Analysis of the social dimensions of climate change impacts and development of corresponding policy instruments
This project aims to identify groups who, due to social factors, are particularly exposed to extreme heat and heat stress and lack the capacity to adapt to extreme heat, and policy options to reduce this social inequality.
Analysis of the social dimensions of climate change impacts and development of corresponding policy instruments
This project aims to identify groups who, due to social factors, are particularly exposed to extreme heat and heat stress and lack the capacity to adapt to extreme heat, and policy options to reduce this social inequality.
Overview
With the progression of global climate change, the frequency and duration of extreme heat events worldwide have increased. Exposure to extreme heat during hot days or heat waves can lead to heat stress, which occurs when the body is unable to get rid of excess heat, which can lead to both short-term and long-term health risks. Exposure to heat stress and the ability to adapt to extreme heat are not equally distributed across populations. Some groups are more likely to experience extreme heat due to their occupation, housing and neighborhood conditions, or transportation options. Some are also unable to adapt to extreme heat due to low income, social isolation, or mobility challenges. Evidence regarding which groups are most socially vulnerable to heat and least able to adapt to heat can be used by policymakers to develop and implement interventions that protect vulnerable populations from extreme heat exposure and heat stress.
- Review and summarize existing research on social inequality in exposure to objective and subjective heat stress and related adaptive capacity.
- Identify groups particularly socially vulnerable to heat stress and low adaptive capacity.
- Implement a citizens’ forum on climate adaptation.
- Develop policy recommendations and intervention options to reduce social inequality in heat stress and related adaptive capacity.
- Inform a revision of the German Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (DAS) and the German Adaptation Action Plan (ASA).
The first aim is to search for literature on the consequences of climate change, in which the impact on different or individual social groups (socio-economic, socio-cultural, socio-spatial, etc.) is addressed (“social impact”). Thereby the following two questions are addressed:
- What influence do climate change-related changes have on the sensitivity and exposure of socially disadvantaged groups?
- What influence do social factors have on the capacity to adapt to changes caused by climate change?
A categorization takes place based on the derived “adaptation milieus”. Aspects of social situations and value and action orientation are connected with one another. We expect that this will make a relevant contribution to condensing the almost unmanageable categories proposed in the literature and making them comprehensible for political activities.
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Epidemiology: Dr. Alexandra Schneider, Dr. Franziska Matthies-Wiesler, S. Claire Slesinski, Dr. Susanne Breitner-Busch
- Freie Universität Berlin: Dr. Klaus Jacob, Nicole Mitchell
- sociodimensions, Institute for Socio-cultural Research: Dipl.-Pol. Michael Schipperges, M.A.I.A
- ifok: Dr. Margit Aufterbeck-Martin, Sandra Naujoks, Carolin Piras, Chi Huy Tran-Karcher, Jana Peters
Contact PI
