AdaptNet for 11 August 2009

1. Climate Change Science 2009 – Australia
2. A Three-level Adaptation Strategy – Ho Chi Minh City
3. Climate Policy Integration: Towards Operationalization
4. Adapting to Climate Change – Public Health
5. A Guide: Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples
6. Climate Change: Simulation and Gaming – Call for Papers

AdaptNet Special Report, 11 August 2009, 09-05-S-Ad: Infrastructure Scoping Study: Sustainable Built Environments in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City – Iftekhar Ahmed, John Fien, Peter Hayes and Ralph Horne, Global Cities Research Institute, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia  

Climate Change Science 2009 – Australia              

The report reviews and synthesizes the science of climate change since the publication of the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). It emphasizes areas that have significant consequences for policy and management. The report focuses more strongly on issues of importance to Australia, and places them in a global context.  

Climate Change Science – Faster Change and More Serious Risks, Will Steffen, Department of Climate Change, Commonwealth of Australia, July 2009  

A Three-level Adaptation Strategy – Ho Chi Minh City        

The paper discusses the impact of climate change in Ho Chi Minh City – a city which will be extremely vulnerable to climate change impacts in the future. It suggests a three-level adaptation strategy. The strategy presents an approach to implement different adaptation actions into the Vietnamese planning system.  

Developing Guidelines for Energy and Climate Efficient Urban Structures – A New Planning Instrument for Adapting Ho Chi Minh City to the Impacts of Climate Change, Ronald Eckert, Christian Voigt and Truong Trung Kien, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Germany and Municipality of Ho Chi Minh City-Vietnam, July 2009 [3.89 MB, PDF]  

Climate Policy Integration: Towards Operationalization        

The paper explores the incorporation of climate policy into other policy sectors: climate policy integration (CPI). It suggests some proposals for implementing CPI at the national policy scale. The paper argues that CPI should be seen as a core topic in climate debate and that environmental policy integration can point to more practical ways forward. 

Climate Policy Integration: Towards Operationalization, Imran Habib Ahmad, DESA Working Paper No. 73, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, March 2009 [245 KB, PDF]  

Adapting to Climate Change – Public Health  

The paper addresses the projected health consequences of climate change. It addresses various allergic and infectious diseases. The paper reviews qualitatively the concepts and methods of public health, covering the general strategies used to identify and manage threats to the health and to implement programs to improve the public health.  

Adapting to Climate Change: Public Health, Jonathan M. Samet, Resources for the Future (RFF), Washington, DC, United States, June 2009 [871 KB, PDF]  

A Guide: Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples

The guide discusses (using illustrations and pictures) the basics of climate change, including various adaptation and mitigation measures. It attempts to enhance the knowledge of indigenous peoples about climate change. The guide also informs non-indigenous peoples about indigenous people’s experiences and perspectives relating to climate change.  

Guide on Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples, Raymond de Chavez & Victoria Tauli-Corpuz (editors), Tebtebba Foundation, Baguio City, Philippines, 2008 [5.18 MB, PDF]  

Climate Change: Simulation and Gaming – Call for Papers

International Journal of Theory, Practice and Research (Sage Publications) invites proposals for a special issue titled Simulation & Gaming. It seeks submissions related to climate change employing a variety of methods as games, role-plays, simulations, experiential learning exercises, case studies; internet-based and digital games; modeling, game theory, computer simulation, etc. Proposals may be submitted by 31 December 2009.  

Climate Change and Simulation/Gaming – Call for Papers, Special Issue of Simulation and Gaming, International Journal of Theory, Practice and Research, Sage Publications, December 31, 2009  

AdaptNet Special Report, Infrastructure Scoping Study: Sustainable Built Environments in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City – Iftekhar Ahmed, John Fien, Peter Hayes and Ralph Horne, Global Cities Research Institute, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia

Iftekhar Ahmed, John Fien, Peter Hayes and Ralph Horne, working with the Global Cities Research Institute at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia write, “Climate change impacts in urban Vietnam are positioned in a poverty development nexus and the changing policy context presents new built environment paradigms. In this study it was learnt from several representatives of Vietnamese institutions that environmental management programmes have mainly focused on rural areas; understanding and application of climate change adaptation/mitigation and sustainable (or ‘green’) building policy and practice is largely lacking, although these issues are particularly relevant in such a rapidly growing urban built environment that is set to face major climate change impacts. There is an important need for promoting adaptive and sustainable built environment options in the challenging urban context of Vietnam experiencing rapid growth and set to face severe climate change impacts.”

Infrastructure Scoping Study: Sustainable Built Environments in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City – Iftekhar Ahmed, John Fien, Peter Hayes and Ralph Horne, Global Cities Research Institute, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, AdaptNet Special Report 09-05-S-Ad, 11 August 2009