Are climate change adaptation strategies working? A call to expedite learning
Abstract Evidence is lacking for what constitutes effective climate change adaptation to successfully conserve and steward ecosystems. Yet we urgently need this information to develop robust adaptation strategies to keep pace with unprecedented change, given our limited resources to do so. This incl...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Conservation Science and Practice |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70060 |
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| _version_ | 1849332436666679296 |
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| author | Lara J. Hansen Deborah A. Rudnick Kathryn N. Braddock Arden Drake Scott Covington Helen E. Fox Kimberly R. Hall James B. Hansen Carolyn J. Lundquist Eric E. Mielbrecht Jordan M. West |
| author_facet | Lara J. Hansen Deborah A. Rudnick Kathryn N. Braddock Arden Drake Scott Covington Helen E. Fox Kimberly R. Hall James B. Hansen Carolyn J. Lundquist Eric E. Mielbrecht Jordan M. West |
| author_sort | Lara J. Hansen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Evidence is lacking for what constitutes effective climate change adaptation to successfully conserve and steward ecosystems. Yet we urgently need this information to develop robust adaptation strategies to keep pace with unprecedented change, given our limited resources to do so. This includes not just understanding if a given strategy is effective in a single application, but perhaps more importantly if a given strategy has proven effective across sites where it has been applied, or has benefits only under certain sets of conditions. This learning across the field of adaptation is currently missing and is what is necessary for bringing adaptation to scale. We propose an approach that can guide adaptation efficacy testing under varying levels of baseline knowledge and ecosystem complexity. The approach includes clearly defining conservation goals and climate vulnerabilities, methodically collecting site and climate metrics to inform analysis of efficacy, and evaluating and communicating both positive and negative results in order to advance the adaptation field. Using this approach with meta‐analyses and post‐hoc testing can quickly scale efficacy testing in a meaningful way. Furthermore, explicitly incorporating efficacy testing into adaptation processes can support the growth of the adaptation field and spark creative, adaptive management approaches that will increase the likelihood of reducing climate change vulnerability. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-83294da766214a7091ef63c5db5cbfe8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2578-4854 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Conservation Science and Practice |
| spelling | doaj-art-83294da766214a7091ef63c5db5cbfe82025-08-20T03:46:12ZengWileyConservation Science and Practice2578-48542025-06-0176n/an/a10.1111/csp2.70060Are climate change adaptation strategies working? A call to expedite learningLara J. Hansen0Deborah A. Rudnick1Kathryn N. Braddock2Arden Drake3Scott Covington4Helen E. Fox5Kimberly R. Hall6James B. Hansen7Carolyn J. Lundquist8Eric E. Mielbrecht9Jordan M. West10EcoAdapt Bainbridge Island Washington, DC USAEcoAdapt Bainbridge Island Washington, DC USAEcoAdapt Bainbridge Island Washington, DC USAEcoAdapt Bainbridge Island Washington, DC USAUnited States Fish & Wildlife Service Vancouver Washington USACoral Reef Alliance Oakland California USAThe Nature Conservancy Lansing Michigan USACalifornia Department of Fish & Wildlife Santa Rosa California USANational Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd Auckland New ZealandEcoAdapt Bainbridge Island Washington, DC USAUnited States Environmental Protection Agency Washington DC USAAbstract Evidence is lacking for what constitutes effective climate change adaptation to successfully conserve and steward ecosystems. Yet we urgently need this information to develop robust adaptation strategies to keep pace with unprecedented change, given our limited resources to do so. This includes not just understanding if a given strategy is effective in a single application, but perhaps more importantly if a given strategy has proven effective across sites where it has been applied, or has benefits only under certain sets of conditions. This learning across the field of adaptation is currently missing and is what is necessary for bringing adaptation to scale. We propose an approach that can guide adaptation efficacy testing under varying levels of baseline knowledge and ecosystem complexity. The approach includes clearly defining conservation goals and climate vulnerabilities, methodically collecting site and climate metrics to inform analysis of efficacy, and evaluating and communicating both positive and negative results in order to advance the adaptation field. Using this approach with meta‐analyses and post‐hoc testing can quickly scale efficacy testing in a meaningful way. Furthermore, explicitly incorporating efficacy testing into adaptation processes can support the growth of the adaptation field and spark creative, adaptive management approaches that will increase the likelihood of reducing climate change vulnerability.https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70060adaptationclimate changeclimate resilienceconservationefficacy testingframework |
| spellingShingle | Lara J. Hansen Deborah A. Rudnick Kathryn N. Braddock Arden Drake Scott Covington Helen E. Fox Kimberly R. Hall James B. Hansen Carolyn J. Lundquist Eric E. Mielbrecht Jordan M. West Are climate change adaptation strategies working? A call to expedite learning Conservation Science and Practice adaptation climate change climate resilience conservation efficacy testing framework |
| title | Are climate change adaptation strategies working? A call to expedite learning |
| title_full | Are climate change adaptation strategies working? A call to expedite learning |
| title_fullStr | Are climate change adaptation strategies working? A call to expedite learning |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are climate change adaptation strategies working? A call to expedite learning |
| title_short | Are climate change adaptation strategies working? A call to expedite learning |
| title_sort | are climate change adaptation strategies working a call to expedite learning |
| topic | adaptation climate change climate resilience conservation efficacy testing framework |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70060 |
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