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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 23 April 2018

Francis Wasswa Nsubuga and Hannes Rautenbach

In view of the consensus that climate change is happening, scientists have documented several findings about Uganda’s recent climate, as well as its variability and change. The…

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Abstract

Purpose

In view of the consensus that climate change is happening, scientists have documented several findings about Uganda’s recent climate, as well as its variability and change. The purpose of this study is to review what has been documented, thus it gives an overview of what is known and seeks to explain the implications of a changing climate, hence what ought to be known to create a climate resilient environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Terms such as “climate”, “climate change” and “climate variability” were identified in recent peer-reviewed published literature to find recent climate-related literature on Uganda. Findings from independent researchers and consultants are incorporated. Data obtained from rainfall and temperature observations and from COSMO-CLM Regional Climate Model-Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CCLM CORDEX) data, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Interim Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) data and Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) have been used to generate spatial maps, seasonal outputs and projections using GrADS 2.02 and Geographic Information System (GIS) software for visualization.

Findings

The climate of Uganda is tropical in nature and influenced by the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), varied relief, geo-location and inland lakes, among other factors. The impacts of severe weather and climate trends and variability have been documented substantially in the past 20-30 years. Most studies indicated a rainfall decline. Daily maximum and minimum temperatures are on the rise, while projections indicate a decrease in rainfall and increase in temperature both in the near and far future. The implication of these changes on society and the economy are discussed herein. Cost of inaction is expected to become huge, given factors like, the growing rate of the population and the slow expanding economy experienced in Uganda. Varied forms of adaptation to the impacts of climate change are being implemented, especially in the agricultural sector and at house hold level, though not systematically.

Originality/value

This review of scientific research findings aims to create a better understanding of the recent climate change and variability in Uganda and provides a baseline of summarized information for use in future research and actions.

Details

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, vol. 10 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-8692

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 September 2023

Tanakorn Likitapiwat, Pornsit Jiraporn and Sirimon Treepongkaruna

The authors investigate whether firm-specific vulnerability to climate change influences foreign exchange hedging, using a novel text-based measure of firm-level climate change…

Abstract

Purpose

The authors investigate whether firm-specific vulnerability to climate change influences foreign exchange hedging, using a novel text-based measure of firm-level climate change exposure generated by state-of-the-art machine-learning algorithms.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors' empirical analysis includes firm-fixed effects, random-effects regressions, propensity score matching (PSM), entropy balancing, an instrumental-variable analysis and using an exogenous shock as a quasi-natural experiment.

Findings

The authors' findings suggest that greater climate change exposure brings about a significant reduction in exchange rate hedging. Companies more exposed to climate change may invest significant resources to address climate change risk, such that they have fewer resources available for currency risk management. Additionally, firms seriously coping with climate change risk may view exchange rate risk as relatively less important in comparison to the risk posed by climate change. Notably, the authors also find that the negative effect of climate change exposure on currency hedging can be specifically attributed to the regulatory aspect of climate change risk rather than the physical dimension, suggesting that companies view the regulatory dimension of climate change as more critical.

Originality/value

Recent studies have demonstrated that climatic fluctuations represent one of the most recent sources of unpredictability, thereby impacting the economy and financial markets (Barnett et al., 2020; Bolton and Kacperczyk, 2020; Engle et al., 2020). The authors' study advances this field of research by revealing that company-specific exposure to climate change serves as a significant determinant of corporate currency hedging, thus expanding the existing knowledge base.

Details

Journal of Accounting Literature, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0737-4607

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 23 September 2014

The impact of climate disasters (e.g., floods, storms, or landslides), which are generally of low intensity and high frequency, should not be overlooked in developing countries…

Abstract

The impact of climate disasters (e.g., floods, storms, or landslides), which are generally of low intensity and high frequency, should not be overlooked in developing countries. Global experiences related to the damage due to these disasters indicate that such events can be devastating in communities that are vulnerable to hazardous impacts. Cumulative effects of climate disasters are a sign of a potential catastrophe. Moreover, the recent increase in these events poses additional issues that increase the cost of local public administration, including emergency operation and infrastructure recovery. This chapter explains key problems related to climate disasters that are increasing, particularly in the local area of developing countries, and clarifies the need to incorporate climate disaster risk reduction into public development planning and practice. The chapter also provides descriptions of the research location, approaches of the study, and the structure of this book.

Details

Local Disaster Risk Management in a Changing Climate: Perspective from Central America
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78350-935-5

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 25 September 2017

Tijana Crnčević and Violeta Orlović Lovren

The purpose of this paper is to present the major gaps in the field of planning policy and its implementation regarding climate change and disaster risk reduction (DRR), with…

4548

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the major gaps in the field of planning policy and its implementation regarding climate change and disaster risk reduction (DRR), with special reference to the displacement of people, together with the knowledge needed to increase community resilience. The researched relations are illustrated by the example of Serbia. The Republic of Serbia has been faced with increasingly visible impacts of climate change in recent years – floods, heat waves, droughts and others. During the floods that hit Serbia in 2014, over 30,000 people experienced displacement. These events have triggered numerous efforts, both to repair the incurred damage and to analyze opportunities for prevention.

Design/methodology/approach

This research has used document analysis to investigate contemporary approaches defined by policies, programs and research reports regarding climate change and DRR, with special reference to the displacement of people. An analytical framework has been used to evaluate to what extent the planning policy framework in Serbia addresses these issues in the context of achieving resilient development. Secondary analysis of research data has been used to recognize the gaps and identify needs for increasing community resilience.

Findings

Based on the growing trends in projections of climate change as a result of induced natural disasters for the region in the future and international trends in coping with these issues, this paper argues that it is necessary to improve the implementation of the planning policy framework and the capacities of professionals and citizens, to reduce future displacement and increase community resilience to climate change. The key weaknesses found within DRR and the emergency management system in Serbia were the lack of an appropriate information base of the cadastre of risk zones and the lack of information and coordination of actors on the local to the national level. During the “pre-disaster” period, findings stress a weak partnership and capacity development practice at the local level, as well as between local responsible bodies and regional/national entities in charge of emergency management and DRR. The paper singles out the main preconditions for achieving effective resilient planning, so that such a plan can move “people away from marginal areas” and provide living conditions that are resilient.

Originality/value

This paper provides a comprehensive insight analysis of the relations between climate change and DRR, with special reference to the planning policy. Using the lessons learned from the recent climate-induced disaster with its implications on displacement, the paper identifies needs for strengthening capacities to establish more resilient communities in Serbia. The gaps and needs identified, as well as the recommendations provided, may be of value for neighboring countries as well, who face similar challenges in climate change adaptation and who need to increase disaster risk resilience.

Details

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, vol. 10 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-8692

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 March 2023

Georgia Warren-Myers and Lucy Cradduck

This research investigated Australian property valuers' identification and consideration of physical climate change risks in valuation practice.

Abstract

Purpose

This research investigated Australian property valuers' identification and consideration of physical climate change risks in valuation practice.

Design/methodology/approach

Thirty Australian valuer members of the Australian Property Institute from a variety of specialisations were interviewed. The semi-structured interviews explored climate change risks and the extent of risk investigation and consideration in valuation practice. The analysis utilised the Moser and Luers (2008) climate risk preparedness framework as a lens to evaluate current valuation practice in Australia.

Findings

The analysis reflects that while physical risks are easily identified and engaged with by valuers, correspondingly, there is a lack of understanding of and engagement with, climate change risks. This supports the need for better information sources and guidance to inform valuers of climate change risks and the development of specific mechanisms for the consideration of such risks to be included in valuation processes, practices and reports.

Research limitations/implications

The research was limited by its sample size and qualitative approach. Therefore, the research is not a representative opinion of the Australian profession; however, the analysis provides the perspective of a range of valuers from across Australia with different valuation specialisations.

Practical implications

This research has established that valuers have the potential to be prepared to address climate change in their professional capacity, as described by Moser and Luers (2008). However, they are constrained by information communication, access and detail and subsequent market awareness of information on climate change risk exposure on properties. There is a need for further support, guidance, information and tools, as well as awareness-raising, to enable valuers to accurately identify and reflect all risks affecting a property in the process of valuation.

Originality/value

This research provides the first investigation into the consideration of climate change in valuation practice. Property stakeholders—owners, investors, financiers and occupiers—are escalating their climate change risk analysis and reporting for property portfolios and organisations. This research suggests that valuers also need to be aware of the changing dynamics of market reporting and decision-making related to climate change risks to ensure appropriate reflection in valuation practice.

Details

Journal of Property Investment & Finance, vol. 41 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-578X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 August 2020

Sang Thanh Le and Chi Dao Vo

This paper aims to provide a deep understanding of rural household livelihoods in the Mekong Delta and to explore how they can cope with climate stressors at the ground level.

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a deep understanding of rural household livelihoods in the Mekong Delta and to explore how they can cope with climate stressors at the ground level.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs the sustainable livelihood framework at a household and also an individual scale. The general data obtained from a survey of 2,100 households provide an overview of their livelihoods. Qualitative and quantitative methods were adopted, as case studies, to comprehensively assess 100 households in one commune affected by annual floods and an additional 100 households in another commune affected by sea level rises. Livelihood profile analysis is beneficial to identify specific livelihood change patterns that have taken place in these specific cases.

Findings

There are four types of livelihood adaptation to climate stressors: (1) change of structure of agricultural systems, (2) change of employment locations, (3) resettlement with strong impact on livelihoods and (4) out-migration. The household livelihood resources and the local economic structures have significant roles in driving adaptive solutions.

Research limitations/implications

This paper provides detailed profiles of the livelihood change considered as passive adaptation of smallholders in the Mekong Delta.

Originality/value

It contributes to the knowledge of rural households in multiple aspects with regard to how they cope with climate change via reflection on their livelihoods.

Details

Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-0839

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 September 2020

Leslie Mabon

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to emergent understandings in research into urban climate change-related disasters (such as extreme heat), which recognise that…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to emergent understandings in research into urban climate change-related disasters (such as extreme heat), which recognise that present-day actions or failures of cities to address climate risk are rooted in a historical context.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyses content of scientific journals produced by the not-for-profit Kyushu Environmental Evaluation Association in Fukuoka since the 1970s. The aim is to evaluate the shifting understanding and conception of a liveable urban environment within Fukuoka over time and assess how this narrative has informed capability to understand and manage extreme heat as an emergent disaster risk.

Findings

The strong technical competences enabling Fukuoka to undertake evidence-based management of risks from climate-related disasters today exist at least partially because of earlier environmental concerns within the city and an early emergence of techno-scientific competence within the city's research institutions working at the science–policy interface.

Originality/value

The findings suggest a need to avoid uncritically exporting “lessons” from apparent urban climate “success stories”, without full recognition of the historical context enabling production and utilisation of weather and climate knowledge in specific locations.

Details

Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, vol. 30 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-3562

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 14 August 2023

Noe John Sacramento

This paper investigates how power and narratives among actors relate to the process of agenda-setting and deliberation in the context of climate change loss and damage. The focus…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper investigates how power and narratives among actors relate to the process of agenda-setting and deliberation in the context of climate change loss and damage. The focus is to understand how grassroots voices manifest their concerns on intensifying economic and non-economic impacts of climate change loss and damage which affect them.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on the case of the Southeast Asia climate change loss and damage workshop in Bohol, Philippines in August 2022. It utilizes lesson drawing as a critical approach by thematic analysis in making sense of the data gathered from the perspectives of participant observers and facilitators.

Findings

There are different levels of power and dominant narratives actors in a deliberative process propel in taking a stance over a particular issue towards agenda-setting and policy framing. The power and narratives help actors to maintain and emphasize their position, exercise authority, and to some point, suppress weak voices. Narratives associated with emotions, sentiments, ideologies, and value systems of the grassroots, community leaders, and climate justice movements tend to be devalued by those in a high level of power and authority.

Originality/value

Techno-authoritarian domination explicitly hampers a genuine grassroots involvement in the policy process, especially towards agenda-setting of immediate concerns about climate change loss and damage which affect the public. Critiquing actors’ power and narratives are productive in identifying and propagating the type of deliberative spaces that speak truth to power.

Details

Public Administration and Policy, vol. 26 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1727-2645

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 September 2020

R. Zackary Seitz

The world is facing unprecedented potential disaster with the impending climate crisis. Research within social studies education surrounding the integration of ecological issues…

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Abstract

Purpose

The world is facing unprecedented potential disaster with the impending climate crisis. Research within social studies education surrounding the integration of ecological issues, while still on the fringes, has seen a recent surge. This is a review of practitioner-oriented research published in the last ten years on teaching these issues in social studies classes.

Design/methodology/approach

This study reviews practitioner-oriented articles on teaching ecological issues in social studies classes. The author searched databases and did a manual review using specific search terms. The author’s first level of analysis was to analyze the year of publication, whether the article was (co) written by a practicing teacher and whether the article featured a lesson plan/resources. The author then analyzed the content/focus of each article.

Findings

In total, ten articles were (co)written by a practicing teacher, 23 articles included lesson plans and the article themes could fall into one of six themes (water issues, pollution, climate change, climate activism, sustainability and economic growth and ecological citizenship/ethics).

Research limitations/implications

The author was unable to review one year of articles from the Ohio Social Studies Review due to the COVID-19 pandemic and only having remote institutional access to library materials.

Originality/value

In reviewing the practitioner-oriented articles, the author hopes to not only strengthen the curricular justifications for teaching these issues in social studies classes but also show what research has been done and provide critiques and show what could be done in the future.

Details

Social Studies Research and Practice, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1933-5415

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 September 2016

Anna Paolillo, Silvia A. Silva and Margherita Pasini

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of diversity climate and inclusion climate on safety participation behaviors through the mediating effect of the motivation…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of diversity climate and inclusion climate on safety participation behaviors through the mediating effect of the motivation to actively promote safety at work.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants were 491 workers employed in four Italian metal-mechanical companies. They completed a paper questionnaire containing measures of psychological diversity climate, psychological inclusion climate, safety motivation participation and safety participation behaviors. Data were analyzed with structural equation modeling.

Findings

Results showed that safety participation motivation fully mediates the relationship between diversity climate and safety participation behaviors, whereas it partially mediates the relationship between climate for inclusion and safety participation behaviors.

Practical implications

The present findings can help managers to motivate employees in pursuing safety goals independently of compensation or obligation by creating an organization in which the main concern is caring for each other’s well-being.

Originality/value

This is the first study which has empirically tested the relationships between diversity climate, inclusion climate and safety behaviors. It has extended previous research which simply tested the effects of objective types of diversity on safety performance.

Details

International Journal of Workplace Health Management, vol. 9 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8351

Keywords

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