Assessing Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change in European Regions

The ability of a society to adapt to the challenges of climate change is dependent on the adaptive capacity of that society. Adaptive capacity, according to the widely accepted definitions in the literature, consists of several determinants that reflect the political, economic, technological and infrastructural capacity and willingness to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Assessing adaptive capacity is important not only in terms of its role in a vulnerability assessment but also to establish a Europe-wide baseline in terms of adaptive capacity. This chapter contributes to the Europe-wide vulnerability assessment complementing the analysis of exposure and sensitivity assessment that is carried out in the ESPON Climate project. In order to do so, the theoretical basis of adaptive capacity and the complexities associated with assessing it are discussed. Subsequently, indicators are developed to assess generic adaptive capacity of European regions. Discussion and conclusions outline general measures to enhance adaptive capacity and challenges associated with it.