Integrated risk analyses as part of national climate risk assessments: lessons learnt from the climate risk assessment of Germany

Purpose – Climate risk assessments (CRAs) become more and more necessary to prepare and prioritise adaptation action. On a policy level, the results of CRAs offer the foundation for national adaptation strategies. However, existing CRAs oftentimes do not exploit their full potential by means of an i...

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Main Authors: Walter Kahlenborn, Maike Voss, Luise Porst, Marc Zebisch, Kathrin Renner, Inke Schauser
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Emerald Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management
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Online Access:https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJCCSM-10-2023-0128/full/pdf
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author Walter Kahlenborn
Maike Voss
Luise Porst
Marc Zebisch
Kathrin Renner
Inke Schauser
author_facet Walter Kahlenborn
Maike Voss
Luise Porst
Marc Zebisch
Kathrin Renner
Inke Schauser
author_sort Walter Kahlenborn
collection DOAJ
description Purpose – Climate risk assessments (CRAs) become more and more necessary to prepare and prioritise adaptation action. On a policy level, the results of CRAs offer the foundation for national adaptation strategies. However, existing CRAs oftentimes do not exploit their full potential by means of an integrated assessment, i.e. to illustrate the complexity of cascading risks, provide cross-sectoral results, integrate adaptive capacity and demonstrate spatial patterns. This paper seeks to fill this gap by dissecting integrated assessment approaches of national CRAs. Design/methodology/approach – The paper focuses on the integrated analyses of the results of CRAs. Based on a review of selected national, multi-sectoral CRAs, the authors explore the application of such analyses. Additionally, drawing on the latest climate impact and risk assessment for Germany, the authors highlight latest approaches and their implications. Findings – The authors show that even though progress in establishing integrated assessment methods has been made, no common framework exists so far and only few national CRAs include extensive integrated analyses. Nevertheless, the German example demonstrates that integrated analyses can provide a comprehensive overview over risk dynamics, (spatial) patterns and needs for action thus providing practical advice for decision-making on a national adaptation policy level. Originality/value – While it is common knowledge that CRAs in general provide better results, if the models applied are integrated (i.e. combining climate, geo-physical, economic, etc. factors), little attention has been given to the integrated analyses of their results. This paper provides valuable new insight on this aspect which will become far more important in the future.
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spelling doaj-art-3eea37ed7af341378d874186aa1f3cd42025-02-04T04:57:17ZengEmerald PublishingInternational Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management1756-86921756-87062025-01-01171688810.1108/IJCCSM-10-2023-0128Integrated risk analyses as part of national climate risk assessments: lessons learnt from the climate risk assessment of GermanyWalter Kahlenborn0Maike Voss1Luise Porst2Marc Zebisch3Kathrin Renner4Inke Schauser5Adelphi Research Gemeinnutzige GmbH, Berlin, GermanyGIZ, Ouagadougou, Burkina FasoLeibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Muncheberg, GermanyCenter for Climate Change and Transformation, Eurac Research, Bozen-Bolzano, ItalyCenter for Climate Change and Transformation, Eurac Research, Bozen-Bolzano, ItalyKomPass, Umweltbundesamt, Dessau, GermanyPurpose – Climate risk assessments (CRAs) become more and more necessary to prepare and prioritise adaptation action. On a policy level, the results of CRAs offer the foundation for national adaptation strategies. However, existing CRAs oftentimes do not exploit their full potential by means of an integrated assessment, i.e. to illustrate the complexity of cascading risks, provide cross-sectoral results, integrate adaptive capacity and demonstrate spatial patterns. This paper seeks to fill this gap by dissecting integrated assessment approaches of national CRAs. Design/methodology/approach – The paper focuses on the integrated analyses of the results of CRAs. Based on a review of selected national, multi-sectoral CRAs, the authors explore the application of such analyses. Additionally, drawing on the latest climate impact and risk assessment for Germany, the authors highlight latest approaches and their implications. Findings – The authors show that even though progress in establishing integrated assessment methods has been made, no common framework exists so far and only few national CRAs include extensive integrated analyses. Nevertheless, the German example demonstrates that integrated analyses can provide a comprehensive overview over risk dynamics, (spatial) patterns and needs for action thus providing practical advice for decision-making on a national adaptation policy level. Originality/value – While it is common knowledge that CRAs in general provide better results, if the models applied are integrated (i.e. combining climate, geo-physical, economic, etc. factors), little attention has been given to the integrated analyses of their results. This paper provides valuable new insight on this aspect which will become far more important in the future.https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJCCSM-10-2023-0128/full/pdfAdaptive capacityClimate risk assessmentIntegrated analysisCross-sector risksGerman CRA 2021
spellingShingle Walter Kahlenborn
Maike Voss
Luise Porst
Marc Zebisch
Kathrin Renner
Inke Schauser
Integrated risk analyses as part of national climate risk assessments: lessons learnt from the climate risk assessment of Germany
International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management
Adaptive capacity
Climate risk assessment
Integrated analysis
Cross-sector risks
German CRA 2021
title Integrated risk analyses as part of national climate risk assessments: lessons learnt from the climate risk assessment of Germany
title_full Integrated risk analyses as part of national climate risk assessments: lessons learnt from the climate risk assessment of Germany
title_fullStr Integrated risk analyses as part of national climate risk assessments: lessons learnt from the climate risk assessment of Germany
title_full_unstemmed Integrated risk analyses as part of national climate risk assessments: lessons learnt from the climate risk assessment of Germany
title_short Integrated risk analyses as part of national climate risk assessments: lessons learnt from the climate risk assessment of Germany
title_sort integrated risk analyses as part of national climate risk assessments lessons learnt from the climate risk assessment of germany
topic Adaptive capacity
Climate risk assessment
Integrated analysis
Cross-sector risks
German CRA 2021
url https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJCCSM-10-2023-0128/full/pdf
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