In order to break the gap of local information available about the most vulnerable areas, population, sectors and / or ecosystems to the impacts of climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean and strengthen climate change adaptation planning, REGATTA has carried out four climate change Vulnerability, Impact and Adaptation analyses in each of the sub-regions: the Gran Chaco Americano (Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay), the Andes (Colombia, Ecuador and Peru), Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama) and the Caribbean (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Haiti).

 

What is climate change vulnerability?

The number of definitions of climate change vulnerability is extensive and varies depending on the field of research. The IPCC (2007) definition is the most commonly used, which states that:

“Vulnerability is the degree to which a system is susceptible to, and unable to cope with, adverse effects of climate change, including climate variability and extremes. Vulnerability is a function of the character, magnitude, and rate of climate change and variation to which a system is exposed, its sensitivity, and its adaptive capacity”.

What is a climate change vulnerability, impact and adaptation analysis?

The definition of a vulnerability analysis is even more complex to define. In general, a climate change vulnerability, impact and adaptation (VIA) analysis generates information that reveals the areas, population, sectors and/or ecosystems that are most susceptible to the impacts of climate change.

Why carry out a VIA analysis?

A VIA analysis is a critical tool for assisting decision-makers in understanding how to plan for climate change by evaluating the extent and magnitude of the expected impacts and identifying practical and viable measures to cope with the anticipated changes.

How do you conduct a VIA analysis?

There is no single approach for conducting a VIA analysis. Approaches and methods may vary depending on factors such as: scale, sector of analysis, time restrictions and financial and technical resources available. Figure 1 presents a VIA Analysis Methodological Framework developed under the REGATTA initiative, which is based on an extensive review of climate change VIA analyses and the implementation of four VIA projects in the LAC region. The framework captures the key components that a VIA analysis should entail to produce results that can be used for the adaptation planning process.

Figure 1: VIA Analysis Methodological Framework