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Indicators for Social and Economic Coping Capacity – Moving Toward at Working Definition of Adaptive Capacity

Author

Listed:
  • Gary W. Yohe
  • Richard S.J. Tol

    (Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin)

Abstract

This paper offers a practically motivated method for evaluating systems’ abilities to handle external stress. The method is designed to assess the potential contributions of various adaptation options to improving systems’ coping capacities by focusing attention directly on the underlying determinants of adaptive capacity. The method should be sufficiently flexible to accommodate diverse applications whose contexts are location specific and path dependent without imposing the straightjacket constraints of a “one size fits all” cookbook approach. Nonetheless, the method should produce unitless indicators that can be employed to judge the relative vulnerabilities of diverse systems to multiple stresses and to their potential interactions. An artificial application is employed to describe the development of the method and to illustrate how it might be applied. Some empirical evidence is offered to underscore the significance of the determinants of adaptive capacity in determining vulnerability; these are the determinants upon which the method is constructed. The method is, finally, applied directly to expert judgements of six different adaptations that could reduce vulnerability in the Netherlands to increased flooding along the Rhine River.

Suggested Citation

  • Gary W. Yohe & Richard S.J. Tol, 2001. "Indicators for Social and Economic Coping Capacity – Moving Toward at Working Definition of Adaptive Capacity," Working Papers FNU-8, Research unit Sustainability and Global Change, Hamburg University, revised Jun 2001.
    • Handle: RePEc:sgc:wpaper:8
    as

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    File URL: http://www.fnu.zmaw.de/fileadmin/fnu-files/publication/working-papers/adapcap.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2001
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Barry Smit & Ian Burton & Richard Klein & J. Wandel, 2000. "An Anatomy of Adaptation to Climate Change and Variability," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 223-251, April.
    2. B. Smit & I. Burton & R.J.T. Klein & R. Street, 1999. "The Science of Adaptation: A Framework for Assessment," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 4(3), pages 199-213, September.
    3. Thomas Downing & Lasse Ringius & Mike Hulme & Dominic Waughray, 1997. "Adapting to climate change in Africa," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 19-44, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    RePEc Biblio mentions

    As found on the RePEc Biblio, the curated bibliography for Economics:
    1. > Environmental and Natural Resource Economics > Climate economics > Adaptation

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    Cited by:

    1. Md. Alam & Chamhuri Siwar & Mohd Toriman & Rafiqul Molla & Basri Talib, 2012. "Climate change induced adaptation by paddy farmers in Malaysia," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 173-186, February.
    2. Alam, Md. Mahmudul & Siwar, Chamhuri & Al-Amin, Abul Quasem, 2019. "Climate Change Adaptation Policy Guidelines for Agricultural Sector in Malaysia," OSF Preprints 3snja, Center for Open Science.
    3. Vaal, Albert de & Yetkiner, I. Hakan & Zon, Adriaan van, 2002. "The cyclical advancement of drastic technologies," CCSO Working Papers 200217, University of Groningen, CCSO Centre for Economic Research.
    4. Richard S.J. Tol & Gary W. Yohe, 2006. "The Weakest Link Hypothesis For Adaptive Capacity: An Empirical Test," Wesleyan Economics Working Papers 2006-005, Wesleyan University, Department of Economics.
    5. P. Michael Link, 2003. "Auswirkungen populationsdynamischer Veränderungen in Fischbeständen auf die Fischereiwirtschaft in der Barentssee," Working Papers FNU-29, Research unit Sustainability and Global Change, Hamburg University, revised May 2003.
    6. Eakin, Hallie, 2005. "Institutional change, climate risk, and rural vulnerability: Cases from Central Mexico," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(11), pages 1923-1938, November.
    7. Acs, Zoltan J. & Estrin, Saul & Mickiewicz, Tomasz & Szerb, László, 2014. "The Continued Search for the Solow Residual: The Role of National Entrepreneurial Ecosystem," IZA Discussion Papers 8652, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Murad, Wahid & Alam, Md. Mahmudul & Noman, Abu Hanifa Md. & OZTURK, Ilhan, 2019. "Dynamics of technological innovation, energy consumption, energy price and economic growth in Denmark," OSF Preprints 9tkj8, Center for Open Science.
    9. I. Hakan Yetkiner, 2003. "Is There An Indispensable Role For Government During Recovery From An Earthquake? A Theoretical Elaboration," Working Papers FNU-25, Research unit Sustainability and Global Change, Hamburg University, revised Apr 2003.
    10. Senem Kozaman, 2014. "Assessing Vulnerability to Social and Environmental Changes in West Aegean Coastal Side of Turkey," ERSA conference papers ersa14p1668, European Regional Science Association.
    11. Roberto Roson & Richard s.J. Tol, 2003. "An Integrated Assessment Model Of Economy-Energy-Climate – The Model Wiagem: A Comment," Working Papers FNU-26, Research unit Sustainability and Global Change, Hamburg University, revised May 2003.
    12. Zoltán J. Ács & Erkko Autio & László Szerb, 2015. "National Systems of Entrepreneurship: Measurement issues and policy implications," Chapters, in: Global Entrepreneurship, Institutions and Incentives, chapter 28, pages 523-541, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    13. Ana Iglesias & Sonia Quiroga & Marta Moneo & Luis Garrote, 2012. "From climate change impacts to the development of adaptation strategies: Challenges for agriculture in Europe," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 112(1), pages 143-168, May.
    14. Angela Rosa & Angela Santangelo & Simona Tondelli, 2021. "Investigating the Integration of Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management into Urban Planning Tools. The Ravenna Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-24, January.
    15. Dritan Osmani, "undated". "A note on optimal transfer schemes, stable coalition for environmental protection and joint maximization assumption," Working Papers FNU-176, Research unit Sustainability and Global Change, Hamburg University.
    16. Richard S. J. Tol, 2009. "The Economic Effects of Climate Change," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 23(2), pages 29-51, Spring.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    adaptive capacity; climate change;

    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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