Article by Caroline Moser A CONCEPTUAL AND OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR PRO-POOR ASSET ADAPTATION TO URBAN CLIMATE CHANGE Article by Caroline Moser

FRAMEWORK FRAMEWORK ASSET-FOCCUSED FRAMEWORK ANALYTICALLY (BETTER UNDERSTAND) OPERATIONALLY (MORE APPROPRIATELY ADDRESS) PHASES OF URBAN CLIMATE CHANGE (IMPACTS ON POOR URBAN COMMUNITIES) Long-term Resilience Immediate Post-disaster Response Rebuilding Pre-disaster Damage limitation FRAMEWORK FRAMEWORK ASSET-ADAPTATION FRAMEWORK COMPONENTS VULNERABILITY (GROUPS MOST AFFECTED BY CC-RELATED DISASTERS – SOCIO ECONOMIC ASPECTS) ADAPTATION (“BOTTOM-UP” & “TOP DOWN” CC ESTRATEGIES:)

ASSET VULNERABILITY Insecurity of the well being of individuals, households & communities including sensitivity to change (Morse 1998) Lack of resilience to changes (environmental, economic, politic, social, etc.) that threaten welfare Lack of assets The more assets a society has, the less vulnerable it generally is. (visce versa) Basically allowing the system (ecological or social) to maintain homeostasis and not be completely adversely affected by a disturbance Forward looking, placing emphasis on capacities rather than outcomes Adaptation is a sub-set of resilience “seeks to secure the continuation of desired systems functions into the future in the face of changing contexts, enabling alternation of institutions and organizational form”

What´s the definition of assets and what assets are associated with vulnerability and adaptation analysis? The main difference is that transformation and transition do not maintain functional integrity… they force the community, ecology, whatever system to change These definitions point to the socio-ecological systems theory

THE MOST IMPORTANT CAPITAL ASSETS The main difference is that transformation and transition do not maintain functional integrity… they force the community, ecology, whatever system to change These definitions point to the socio-ecological systems theory Assets are a key determinant of the society´s adaptive capacity both to reduce risks and to cope with and adapt to increased risk levels and they can be tangible or intangible.

ASSET-BASED ADAPTATION Identifies the role of assets in increasing the adaptive capacity of low-income societies. Includes 3 basic principles: The process by which the assets held by individual are protected or adapted is influenced by external factors. The formal and informal context within which actors operate can provide an enabling environment for protecting and adapting assets. Assets can quickly move into security/vulnerability through society´s internal changes linked to life cycle as well as in response to external factors (economic, political and institutional variability) Basically allowing the system (ecological or social) to maintain homeostasis and not be completely adversely affected by a disturbance Forward looking, placing emphasis on capacities rather than outcomes Adaptation is a sub-set of resilience “seeks to secure the continuation of desired systems functions into the future in the face of changing contexts, enabling alternation of institutions and organizational form”

AN ASSET-BASED FOCUS ON CC REQUIRES Identification and analysis of the connection between vulnerability and assets Identification of asset adaptation or resilience strategies to exploit opportunities to resist, or recover from the negative effect of climate change Basically allowing the system (ecological or social) to maintain homeostasis and not be completely adversely affected by a disturbance Forward looking, placing emphasis on capacities rather than outcomes Adaptation is a sub-set of resilience “seeks to secure the continuation of desired systems functions into the future in the face of changing contexts, enabling alternation of institutions and organizational form”

VULNERABILITY ASSESMENT Vulnerability Assessment = Hazards to which a society is exposed – its capacity to cope and adapt (the basis for response) Vulnerability changes among social groups and population gender, ages, capacities, abilities, etc. Basically allowing the system (ecological or social) to maintain homeostasis and not be completely adversely affected by a disturbance Forward looking, placing emphasis on capacities rather than outcomes Adaptation is a sub-set of resilience “seeks to secure the continuation of desired systems functions into the future in the face of changing contexts, enabling alternation of institutions and organizational form”

ASSET-VULNERABILITY ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK PHASES OF URBAN CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY IMPORTANT ASSETS LONG-TERM RESILIENCE Lack of protective infrastructure necessary to reduce risk Physical assets PRE-DISASTER DAMAGE LIMITATION Lack of knowledge and capacity to take immediate short-term measures to limit impact Social assets IMMEDIATE POST-DISASTER RESPONSE Lack of support from the state to cope with impacts Human, physical and social assets REBUILDING Less capacity to adapt after disaster, less support from the state Rebuilding social and physical assets Basically allowing the system (ecological or social) to maintain homeostasis and not be completely adversely affected by a disturbance Forward looking, placing emphasis on capacities rather than outcomes Adaptation is a sub-set of resilience “seeks to secure the continuation of desired systems functions into the future in the face of changing contexts, enabling alternation of institutions and organizational form”

ASSET-BASED ADAPTATION OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK PHASES OF URBAN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IMPORTANT ASSETS LONG-TERM RESILIENCE Establishing the infrastructure and institutions that prevents CC´s impacts becoming disasters Physical assets PRE-DISASTER DAMAGE LIMITATION Generating knowledge to greatly reduce loss of life, serious injury and loss of possessions, while also having the potential to moderate damage Social assets IMMEDIATE POST-DISASTER RESPONSE Promoting support for community-action to cope with impacts Human, physical and social assets REBUILDING Support from the state in rebuilding and transform the society Rebuilding social and physical assets Basically allowing the system (ecological or social) to maintain homeostasis and not be completely adversely affected by a disturbance Forward looking, placing emphasis on capacities rather than outcomes Adaptation is a sub-set of resilience “seeks to secure the continuation of desired systems functions into the future in the face of changing contexts, enabling alternation of institutions and organizational form”

ASSET-BASED FRAMEWORK abc The main difference is that transformation and transition do not maintain functional integrity… they force the community, ecology, whatever system to change These definitions point to the socio-ecological systems theory

METHODOLOGIES Basically allowing the system (ecological or social) to maintain homeostasis and not be completely adversely affected by a disturbance Forward looking, placing emphasis on capacities rather than outcomes Adaptation is a sub-set of resilience “seeks to secure the continuation of desired systems functions into the future in the face of changing contexts, enabling alternation of institutions and organizational form”

BASICALLY… Basically allowing the system (ecological or social) to maintain homeostasis and not be completely adversely affected by a disturbance Forward looking, placing emphasis on capacities rather than outcomes Adaptation is a sub-set of resilience “seeks to secure the continuation of desired systems functions into the future in the face of changing contexts, enabling alternation of institutions and organizational form”

LET'S IDENTIFY THE PHASES THROUGH THEIR OUTCOMES

LET'S IDENTIFY THE PHASES THROUGH THEIR OUTCOMES

FINALLY, HOW DO I UNDERSTAND THIS FRAMEWORK? Diagnosis.- Current status of a society and its vulnerability Proposed Model.- How this society should be organized (strategies) in its different levels (institutional and community) to face and adapt to urban climate change Management Model.- The action planning implementation strategies (institutional and community levels) to achieve the proposed model. Basically allowing the system (ecological or social) to maintain homeostasis and not be completely adversely affected by a disturbance Forward looking, placing emphasis on capacities rather than outcomes Adaptation is a sub-set of resilience “seeks to secure the continuation of desired systems functions into the future in the face of changing contexts, enabling alternation of institutions and organizational form”

WHAT WOULD I ADD TO THIS FRAMEWORK? Diagnosis Trend Model or Phase.- How this society would be in its different levels (institutional and community) if no actions (strategies) were taken Proposed Model Management Model Resilience doesn’t directly seek to realign development relations Within institutional organizations protecting priority functions can require transitional or potentially transformational change (can be good or bad depending) Social learning = pathway and social relationships that shape information enhance and can lead to new ways of thinking or acting Self-organization= novel and un-directed collective action Organizational theory = examine the ways in which organizations shape information exchange, providing scope for learning and innovation These theories can change the conceptualization of climate change. It is often framed technically rather than with an emphasis on social and political agendas.