Resilience-Based Monitoring of Climate Adaptation

Climate change is happening today, so we have to build a more resilient tomorrow. This is especially true for Longyearbyen in Svalbard, as the climate is changing more rapidly in the Arctic regions than anywhere else in the world. This paper describes a resilience-based approach for monitoring of municipalities' work on climate adaptation, using Longyearbyen as a case aiming at making it climate resilient. It is based on the method Critical Infrastructure Resilience Assessment Method (CIRAM) but adapted for the follow-up of work on climate adaptation using indicators. This new method is named CLimate Adaptation Indicators Method (CLAIM). The paper describes the development and use of the method, which was carried out in close collaboration with the local government. Climate adaptation indicators can help Longyearbyen local government, and municipalities in general, to visualize, report and communicate the work and effort made on climate adaptation to inhabitants, local politicians, and central authorities. Additionally, they can provide continuity in the work on climate adaptation covering both short-term and long-term measures against the effects of climate change. Establishing a system for monitoring the status of climate adaptation work is demanding, but the alternative - not knowing the status of climate adaptation work - may prove to be far more costly.

Keywords: Climate adaptation, Climate resilience, Resilience, Resilience indicators, Risk, Risk governance.