Vulnerability, Resilience, and Adaptive Capacity Measures for Adaptation Decisions: the Case of Coastal Communities
Presenter(s)
Richard H. Moll
Abstract
This research develops and applies a system dynamics (SD) model for the strategic evaluation of environmental adaptation options for coastal communities. The paper defines and estimates asset-based measures for community vulnerability, resilience, and adaptive capacity with respect to the environmental, economic, social, and cultural pillars of the coastal community under threat. The SD model simulates the annual multidimensional dynamic impacts of severe coastal storms and storm surge on the community pillars under alternative adaptation strategies. The calculation of the quantitative measures is applied to the specific context of the coastal community of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The dynamic trend of the measures and model sensitivity analyzes for Charlottetown facing increased frequency of severe storms, storm surge, and sea-level rise provide impetus for enhanced community strategic planning for the changing coastal environment. This research is presented as part of the International Community-University Research Alliance (ICURA) C-Change project "Managing Adaptation to Environmental Change in Coastal Communities: Canada and the Caribbean" sponsored by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada and the International Development Resource Centre (IDRC).
Keywords: Coastal community vulnerability, climate change adaptation, community resilience, adaptive capacity, system dynamics, STELLA, simulation modelling, strategic decision making, Charlottetown, P.E.I., Canada.
Topic
Social, Ecological Systems
Start Date
6-17-2016 2:55 PM
End Date
6-17-2016 3:15 PM
Room
High Country Conference Center
Recommended Citation
Moll, Richard H.; Beigzadeh, Shima; and Lane, Daniel E., "Vulnerability, Resilience, and Adaptive Capacity Measures for Adaptation Decisions: the Case of Coastal Communities" (2016). World Conference on Natural Resource Modeling. 36.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/rma/all/presentations/36
Vulnerability, Resilience, and Adaptive Capacity Measures for Adaptation Decisions: the Case of Coastal Communities
High Country Conference Center
This research develops and applies a system dynamics (SD) model for the strategic evaluation of environmental adaptation options for coastal communities. The paper defines and estimates asset-based measures for community vulnerability, resilience, and adaptive capacity with respect to the environmental, economic, social, and cultural pillars of the coastal community under threat. The SD model simulates the annual multidimensional dynamic impacts of severe coastal storms and storm surge on the community pillars under alternative adaptation strategies. The calculation of the quantitative measures is applied to the specific context of the coastal community of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The dynamic trend of the measures and model sensitivity analyzes for Charlottetown facing increased frequency of severe storms, storm surge, and sea-level rise provide impetus for enhanced community strategic planning for the changing coastal environment. This research is presented as part of the International Community-University Research Alliance (ICURA) C-Change project "Managing Adaptation to Environmental Change in Coastal Communities: Canada and the Caribbean" sponsored by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada and the International Development Resource Centre (IDRC).
Keywords: Coastal community vulnerability, climate change adaptation, community resilience, adaptive capacity, system dynamics, STELLA, simulation modelling, strategic decision making, Charlottetown, P.E.I., Canada.