social-Ecological Systems

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2021

Understanding and anticipating the effects of climate change on fisheries social-ecological systems (FSESs) is central to proactive fisheries management in a changing global climate. With fisheries management increasingly striving to consider interactions and feedbacks among people, targeted species, and the broader ecological and human communities, fisheries managers and participants need tools to help them assess these complex systems. We developed a new climate vulnerability assessment framework for analyzing the impacts of a climate-induced trend or event on a FSES. The framework divides the FSES into four interrelated and interacting domains: Ecological Community, Fished Species, Fishery, and Human Community. The framework provides a systematic approach to account for indirect as well as direct effects, links among subsystems, and multiple climate change-induced stressors. We demonstrate the framework’s utility by applying it to three case studies: the effects of a marine heatwave on the Dungeness crab FSES, the effects of a marine heatwave on the red sea urchin FSES, and the effects of long-term climate trends on North Pacific albacore. We found that the effects of a climatic trend or event on a FSES are often indirect and can trigger diverse and important feedbacks. These examples also showed that the climatic trend or event may cause changes in the temporal and spatial distribution of fishing effort and fished species that have a more significant impact on the FSES than changes to species abundance per se. Unlike other climate vulnerability assessment frameworks and applications, ours is designed to enable consideration of the range of feedbacks within and among both the ecological and human communities. As such, it is a valuable tool to guide the holistic examination and assessment of potential impacts to FSESs.

The future of ocean governance

Preprint

Full-text available

Oct 2020

Coupled changes in biomass and distribution drive trends in availability of fish stocks to US West Coast ports

Article

Jan 2020

Fishing communities are increasingly required to adapt to environmentally driven changes in the availability of fish stocks. Here, we examined trends in the distribution and biomass of five commercial target species (dover sole, thornyheads, sablefish, lingcod, and petrale sole) on the US west coast to determine how their availability to fishing ports changed over 40 years. We show that the timing and magnitude of stock declines and recoveries are not experienced uniformly along the coast when they coincide with shifts in species distributions. For example, overall stock availability of sablefish was more stable in southern latitudes where a 40% regional decline in biomass was counterbalanced by a southward shift in distribution of >200 km since 2003. Greater vessel mobility and larger areal extent of fish habitat along the continental shelf buffered northerly ports from latitudinal changes in stock availability. Landings were not consistently related to stock availability, suggesting that social, economic, and regulatory factors likely constrain or facilitate the capacity for fishers to adapt to changes in fish availability. Coupled social–ecological analyses such as the one presented here are important for defining community vulnerability to current and future changes in the availability of important marine species.

Assessing Socio-economic and Biophysical Indicators to Improve their Usefulness for Resource Management in the U.S. Pacific Islands

Technical Report

Full-text available

Feb 2020

This project investigated the availability, awareness, and gaps of socio-economic and biophysical information needed in the Pacific Island Region for effective coastal and fisheries management that takes human well-being into consideration. Main methods included secondary data review of existing socio-economic and biophysical data, online survey, and focus groups. Both of the latter methods were conducted with key individuals involved in monitoring efforts in the Pacific Island Region and in the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP), and included both current and possible data users. The project examined the NCRMP and non-NCRMP efforts in the Pacific Island Region. This document summarizes the main study results and provides recommendations regarding integrated monitoring efforts across the region and for regional socio-economic monitoring efforts.

Assessing Socio-economic and Biophysical Indicators to Improve their Usefulness for Resource Management in the U.S. Pacific Islands Assessing Socio-economic and Biophysical Indicators to Improve their Usefulness for Resource Management in the U.S. Pacific Islands

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2020

DEVELOPING SCIENCE-BASED INDICATOR PORTFOLIOS FOR NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY CONDITION REPORTS

Technical Report

Full-text available

Nov 2019

Social-ecological vulnerability : from assessment to action

Thesis

Full-text available

Sep 2017

Lauric Thiault

Contemporary sustainability science and practice must embrace the complexity of social-ecological systems and capitalize on the lessons learned from the recent theoretical and applied advances made in various disciplines. This can be accomplished in particular by incorporating this extensive knowledge into management and decision making through integrative and operational frameworks. Based on contrasting but complementary case studies (coral reef fishery in Moorea, French Polynesia; artisanal benthic fishery in Chile and global food systems), and drawing from the recent development in social-ecological science, we extended the use of the social-ecological vulnerability framework by (1) mapping human-nature dependencies in the context of resource-user interactions, (2) integrating the temporal dimension, (3) accounting for multiple drivers of change and (4) their impact on diverse entities of the system considered. This interdisciplinary work provided the foundation to represent key linkages in social-ecological systems, understand the underlying sources of unsustainability, and address these through a set of targeted and context-grounded management interventions and policy actions. This thesis provides a new perspective on human-nature linkages and has a number practical implications for managers, conservation planners, and policy-makers that seek to incorporate a social-ecological perspective to tackle sustainability issues from local to global scales.

Financing Projects for Improving Climate Change Resilience: The Cases of Djibouti and Yemen

Chapter

Jan 2020

Imad Antoine Ibrahim

It has been argued that the international community could play an essential role in providing the necessary and adequate assistance to countries suffering from the negative consequences of climate change. Indeed, financing climate change projects represents one of the solutions that is currently being used by international organizations. As such, global donors are involved in multiple investments containing funding for climate change mitigation and adaptation projects. On the adaptation side, the focus is on increasing the resiliency of specific communities worldwide through the implementation of projects that are tailored to the needs and circumstances of each community. However, the countries in which these communities are located are either suffering from a state of underdevelopment or are having armed conflicts. One could mention, for instance, the projects that are being implemented in countries like Djibouti and Yemen where the communities are highly vulnerable to the effects of global warming. This chapter aims at analyzing whether climate change projects financed by the international community have contributed to the improvement of climate resilience of specific communities taking Djibouti and Yemen as case studies. This chapter is proposing concrete solutions for further developing climate resilience through projects financed for adaptation purposes.

Addressing Climate Change Vulnerability in Alaska Native Villages Through Indigenous Community Knowledge

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2019

Elizaveta Barrett Ristroph

Factors linked with adaptation in the Indian marine fishing community

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2019
OCEAN COAST MANAGE

Understanding the factors associated with adaptation can be crucial for building community adaptive-capacity. This study aims to provide a country-level assessment of some of the factors driving adaptation responses in marine fishing, and is based on data from 2564 villages and 66 districts along the coastline of India. Mechanization, usage of Global Positioning System (GPS) and diversification are important adaptation responses in the community. This study employs an analytical framework to understand three types of factors influencing adaptation: vulnerability/risk, difference in the macro environment and community-level factors (human, economic and social capitals, such as education, poverty and cooperative membership). The results indicate that the different factors are not uniformly associated with the adaptation responses. Regions which are vulnerable and face greater cyclone risk have low adaptation. The macro-environment of the state as well as support through cooperatives can play a role in adaptation. The results also highlight the importance of higher levels of education for adaptation responses, such as, using advanced navigation technology (GPS) and diversifying into other professions. The study provides useful insights regarding the factors linked with adaptation responses in the community and can be helpful for designing interventions. The paper can complement findings from regional studies and emphasizes the need for future rigorous research on adaptation in marine fishing.

Social Networks of Alaska Fishing Communities

Article

Jan 2019

Fishing community social networks function as channels for transfer of fishery knowledge, resources, and business transactions that help mitigate risks and shocks associated with altered access to fishery resources. Research on such networks in Alaska is limited despite their cultural importance and community reliance on fisheries. We contribute to scholarship of fishery social networks by assessing Alaska fishing community perspectives of challenges related to fisheries policy and management, and the existing social networks that aid in overcoming these challenges. Our findings show that the greatest challenges fishing communities face pertaining to fishery management are high costs of participating in catch share programs, restricted subsistence fishing activity due to decline in salmon, and complex regulations. Social networks exist for coping with these challenges; fishery information, and resources such as food, fuel and medicines are shared between communities. However, networks for accessing fishery support services are centralized in fewer larger communities and hubs such as Anchorage. Smaller and remote communities are the most compromised in this regard given the distance they must travel to access fishery support services. Leveraging social networks for sharing resources and improving fishery support services in smaller communities will increase their adaptive capacity and ability to maintain participation in Alaska fisheries.

4th National Climate Assessment Coastal Effects chapter

Chapter

Full-text available

Nov 2018

The Coasts chapter of the Third National Climate Assessment, published in 2014, focused on coastal lifelines at risk, economic disruption, uneven social vulnerability, and vulnerable ecosystems. This Coastal Effects chapter of the Fourth National Climate Assessment updates those themes, with a focus on integrating the socioeconomic and environmental impacts and consequences of a changing climate. Specifically, the chapter builds on the threat of rising sea levels exacerbating tidal and storm surge flooding, the state of coastal ecosystems, and the treatment of social vulnerability by introducing the implications for social equity.

Tools to Enrich Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Planning for Coastal Communities in Data-Poor Regions: Application to a Case Study in Madagascar

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2019

Here we describe an interdisciplinary and multi-country initiative to develop rapid, participatory methods to assess the vulnerability of coastal communities and facilitate adaptation to climate change in data-poor regions. The methods were applied in Madagascar as a case study. The initiative centered on an exploratory research exercise in two communities in the south-west of Madagascar, a workshop held in Antananarivo in June 2016, combined with a component on communicating ocean science and climate change to stakeholders. It utilized innovative and rapid approaches to combine global and local skills and information on adaptation and resilience building, taking cognizance of national policies, and was based on the principles of a holistic, integrated and participatory approach. This paper summarizes the activities undertaken and assesses how effective they were in achieving the project goals, as well as presenting examples of the outputs obtained. The activities demonstrated the value of using existing high resolution global climate models for provision of information on future trends, and of including a traits-based ecological risk assessment as a standard component of vulnerability assessments. User-friendly qualitative modeling activities helped to consolidate holistic, integrated understanding of selected fisheries. The value of assessing the importance and resilience of supply chains and taking the local management measures and institutions into account were validated. The outcomes of the initiative reinforced the principle that the cumulative ecological and social impacts of individual stressors and drivers on marine-dependent communities must be addressed, including climate-change related stressors. Assessments of vulnerability and adaptation planning should be forward-looking and consider likely changes in the future. They must also be done with participation by local experts and stakeholders to ensure knowledge exchange, local capacity-building and ownership and that outputs are rooted in the local realities, are accepted as being legitimate, and reinforce and complement relevant legal frameworks and laws.

Linking knowledge to action in ocean ecosystem management: The Ocean Modeling Forum

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2018

The sustainable use of global marine resources depends upon science-based decision processes and systems. Informing decisions with science is challenging for many reasons, including the nature of science and science-based institutions. The complexity of ecosystem-based management often requires the use of models, and model-based advice can be especially difficult to convert into policies or decisions. Here, we suggest five characteristics of model-based information and advice for successfully informing ocean management decision-making, based on the Ocean Modeling Forum framework. Illustrated by examples from two fisheries case studies, Pacific sardines 'Sardinops sagax' and Pacific herring 'Clupea pallasii', we argue that actionable model-based output should be aspirational, applicable, parsimonious, co-produced, and amplifying.

Integrating climate adaptation into Gulf of Alaska fishing community planning

Article

Oct 2023
MAR POLICY

Financing Projects for Improving Climate Change Resilience: The Cases of Djibouti and Yemen

Chapter

Aug 2019

Imad Antoine Ibrahim

Research on Resilience Regeneration of Old Community in the Post COVID-19 Era—A Case Study of Factory Community in Harbin

Chapter

Sep 2023

The epidemic era has affected and changed the residents’ lifestyles, especially in China, where strict epidemic control policies have confined the majority of activities in the community. As a result, there is a growing demand for community space, and the existing spatial environment needs to be revised, especially in older communities. In the face of the impact of severe global public health events, the ability of community resilience becomes particularly important. This paper selects a typical old community named factory community in Harbin, which not only faces infrastructural problems due to its construction age but also has a more urgent need for resilient adaptation due to the aging population living there. This paper first constructs a research framework for community resilience and then explores the problematic aspects of spatial vulnerability from the residents’ perspective. Besides, we draw on the Eisenhower matrix model to determine the highest priority resilience issues: activity space, parking facilities, and living facilities. We also propose some resilience enhancement strategies to deal with these critical issues by doing traffic diversion, public space creation, aging design, and barrier-free vertical transportation, which could provide a reference for other older communities of a similar type.

Climate change adaptation frameworks in fishing communities: A systematic review

Article

Jul 2023
OCEAN COAST MANAGE

Climate change has had profound effects on coastal ecosystems, including sea level rise, ocean acidification, and extreme weather events. These impacts have left vulnerable populations in coastal areas, particularly fishing communities, struggling to maintain their livelihoods, subsistence, and cultural practices that rely on a healthy ecosystem. The existing body of research has examined the impacts of climate change on fishing communities and their perceptions and responses to environmental issues. However, these studies have employed diverse conceptual and methodological approaches. Therefore, our study aimed to identify the key concepts, frameworks, challenges, and trends evident in these previous studies. To achieve this objective, we conducted a comprehensive literature review of 34 papers and employed both quantitative and qualitative analyses to evaluate them. Our analysis revealed several primary challenges encountered in these studies, including insufficient data availability, variations in data quality, difficulties in effective communication with local communities, and inadequate inclusion of women's knowledge and perspectives. By recognizing these challenges, we can highlight areas for improvement and further research. The findings of our study indicate that the most prevalent frameworks utilized in the selected studies can be classified into three groups: “Local knowledge,” which focused on understanding the perceptions of climate change impacts among small-scale fishers; “Vulnerability,” which aimed to comprehend the components and measurements of vulnerability in fishing communities; and “Adaptation and Resilience,” which explored how these communities respond to climatic events. Furthermore, our study identified emerging trends in the development of research on local knowledge, gender roles, and adaptive capacity within fishing communities. In conclusion, this study serves as a general guide and starting point for refining and enhancing frameworks used to investigate the effects of climate change on small-scale fisheries.

A measure of port-level resilience to shocks in commercial fisheries

Article

May 2023
MAR POLICY

A global synthesis of climate vulnerability assessments on marine fisheries: Methods, scales, and knowledge co‐production

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2023
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOL

Undertaking climate vulnerability assessments (CVAs) on marine fisheries is instrumental to the identification of regions, species, and stakeholders at risk of impacts from climate change, and the development of effective and targeted responses for fisheries adaptation. In this global literature review, we addressed three important questions to characterize fisheries CVAs: (i) what are the available approaches to develop CVAs in various social-ecological contexts, (ii) are different geographic scales and regions adequately represented, and (iii) how do diverse knowledge systems contribute to current understanding of vulnerability? As part of these general research efforts, we identified and characterized an inventory of frameworks and indicators that encompass a wide range of foci on ecological and socio-economic dimensions of climate vulnerability on fisheries. Our analysis highlighted a large gap between countries with top research inputs and the most urgent adaptation needs. More research and resources are needed in low-income tropical countries to ensure existing inequities are not exacerbated. We also identified an uneven research focus across spatial scales and cautioned a possible scale mismatch between assessment and management needs. Drawing on this information, we catalogue (1) a suite of research directions that could improve the utility and applicability of CVAs, particularly the examination of barriers and enabling conditions that influence the uptake of CVA results into management responses at multiple levels, (2) the lessons that have been learned from applications in data-limited regions, particularly the use of proxy indicators and knowledge co-production to overcome the problem of data deficiency, and (3) opportunities for wider applications, for example diversifying the use of vulnerability indicators in broader monitoring and management schemes. This information is used to provide a set of recommendations that could advance meaningful CVA practices for fisheries management and promote effective translation of climate vulnerability into adaptation actions.

Understanding the coast as a peopled place: A literature survey of place attachment in climate change adaptation

Article

Dec 2022

Joanna Wozniak-Brown

As the field of adaptation science grows, there are new and emerging paradigms to approach climate change planning. This paper includes a literature survey of articles and manuscripts that evaluate coastal climate change adaptation in the place attachment paradigm. The survey included a database review for an 11-year period with associated search terms and, after initial sifting of the results for duplications or nonrelated works, I reviewed the relationship between place attachment and adaptation, empirical methods for studying place attachment, major framing of their relationship, and how these concepts relate to equitable and “just adaptation.” Most studies used multiple and mixed methods with frequent use of semi-structured interviews and a psychometric scale. Primary frames for place attachment in adaptation were social capital, cultural heritage, managed retreat and migration, and ecosystem services. Place attachment can be a motivator for environmental action but a barrier to change, especially managed retreat. It can reveal critical elements and socio-cultural practices dependent on the landscape that are priorities to the residents and visitors. Finally, place attachment provides an opportunity, for more equitable and just adaptation, if done intentionally. After discussion of the results, I present research, policy, and practice considerations to further the intersection and application of place attachment in adaptation.

Indicadores de vulnerabilidad al cambio climático de comunidades pesqueras: una revisión a nivel mundial, 2012 – 2022

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2022

Khiara Moreno

El cambio climático, es un problema que se ha acentuado en los últimos años a nivel mundial, porque afecta a los sectores económicos primarios, siendo uno de ellos el sector pesca, el cual afecta la distribución de los recursos hidrobiológicos y de manera indirecta la calidad de vida de las poblaciones dependientes a estos recursos. El objetivo de la investigación fue presentar los estudios relacionados a la vulnerabilidad al cambio climático de las comunidades pesqueras, para conocer los indicadores involucrados en este sistema dinámico y complejo. El tema de investigación, se enfocó en responder a la interrogante problema ¿qué indicadores son utilizados para evaluar la vulnerabilidad al cambio climático en las comunidades pesqueras?. La metodología utilizada, consistió en la búsqueda y revisión de artículos científicos, considerando criterios de inclusión y exclusión. Se analizaron 22 estudios, publicados entre el año 2012 y abril del 2022. Los estudios, muestran coherencia al utilizar indicadores sociales y económicos para medir la sensibilidad y capacidad adaptativa, considerando que estos dependen de cada comunidad pesquera, mientras que el factor exposición se ve directamente influenciado por los cambios climatológicos inevitables. Los hallazgos del presente estudio, presentan relevancia científica y teórica porque brindan información fundamental sobre las investigaciones científicas que abordan la coyuntura del cambio climático, enfocados en el estudio de la vulnerabilidad de comunidades pesqueras.

Social-ecological vulnerability of fishing communities to climate change: A U.S. West Coast case study

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2022
PLOS ONE

Climate change is already impacting coastal communities, and ongoing and future shifts in fisheries species productivity from climate change have implications for the livelihoods and cultures of coastal communities. Harvested marine species in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem support U.S. West Coast communities economically, socially, and culturally. Ecological vulnerability assessments exist for individual species in the California Current but ecological and human vulnerability are linked and vulnerability is expected to vary by community. Here, we present automatable, reproducible methods for assessing the vulnerability of U.S. West Coast fishing dependent communities to climate change within a social-ecological vulnerability framework. We first assessed the ecological risk of marine resources, on which fishing communities rely, to 50 years of climate change projections. We then combined this with the adaptive capacity of fishing communities, based on social indicators, to assess the potential ability of communities to cope with future changes. Specific communities (particularly in Washington state) were determined to be at risk to climate change mainly due to economic reliance on at risk marine fisheries species, like salmon, hake, or sea urchins. But, due to higher social adaptive capacity, these communities were often not found to be the most vulnerable overall. Conversely, certain communities that were not the most at risk, ecologically and economically, ranked in the category of highly vulnerable communities due to low adaptive capacity based on social indicators (particularly in Southern California). Certain communities were both ecologically at risk due to catch composition and socially vulnerable (low adaptive capacity) leading to the highest tier of vulnerability. The integration of climatic, ecological, economic, and societal data reveals that factors underlying vulnerability are variable across fishing communities on the U.S West Coast, and suggests the need to develop a variety of well-aligned strategies to adapt to the ecological impacts of climate change.

Caracterización de la distribución de la tierra para la planificación rural del Caquetá

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2022

Jaime Vergara Hincapie

Se caracteriza la distribución de la tierra en el Caquetá y sus municipios aproximándose a la incidencia de concentración y fraccionamiento. Con un método mixto secuencial explicativo se analizan los componentes de la estructura agraria (EA) y la distribución predial por tamaño e indicadores, y se proponen agrupamientos supramunicipales. Se concluye que la EA departamental es bimodal con predominio de la mediana propiedad caracterizada por la historia de adjudicación de baldíos y la capacidad productiva de la tierra. Formas de ocupación y tenencia como las invasiones urbanas, deforestación y propietarios ausentes, deben considerarse en el modelo de ordenamiento departamental.

Evaluaciones de Vulnerabilidad de las Comunidades Costeras y de Cambio en la Disponibilidad de los Recursos Pesqueros y Acuícolas de la Costa de México

Book

Full-text available

Oct 2021

Para enfrentar la situación el Gobierno mexicano está construyendo un Plan Estratégico de Cambio Climático para el Sector Agroalimentario, el cual en el caso de la pesca y acuacultura busca impulsar el manejo sustentable de los stocks y promover el aumento en la producción pesquera y acuícola, satisfaciendo así la demanda nacional e internacional de productos acuáticos. En buena medida, el éxito de las acciones dependerá de la capacidad con la que cuente México para lograr la adaptación eficiente de los residentes de la zona costera al cambio climático, y entre las necesidades más inmediatas esta reconocer el grado de vulnerabilidad que presentan las personas, y prever la posible respuesta de los recursos pesqueros y acuícolas a los cambios esperados en las condiciones oceanográficas. El presente estudio va en esa dirección y está generando información base que ayudará a definir los criterios para la priorización y toma de decisiones, que impulsen el buen desempeño de la pesca y la acuacultura en el contexto del cambio climático.

Community-level fishery measures and individual fishers: Comparing primary and secondary data for the U.S. West Coast

Article

Jun 2022
OCEAN COAST MANAGE

Using a coast-wide survey of West Coast fishing vessel owners, we examine ties between community-level measures and individual resident fishers' responses about their dependence on fishing and their fishery-related social capital and identity. We find higher levels of fishing social capital and identity in communities with high fishing reliance, meaning higher levels of fishing activity per capita, but not in communities with high levels of fishing engagement, which measures fishing without regard to population. We also find that responses to questions aimed at measuring social capital, including familial connections to fishing, were associated with higher fishing reliance in fishers’ communities of residence. Higher social vulnerability measures for the community are correlated with higher measures of fishery-related social capital, as well as higher individual reliance on fishing income. Community median household incomes are also correlated with higher reported incomes for fishers. Lastly, fishers from communities with high fishery reliance and engagement measures tend to generate a lower proportion of their income from non-fishery sources and a greater percent of their income from fishing. We find evidence to support some community-level measures as representative of the socioeconomic realities and ties to fishing among resident fishers.

Adaptive capacity beyond the household: a systematic review of empirical social-ecological research

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2022
ENVIRON RES LETT

The concept of adaptive capacity has received significant attention within social-ecological and environmental change research. Within both the resilience and vulnerability literatures specifically, adaptive capacity has emerged as a fundamental concept for assessing the ability of social-ecological systems to adapt to environmental change. Although methods and indicators used to evaluate adaptive capacity are broad, the focus of existing scholarship has predominately been at the individual- and household- levels. However, the capacities necessary for humans to adapt to global environmental change are often a function of individual and societal characteristics, as well as cumulative and emergent capacities across communities and jurisdictions. In this paper, we apply a systematic literature review and co-citation analysis to investigate empirical research on adaptive capacity that focus on societal levels beyond the household. Our review demonstrates that assessments of adaptive capacity at higher societal levels are increasing in frequency, yet vary widely in approach, framing, and results; analyses focus on adaptive capacity at many different levels (e.g., community, municipality, global region), geographic locations, and cover multiple types of disturbances and their impacts across sectors. We also found that there are considerable challenges with regard to the `fit' between data collected and analytical methods used in adequately capturing the cross-scale and cross-level determinants of adaptive capacity. Current approaches to assessing adaptive capacity at societal levels beyond the household tend to simply aggregate individual- or household-level data, which we argue oversimplifies and ignores the inherent interactions within and across societal levels of decision-making that shape the capacity of humans to adapt to environmental change across multiple scales. In order for future adaptive capacity research to be more practice-oriented and effectively guide policy, there is a need to develop indicators and assessments that are matched with the levels of potential policy applications.

Climate change alters the temporal persistence of coastal-pelagic fishes off eastern Australia

Article

Feb 2022
ICES J MAR SCI

The climate-driven redistribution of fisheries species is altering their availability to fishers, necessitating projections of species redistributions that directly relate to future fishing opportunities. We propose that a valuable proxy for fishing opportunity is the proportion of the year that target species are available to fishers, which can be approximated by the temporal persistence of suitable habitat in defined regions. Here, we quantify changes in temporal habitat persistence (months/year) within five eastern Australian bioregions over the period 2010–2060 for four coastal-pelagic fishes: bonito (Sarda australis), spotted mackerel (Scomberomorus munroi), Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) and dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus). When species were analysed collectively, a significant reduction in the temporal persistence of suitable environmental habitats was evident in the most equatorward (i.e. Tweed-Moreton) bioregion, while significant positive increases were found for poleward bioregions (e.g. Batemans and Twofold Shelf bioregions). The greatest increases in temporal habitat persistence were projected for bonito in the Batemans Shelf bioregion and Spanish mackerel in the Hawkesbury Shelf bioregion (+2.2 and + 1.5 months/year between 10-year averages centered on 2020 and 2050, respectively). By demonstrating temporal habitat persistence as a measure of fishing opportunity, we highlight the potential for this metric to be an effective means of communicating to fishing stakeholders the need to adapt to climate change.

How Subsistence Communities Reconfigure Livelihood Systems in Response to Climate Change: A Coupled-Systems Perspective

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2022

A defining societal challenge in the era of climate change is ensuring consumption adequacy in subsistence communities. To understand the intricacies of this challenge, we have conducted an ethnographic study of a low-income community that relies on subsistence fishing to maintain consumption adequacy. Based on our data analysis, we advance a conceptualization of subsistence livelihood systems that models the tight coupling among its three constituent subsystems: the market system, the social system, and the environmental system. These three subsystems are highly interdependent and operate in concert to maintain consumption adequacy. We then show how climate change-induced environmental disruptions threaten consumption adequacy by disequilibrating livelihood systems in subsistence settings, as well as unpack the self-directed adaptation and mitigation strategies employed by the community in response to the threat of consumption inadequacy. These response strategies create feedback loops to either preserve or attenuate the tight coupling among the three subsystems.

“Deep Vulnerability”: Identifying the Structural Dimensions of Climate Vulnerability through Qualitative Research in Argentina, Canada, and Colombia

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2021

Extreme climate events are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change. Vulnerability to extremes is the result of three components: exposure to hazards, sensitivity of the system, and capacity to adapt. A large-scale qualitative study of rural vulnerability to climate extremes in Argentina, Canada, and Colombia demonstrates the political-economic root causes of vulnerability in each context. Structural causes are difficult to identify using quantitative indices and deductive metrics alone, but qualitative approaches can help identify key drivers of vulnerability at a deeper level. Technology and diversification are insufficient to address such structural or “deep” vulnerability.

Possible future scenarios for two major Arctic Gateways connecting Subarctic and Arctic marine systems: I. Climate and physical–chemical oceanography

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2021

We review recent trends and projected future physical and chemical changes under climate change in transition zones between Arctic and Subarctic regions with a focus on the two major inflow gateways to the Arctic, one in the Pacific (i.e. Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and the Chukchi Sea) and the other in the Atlantic (i.e. Fram Strait and the Barents Sea). Sea-ice coverage in the gateways has been disappearing during the last few decades. Projected higher air and sea temperatures in these gateways in the future will further reduce sea ice, and cause its later formation and earlier retreat. An intensification of the hydrological cycle will result in less snow, more rain, and increased river runoff. Ocean temperatures are projected to increase, leading to higher heat fluxes through the gateways. Increased upwelling at the Arctic continental shelf is expected as sea ice retreats. The pH of the water will decline as more atmospheric CO2 is absorbed. Long-term surface nutrient levels in the gateways will likely decrease due to increased stratification and reduced vertical mixing. Some effects of these environmental changes on humans in Arctic coastal communities are also presented.

A Practitioner's Handbook for Fisheries Social Impact Assessment A Practitioner's Handbook for Fisheries Social Impact Assessment

Technical Report

Full-text available

Dec 2020

As United States fisheries managers develop and modify fisheries management plans that set catch limits for the Nation’s commercially important fish stocks, the importance of including and weighing the social impacts associated with changes in management has gained increasing attention. In recognition of the potential for social impacts, social impact assessments have been made a requirement of the overall environmental impact assessment process under the National Environmental Policy Act. To date, there has not been a standardized way of conducting and presenting a fisheries social impact assessment (SIA). In addition, there is a need for a template that incorporates existing data streams and identifies potential new sources of information while being applicable to a wide range of fisheries management decisions. The objective of this Handbook is to provide technical advice for NOAA Fisheries and fishery management councils to streamline the SIA process while fully capturing relevant social impacts. The Handbook provides a primer on SIA in fisheries, the purpose of an SIA, key elements that should be included in SIAs, and common types of social impacts associated with particular management measures. It also reviews the legal requirements for conducting SIAs and provides a set of best practices and analytical tools for conducting SIAs. In addition, it describes the relationship of this Handbook to NMFS Guidance for Social Impact Assessment.

The future of ocean governance

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2022
REV FISH BIOL FISHER

Ocean governance is complex and influenced by multiple drivers and actors with different worldviews and goals. While governance encompasses many elements, in this paper we focus on the processes that operate within and between states, civil society and local communities, and the market, including industry. Specifically, in this paper, we address the question of how to move towards more sustainable ocean governance aligning with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the UN Ocean Decade. We address three major risks to oceans that arise from governance-related issues: (1) the impacts of the overexploitation of marine resources; (2) inequitable distribution of access to and benefits from marine ecosystem services, and (3) inadequate or inappropriate adaptation to changing ocean conditions. The SDGs have been used as an underlying framework to develop these risks. We identify five drivers that may determine how ocean governance evolves, namely formal rules and institutions, evidence and knowledge-based decision-making, legitimacy of decision-making institutions, stakeholder engagement and participation, and empowering communities. These drivers were used to define two alternative futures by 2030: (a) 'Business as Usual'-a continuation of current trajectories and (b) 'More Sustainable Future'-optimistic, transformational, but technically achievable. We then identify what actions, as structured processes, can reduce the three major governance-related risks and lead to the More Sustainable Future. These actions relate to the process of co-creation and implementation of improved, comprehensive, and integrated management plans, enhancement of decision-making processes, and better anticipation and consideration of ambiguity and uncertainty. Supplementary information: The online version of this article (10.1007/s11160-020-09631-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Ocean and coastal indicators: understanding and coping with climate change at the land-sea interface

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2020
CLIMATIC CHANGE

The U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) encompasses approximately 3.4 million square nautical miles of ocean and a coastline of over 12,300 miles. Along with the Great Lakes, this vast area generates ~US 370 billion of U.S. gross domestic product, 617 billion in sales and 2.6 million jobs each year. These ocean and coastal ecosystems also provide many important non-market services including subsistence food provisioning, health benefits, shoreline protection, climate regulation, conservation of marine biodiversity, and preservation of cultural heritage. As climatic changes occur, these benefits or ecosystem services may be significantly reduced or in some cases enhanced. These services are also under an array of pressures including over-exploitation of natural resources, pollution, and land use changes that occur simultaneously in synergistic, multiplicative, or antagonistic ways. This results in direct and indirect impacts that are often unpredictable across spatial and temporal scales. Here, we discuss a set of indicators designed in close collaboration with the U.S. National Climate Indicators System. Tracking the impacts via indicators will be essential to ensure long-term health of the marine environment and sustain the benefits to stakeholders who depend on marine ecosystem services.

Climate and Culture: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on a Warming World

Book

Full-text available

Oct 2019

How does culture interact with the way societies understand, live with and act in relation to climate change? While the importance of the exchanges between culture, society and climate in the context of global environmental change is increasingly recognised, the empirical evidence is fragmented and too often constrained by disciplinary boundaries. Written by an international team of experts, this book provides cutting-edge and critical perspectives on how culture both facilitates and inhibits our ability to address and make sense of climate change and the challenges it poses to societies globally. Through a set of case studies spanning the social sciences and humanities, it explores the role of culture in relation to climate and its changes at different temporal and spatial levels; illustrates how approaching climate change through the cultural dimension enriches the range and depth of societal engagements; and establishes connections between theory and practice, which can stimulate action-oriented initiatives.

Ground-truthing social vulnerability indices of Alaska fishing communities

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2018
COAST MANAGE

Community vulnerability is increasingly evaluated through quantitative social indices, typically developed using secondary data sources rather than primary data collection. It is necessary to understand the validity of these indices if they will be used to inform policy and decision making. This paper presents a ground-truthing effort to validate quantitative indices that characterize the well-being of Alaska fishing communities. We utilized ethnographic data collected from 13 representative communities and a capital assets framework to ground-truth the indices, in which qualitative ranks of vulnerability were compared against quantitative indices. The majority (73.8%) of ranks were in complete or moderate agreement and the results indicate that most of the indices are representative of community vulnerability; yet some variables utilized to create the indices could be modified to better reflect realities in Alaska. Indices of commercial fishery engagement and reliance appeared to be more reliable than socio-economic indicators, particularly for smaller fishing communities. We also confirmed that the indices do not capture political, or ecological factors that affect levels of community vulnerability. We conclude that quantitative indices of community vulnerability are useful rapid assessment tools; however, they should be validated, and complemented with ethnographic data prior to their implementation as policy making and management tools.

Keeping Humans in the Ecosystem

Article

Jan 2017

The World Ocean presents many opportunities, with the blue economy projected to at least double in the next two decades. However, capitalizing on these opportunities presents significant challenges and a multi-sectoral, integrated approach to managing marine socio-ecological systems will be required to achieve the full benefits projected for the blue economy. Integrated ecosystem assessments have been identified as the best means of delivering the information upon which marine resource management decisions can be made. By their nature, these assessments are inter-disciplinary, but to date have mostly focused on the natural sciences. Inclusion of human dimensions into integrated ecosystem assessments has been lagging, but is fundamental. Here we report on a Symposium, and the articles emmanating from it that are included in this Theme Set, that address how to more effectively include human dimensions into integrated ecosystem assessments. We provide an introduction to each of the main symposium topics (governance, scenarios, indicators, participatory processes, and case studies), highlight the works that emerged from the symposium, and identify key areas in which more work is required. There is still a long way to go before we see end-to-end integrated ecosystem assessments inclusive of all the major current and potential ocean use sectors that also encompass multiple aspects of human dimensions. Nonetheless, it is also clear that progress is being made and we are developing tools and approaches, including the human dimension, that can inform management and position us to take advantage of the multi-sectoral opportunities of sustainable blue growth.

Arctic climate impact assessment

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2005

Resource management in a changing and uncertain climate. Frontiers in Ecology and the

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2008

Climate change is altering ecological systems throughout the world. Managing these systems in a way that ignores climate change will likely fail to meet management objectives. The uncertainty in projected climate change impacts is one of the greatest challenges facing managers attempting to address global change. In order to select successful management strategies, managers need to understand the uncertainty inherent in projected climate impacts and how these uncertainties affect the outcomes of management activities. Perhaps the most important tool for managing ecological systems in the face of climate change is active adaptive management, in which systems are closely monitored and management strategies are altered to address expected and ongoing changes. Here, we discuss the uncertainty inherent in different types of data on potential climate impacts and explore climate projections and potential management responses at three sites in North America. The Central Valley of California, the headwaters of the Klamath River in Oregon, and the barrier islands and sounds of North Carolina each face a different set of challenges with respect to climate change. Using these three sites, we provide specific examples of how managers are already beginning to address the threat of climate change in the face of varying levels of uncertainty.

Ways to Help and Ways to Hinder: Governance for Effective Adaptation to an Uncertain Climate

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2011
ARCTIC

This paper compares two case studies in Alaska, one on commercial fishers of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands region and the other on moose hunters of Interior Alaska, to identify how governance arrangements and management strategies enhance or limit people's ability to respond effectively to changing climatic and environmental conditions. The two groups face similar challenges regarding the impacts of a changing climate on wild fish and game, but they tell very different stories regarding how and under what conditions these impacts challenge their harvest activities. In both regions, people describe dramatic changes in weather, land, and seascape conditions, and distributions of fish and game. A key finding is that the "command-and-control" model of governance in the Alaska Interior, as implemented through state and federal management tools such as registration hunts and short open seasons, limits effective local responses to environmental conditions, while the more decentralized model of governance created by the Limited Access Privilege systems of the Bering Sea allows fishers great flexibility to respond. We discuss ways to implement aspects of a decentralized decision-making model in the Interior that would benefit hunters by increasing their adaptability and success, while also improving conservation outcomes. Our findings also demonstrate the usefulness of the diagnostic framework employed here for facilitating comparative crossregional analyses of natural resource use and management.

Environmental controls of phenology of high-latitude Chinook salmon populations of the Yukon River, North America, with application to fishery management

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2011

Mundy, P. R., and Evenson, D. F. 2011. Environmental controls of phenology of high-latitude Chinook salmon populations of the Yukon River, North America, with application to fishery management. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 1155–1164. Phenologies of a number of anadromous fish species have been demonstrated to vary in concert with environmental factors that change with global warming, such as water and air temperatures. Anadromous fishery managers will need advice from models of phenology, or migratory timing, as functions of environmental factors in those harvest areas where annual migratory timing can vary sharply. Such models are also necessary to advise fishery managers on how and when global warming projections of the IPCC model ensemble should be factored into regulatory decisions. Specifically, we demonstrate that the annual timing of marine exit of Yukon River Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) at 63°N 165°W for 1961–2009 varied in close concert with modelled sea surface temperature, air temperature, and sea ice cover. The best linear model for 1961–2009 combines sea surface and air temperatures to explain 59% of the annual variability in migratory timing (ice cover is available only for 1970–2009). Changes in phenology of high-latitude Chinook salmon are expected in response to global warming. As average temperatures increase, the frequency of earlier migrations is expected to increase, making management of the fishery more challenging.

The Effect of Decreasing Seasonal Sea-Ice Cover on the Winter Bering Sea Pollock Fishery

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2012

The winter fishing season for eastern Bering Sea pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) is during the period of maximum seasonal sea-ice extent, but harvesters avoid fishing in ice-covered waters. Global climate models predict a 40% reduction in winter ice cover by 2050, with potential implications for the costs incurred by vessels travelling to and around their fishing grounds and the value of their catch. Additionally, it may open entirely new areas to fishing. Using retrospective data from 1999 to 2009, a period of extensive annual climate variation, the variation in important characteristics of the fishery is analysed. When ice is present, it restricts a portion of the fishing grounds, but in general, ice-restricted areas have lower expected profits at the time of restriction than the areas left open. Some areas show a change in effort in warm years relative to cold, but the global redistribution of effort attributable to ice cover is small. This is largely because the winter fishery is driven by the pursuit of roe-bearing fish whose spawning location is stable in the southern part of the fishing grounds.

Status review of the ringed seal ( Phoca hispida )

Technical Report

Full-text available

Jan 2010

Status review of the spotted seal ( Phoca largha )

Technical Report

Full-text available

Jan 2009

A Century of Climate Change for Fairbanks, Alaska

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2009
ARCTIC

Climatological observations are available for Fairbanks, Interior Alaska, for up to 100 years. This is a unique data set for Alaska, insofar as it is of relatively high quality and without major breaks. Applying the best linear fit, we conclude that the mean annual temperature rose from -3.6°C to -2.2°C over the century, an increase of 1.4°C (compared to 0.8°C worldwide). This comparison clearly demonstrates the well-known amplification or temperature change for the polar regions. The observed temperature increase is neither uniform over the time period nor uniform throughout the course of a year. The winter, spring, and summer seasons showed a temperature increase, while autumn showed a slight decrease in temperature. For many activities, the frequencies of extremes are more important than the average values. For example, the frequency of very low temperatures (below -40°C, or -40°F) has decreased substantially, while the frequency of very high temperatures (above 26.7°C, or 80°F) increased only slightly. Finally, the length of the growing season increased substantially (by 45%) as a result of an earlier start in spring and a later first frost in autumn. Precipitation decreased for Fairbanks. This is a somewhat counter-intuitive result, as warmer air can hold more water vapor. The date of the establishment of the permanent snow cover in autumn showed little change; however, the melting of the snow cover now occurs earlier in the spring, a finding in agreement with the seasonal temperature trends. The records for wind, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and cloudiness are shorter, more broken, or of lower quality. The observed increase in cloudiness and the decreasing trend for atmospheric pressure in winter are related to more advection and warmer temperatures during this season.

Why economics matters for understanding the effects of climate change on fisheries

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2012

Haynie, A. C., and Pfeiffer, L. 2012. Why economics matters for understanding the effects of climate change on fisheries. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 69: . Research attempting to predict the effect of climate change on fisheries often neglects to consider how harvesters respond to changing economic, institutional, and environmental conditions, which leads to the overly simplistic prediction of “fisheries follow fish”. However, climate effects on fisheries can be complex because they arise through physical, biological, and economic mechanisms that interact or may not be well understood. Although most researchers find it obvious to include physical and biological factors in predicting the effects of climate change on fisheries, the behaviour of fish harvesters also matters for these predictions. A general but succinct conceptual framework for investigating the effects of climate change on fisheries that incorporates the biological and economic factors that determine how fisheries operate is presented. The use of this framework will result in more complete, reliable, and relevant investigations of the effects of climate change on fisheries. The uncertainty surrounding long-term projections, however, is inherent in the complexity of the system.

Total Environment of Change: Impacts of Climate Change and Social Transitions on Subsistence Fisheries in Northwest Alaska

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2012
ECOL SOC

Arctic ecosystems are undergoing rapid changes as a result of global climate change, with significant implications for the livelihoods of Arctic peoples. In this paper, based on ethnographic research conducted with the Iñupiaq communities of Noatak and Selawik in northwestern Alaska, we detail prominent environmental changes observed over the past twenty to thirty years and their impacts on subsistence-based lifestyles. However, we suggest that it is ultimately insufficient to try to understand how Arctic communities are experiencing and responding to climate change in isolation from other stressors. During interviews and participant observation documenting local observations of climatic and related environmental shifts and impacts to subsistence fishing practices, we find the inseparability of environmental, social, economic, cultural, and political realms for community residents. Many of our informants, who live in a mixed economy based on various forms of income and widespread subsistence harvesting of fish and game, perceive and experience climate change as embedded among numerous other factors affecting subsistence patterns and practices. Changing lifestyles, decreasing interest by younger generations in pursuing subsistence livelihoods, and economic challenges are greatly affecting contemporary subsistence patterns and practices in rural Alaska. Observations of climate change are perceived, experienced, and articulated to researchers through a broader lens of these linked lifestyle and cultural shifts. Therefore, we argue that to properly assess and understand the impacts of climate change on the subsistence practices in Arctic communities, we must also consider the total environment of change that is dramatically shaping the relationship between people, communities, and their surrounding environments.

Climatic and Economic Drivers of the Bering Sea Walleye Pollock (Theragra Chalcogramma) Fishery: Implications for the Future

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2013

This paper illustrates how climate, management, and economic drivers of a fishery interact to affect fishing. Retrospective data from the Bering Sea walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) catcher–processer fishery were used to model the impact of climate on spatial and temporal variation in catch and fishing locations and make inferences about harvester behavior in a warmer climate. Models based on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scenarios predict a 40% decrease in sea ice by 2050, resulting in warmer Bering Sea temperatures. We find that differences in the value of catch result in disparate behavior between winter and summer seasons. In winter, warm temperatures and high abundances drive intensive effort early in the season to harvest earlier-maturing roe. In summer, warmer ocean temperatures were associated with lower catch rates and approximately 4% less fishing in the northern fishing grounds, contrary to expectations derived from climate-envelope-type models that suggest fisheries will follow fish poleward. Production-related spatial price differences affected the effort distribution by a similar magnitude. However, warm, low-abundance years have not been historically observed, increasing uncertainty about future fishing conditions. Overall, annual variation in ocean temperatures and economic factors has thus far been more significant than long-term climate change-related shifts in the fishery's distribution of effort.

Theory and Practice in Assessing Vulnerability to Climate Change and Facilitating Adaptation

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2000

We discuss approaches to the assessment of vulnerability to climate variability and change and attempt to clarify the relationship between the concepts of vulnerability and adaptation. In search of a robust, policy-relevant framework, we define vulnerability in terms of the capacity of individuals and social groups to respond to, that is, to cope with, recover from or adapt to, any external stress placed on their livelihoods and well-being. The approach that we develop places the social and economic well-being of society at the centre of the analysis, focussing on the socio-economic and institutional constraints that limit the capacity to respond. From this perspective, the vulnerability or security of any group is determined by resource availability and by the entitlement of individuals and groups to call on these resources. We illustrate the application of this approach through the results of field research in coastal Vietnam, highlighting shifting patterns of vulnerability to tropical storm impacts at the household- and community-level in response to the current process of economic renovation and drawing conclusions concerning means of supporting the adaptive response to climate stress. Four priorities for action are identified that would improve the situation of the most exposed members of many communities: poverty reduction; risk-spreading through income diversification; respecting common property management rights; and promoting collective security. A sustainable response, we argue, must also address the underlying causes of social vulnerability, including the inequitable distribution of resources.

Classification of coastal communities reporting commercial fish landings in the U.S. Northeast region: Developing and testing a methodology

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2011

The National Marine Fisheries Service is required by law to conduct social impact assessments of communities impacted by fishery management plans. To facilitate this process, we developed a technique for grouping communities based on common sociocultural attributes. Multivariate data reduction techniques (e.g. principal component analyses, cluster analyses) were used to classify Northeast U.S. fishing communities based on census and fisheries data. The comparisons indicate that the clusters represent real groupings that can be verified with the profiles. We then selected communities representative of different values on these multivariate dimensions for in-depth analysis. The derived clusters are then compared based on more detailed data from fishing community profiles. Ground-truthing (e.g. visiting the communities and collecting primary information) a sample of communities from three clusters (two overlapping geographically) indicates that the more remote techniques are sufficient for typing the communities for further in-depth analyses. The in-depth analyses provide additional important information which we contend is representative of all communities within the cluster.

Erratum to: Indigenous frameworks for observing and responding to climate change in Alaska

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2014

Despite a keen awareness of climate change, northern Indigenous Peoples have had limited participation in climate-change science due to limited access, power imbalances, and differences in worldview. A western science emphasis on facts and an indigenous emphasis on relationships to spiritual and biophysical components indicate important but distinct contributions that each knowledge system can make. Indigenous communities are experiencing widespread thawing of permafrost and coastal erosion exacerbated by loss of protective sea ice. These climate-induced changes threaten village infrastructure, water supplies, health, and safety. Climate-induced habitat changes associated with loss of sea ice and with landscape drying and extensive wildfires interact with northern development to bring both economic opportunities and environmental impacts. A multi-pronged approach to broadening indigenous participation in climate-change research should: 1) engage communities in designing climate-change solutions; 2) create an environment of mutual respect for multiple ways of knowing; 3) directly assist communities in achieving their adaptation goals; 4) promote partnerships that foster effective climate solutions from both western and indigenous perspectives; and 5) foster regional and international networking to share climate solutions.

Development and evaluation of social indicators of vulnerability and resiliency for fishing communities in the Gulf of Mexico

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2013
MAR POLICY

Social Science Research Needs: Focus on Vulnerable Populations, Forecasting, and Warnings

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2007

This paper assesses the state of social science research specific to populations at risk vis-à-vis weather forecasting and warnings. Populations at risk are defined as groups historically disadvantaged by socio-economic status, patterns of discrimination and/or exclusion, lack of political representation and/or cultural distancing. These contexts marginalize some groups, leaving them less likely to receive, interpret and/or respond appropriately to forecasts and warnings. An overview of key concepts from vulnerability research is provided and research needs emanating from the social science literature relevant to forecasting and warning are suggested.

Characteristics of the Recent Warming of Permafrost in Alaska

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2007

Tom Osterkamp

Tentative answers are provided to questions concerning the recent warming of permafrost in Alaska, particularly those regarding timing, duration, magnitude, spatial distribution, seasonality, active layer effects, thawing, thermokarst terrain, and causes. Permafrost warmed at most sites north of the Brooks Range from the Chukchi Sea to the Alaska-Canada border, south along a transect from Prudhoe Bay to Gulkana and at sites up to 300 km from the transect. The warming was coincident with the statewide warming of air temperatures that began in 1976/1977 and appears to have occurred statewide with some exceptions. Magnitude of the warming was 3 to 4°C for the Arctic Coastal Plain, 1 to 2°C for the Brooks Range including its northern and southern foothills, and 0.3 to 1°C south of the Yukon River. This suggests a total warming of >6°C at Prudhoe Bay during the last century. The warming was seasonal (primarily in winter) with little change in summer conditions. Consequently, active layer thicknesses did not increase and were not correlated with warming permafrost conditions. Natural thawing at the permafrost surface (~0.1 m/yr) occurred at both a tundra and forest site. Basal thawing at one site was ~0.04 m/yr until 2000 when it accelerated to ~0.09 m/yr. New thermokarst terrain has been observed in interior and northern Alaska. Probable causes of the warming include increased air temperatures, snow cover effects, and combinations of these. New investigations are needed to further determine the characteristics, especially the causes, of this recent permafrost warming.

Arctic Landscapes in Transition: Responses to Thawing Permafrost

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2010

Observations indicate that over the past several decades, geomorphic processes in the Arctic have been changing or intensifying. Coastal erosion, which currently supplies most of the sediment and carbon to the Arctic Ocean [Rachold et al., 2000], may have doubled since 1955 [Mars and Houseknecht, 2007]. Further inland, expansion of channel networks [Toniolo et al., 2009] and increased river bank erosion [Costard et al., 2007] have been attributed to warming. Lakes, ponds, and wetlands appear to be more dynamic, growing in some areas, shrinking in others, and changing distribution across lowland regions [e.g., Smith et al., 2005]. On the Arctic coastal plain, recent degradation of frozen ground previously stable for thousands of years suggests 10-30% of lowland and tundra landscapes may be affected by even modest warming [Jorgenson et al., 2006]. In headwater regions, hillslope soil erosion and landslides are increasing [e.g., Gooseff et al., 2009].

Oceans and Marine Resources in a Changing Climate

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2013
OCEANOGR MAR BIOL

The United States is an ocean nation—our past, present, and future are inextricably connected to and dependent on oceans and marine resources. Marine ecosystems provide many important services, including jobs, food, transportation routes, recreational opportunities, health benefits, climate regulation, and cultural heritage that affect people, communities, and economies across the United States and internationally every day. There is a wealth of information documenting the strong linkages between the planet’s climate and ocean systems, as well as how changes in the climate system can produce changes in the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of ocean ecosystems on a variety of spatial and temporal scales. There is relatively little information on how these climate-driven changes in ocean ecosystems may have an impact on ocean services and uses, although it is predicted that ocean-dependent users, communities, and economies will likely become increasingly vulnerable in a changing climate. Based on our current understanding and future projections of the planet’s ocean systems, it is likely that marine ecosystems will continue to be affected by anthropogenic-driven climate change into the future. This review describes how these impacts are set in motion through a suite of changes in ocean physical, chemical, and biological components and processes in U.S. waters and the significant implications of these changes for ocean users and the communities and economies that depend on healthy oceans. U.S. international partnerships, management challenges, opportunities, and knowledge gaps are also discussed. Effectively preparing for and responding to climate-driven changes in the ocean will require both limiting future change through reductions of greenhouse gases and adapting to the changes that we can no longer avoid.

Oceans and Marine Resources in a Changing Climate: A Technical Input to the 2013 National Climate Assessment

Book

Full-text available

Jan 2013

Prepared for the 2013 National Climate Assessment and a landmark study in terms of its breadth and depth of coverage, Oceans and Marine Resources in a Changing Climate is the result of a collaboration among numerous local, state, federal, and nongovernmental agencies to develop a comprehensive, state of the art look at the effects of climate change on the oceans and marine ecosystems under U.S. jurisdiction. This book provides an assessment of scientific knowledge of the current and projected impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on the physical, chemical, and biological components and human uses of marine ecosystems under U.S. jurisdiction. It also provides assessment of the international implications for the U.S. due to climate impacts on ocean ecosystems and of efforts to prepare for and adapt to climate and acidification impacts on ocean ecosystem, including · Climate-Driven Physical and Chemical Changes in Marine Ecosystems · Impacts of Climate Change on Marine Organisms · Impacts of Climate Change on Human Uses of the Ocean · International Implications of Climate Change · Ocean Management Challenges, Adaptation Approaches, and Opportunities in a Changing Climate · Sustaining the Assessment of Climate Impacts on Oceans and Marine Resources Rich in science and case studies, it examines the latest climate change impacts, scenarios, vulnerabilities, and adaptive capacity and offers decision makers and stakeholders a substantial basis from which to make informed choices that will affect the well-being of the region's inhabitants in the decades to come. © 2013 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. All rights reserved.

CAVIAR Community Adaptation and Vulnerability in Arctic Regions

Article

Full-text available

Adaptive governance and institutional strategies for climate-induced community relocations in Alaska

Article

Full-text available

May 2013
P NATL ACAD SCI USA

This article presents governance and institutional strategies for climate-induced community relocations. In Alaska, repeated extreme weather events coupled with climate change-induced coastal erosion impact the habitability of entire communities. Community residents and government agencies concur that relocation is the only adaptation strategy that can protect lives and infrastructure. Community relocation stretches the financial and institutional capacity of existing governance institutions. Based on a comparative analysis of three Alaskan communities, Kivalina, Newtok, and Shishmaref, which have chosen to relocate, we examine the institutional constraints to relocation in the United States. We identify policy changes and components of a toolkit that can facilitate community-based adaptation when environmental events threaten people's lives and protection in place is not possible. Policy changes include amendment of the Stafford Act to include gradual geophysical processes, such as erosion, in the statutory definition of disaster and the creation of an adaptive governance framework to allow communities a continuum of responses from protection in place to community relocation. Key components of the toolkit are local leadership and integration of social and ecological well-being into adaptation planning.

Ways to help and ways to hinder: governance for successful effective adaptation to an uncertain climate.

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2011

Changing Northern Hemisphere Storm Tracks in an Ensemble of IPCC Climate Change Simulations

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2008

Winter storm-track activity over the Northern Hemisphere and its changes in a greenhouse gas scenario (the Special Report on Emission Scenarios A1B forcing) are computed from an ensemble of 23 single runs from 16 coupled global climate models (CGCMs). All models reproduce the general structures of the observed climatological storm-track pattern under present-day forcing conditions. Ensemble mean changes resulting from anthropogenic forcing include an increase of baroclinic wave activity over the eastern North Atlantic, amounting to 5%-8% by the end of the twenty-first century. Enhanced activity is also found over the Asian continent and over the North Pacific near the Aleutian Islands. At high latitudes and over parts of the subtropics, activity is reduced. Variations of the individual models around the ensemble average signal are not small, with a median of the pattern correlation near r = 0.5. There is, however, no evidence for a link between deviations in present-day climatology and deviations with respect to climate change.

Income diversification and risk for fishermen

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2013
P NATL ACAD SCI USA

Catches and prices from many fisheries exhibit high interannual variability, leading to variability in the income derived by fishery participants. The economic risk posed by this may be mitigated in some cases if individuals participate in several different fisheries, particularly if revenues from those fisheries are uncorrelated or vary asynchronously. We construct indices of gross income diversification from fisheries at the level of individual vessels and find that the income of the current fleet of vessels on the US West Coast and in Alaska is less diverse than at any point in the past 30 y. We also find a dome-shaped relationship between the variability of individuals' income and income diversification, which implies that a small amount of diversification does not reduce income risk but that higher levels of diversification can substantially reduce the variability of income from fishing. Moving from a single fishery strategy to a 50-25-25 split in revenues reduces the expected coefficient of variation of gross revenues between 24% and 65% for the vessels included in this study. The increasing access restrictions in many marine fisheries through license reductions and moratoriums have the potential to limit fishermen's ability to diversify their income risk across multiple fisheries. Catch share programs often result in consolidation initially and may reduce diversification. However, catch share programs also make it feasible for fishermen to build a portfolio of harvest privileges and potentially reduce their income risk. Therefore, catch share programs create both threats and opportunities for fishermen wishing to maintain diversified fishing strategies.

Food and water security in a changing Arctic climate

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2007
ENVIRON RES LETT

In the Arctic, permafrost extends up to 500 m below the ground surface, and it is generally just the top metre that thaws in summer. Lakes, rivers, and wetlands on the arctic landscape are normally not connected with groundwater in the same way that they are in temperate regions. When the surface is frozen in winter, only lakes deeper than 2 m and rivers with significant flow retain liquid water. Surface water is largely abundant in summer, when it serves as a breeding ground for fish, birds, and mammals. In winter, many mammals and birds are forced to migrate out of the Arctic. Fish must seek out lakes or rivers deep enough to provide good overwintering habitat. Humans in the Arctic rely on surface water in many ways. Surface water meets domestic needs such as drinking, cooking, and cleaning as well as subsistence and industrial demands. Indigenous communities depend on sea ice and waterways for transportation across the landscape and access to traditional country foods. The minerals, mining, and oil and gas industries also use large quantities of surface water during winter to build ice roads and maintain infrastructure. As demand for this limited, but heavily-relied-upon resource continues to increase, it is now more critical than ever to understand the impacts of climate change on food and water security in the Arctic.

Footprints of climate change in the Arctic Marine Ecosystem

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2010
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOL

In this article, we review evidence of how climate change has already resulted in clearly discernable changes in marine Arctic ecosystems. After defining the term ‘footprint’ and evaluating the availability of reliable baseline information we review the published literature to synthesize the footprints of climate change impacts in marine Arctic ecosystems reported as of mid-2009. We found a total of 51 reports of documented changes in Arctic marine biota in response to climate change. Among the responses evaluated were range shifts and changes in abundance, growth/condition, behaviour/phenology and community/regime shifts. Most reports concerned marine mammals, particularly polar bears, and fish. The number of well-documented changes in planktonic and benthic systems was surprisingly low. Evident losses of endemic species in the Arctic Ocean, and in ice algae production and associated community remained difficult to evaluate due to the lack of quantitative reports of its abundance and distribution. Very few footprints of climate change were reported in the literature from regions such as the wide Siberian shelf and the central Arctic Ocean due to the limited research effort made in these ecosystems. Despite the alarming nature of warming and its strong potential effects in the Arctic Ocean the research effort evaluating the impacts of climate change in this region is rather limited.

Vulnerability of National Economies to the Impacts of Climate Change on Fisheries

Article

Full-text available

May 2009
FISH FISH

Anthropogenic global warming has significantly influenced physical and biological processes at global and regional scales. The observed and anticipated changes in global climate present significant opportunities and challenges for societies and economies. We compare the vulnerability of 132 national economies to potential climate change impacts on their capture fisheries using an indicator-based approach. Countries in Central and Western Africa (e.g. Malawi, Guinea, Senegal, and Uganda), Peru and Colombia in north-western South America, and four tropical Asian countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Pakistan, and Yemen) were identified as most vulnerable. This vulnerability was due to the combined effect of predicted warming, the relative importance of fisheries to national economies and diets, and limited societal capacity to adapt to potential impacts and opportunities. Many vulnerable countries were also among the world’s least developed countries whose inhabitants are among the world’s poorest and twice as reliant on fish, which provides 27% of dietary protein compared to 13% in less vulnerable countries. These countries also produce 20% of the world’s fish exports and are in greatest need of adaptation planning to maintain or enhance the contribution that fisheries can make to poverty reduction. Although the precise impacts and direction of climate-driven change for particular fish stocks and fisheries are uncertain, our analysis suggests they are likely to lead to either increased economic hardship or missed opportunities for development in countries that depend upon fisheries but lack the capacity to adapt.

Resource management in a changing and uncertain climate

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2010

Climate change is altering ecological systems throughout the world. Managing these systems in a way that ignores climate change will likely fail to meet management objectives. The uncertainty in projected climate-change impacts is one of the greatest challenges facing managers attempting to address global change. In order to select successful management strategies, managers need to understand the uncertainty inherent in projected climate impacts and how these uncertainties affect the outcomes of management activities. Perhaps the most important tool for managing ecological systems in the face of climate change is active adaptive management, in which systems are closely monitored and management strategies are altered to address expected and ongoing changes. Here, we discuss the uncertainty inherent in different types of data on potential climate impacts and explore climate projections and potential management responses at three sites in North America. The Central Valley of California, the headwaters of the Klamath River in Oregon, and the barrier islands and sounds of North Carolina each face a different set of challenges with respect to climate change. Using these three sites, we provide specific examples of how managers are already beginning to address the threat of climate change in the face of varying levels of uncertainty.

Hunters of the Northern Forest: Designs for Survival among the Alaskan Kutchin

Article

Dec 1975

A reindeer herder's perspective on caribou, weather and socio-economic change on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska

Article

Apr 2009

Foreword to the special issue: climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability in the Arctic

Article

Apr 2009

Vulnerability

Article

Aug 2006
GLOBAL ENVIRON CHANG

W. Neil Adger

This paper reviews research traditions of vulnerability to environmental change and the challenges for present vulnerability research in integrating with the domains of resilience and adaptation. Vulnerability is the state of susceptibility to harm from exposure to stresses associated with environmental and social change and from the absence of capacity to adapt. Antecedent traditions include theories of vulnerability as entitlement failure and theories of hazard. Each of these areas has contributed to present formulations of vulnerability to environmental change as a characteristic of social-ecological systems linked to resilience. Research on vulnerability to the impacts of climate change spans all the antecedent and successor traditions. The challenges for vulnerability research are to develop robust and credible measures, to incorporate diverse methods that include perceptions of risk and vulnerability, and to incorporate governance research on the mechanisms that mediate vulnerability and promote adaptive action and resilience. These challenges are common to the domains of vulnerability, adaptation and resilience and form common ground for consilience and integration.

Resilience, Adaptability and Transformability in Social-Ecological Systems

Article

Dec 2004
ECOL SOC

Assessing climate change vulnerability in Alaska's fishing communities

No full-text available