Climate resilient development in vulnerable geographies

Abstract The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlights the urgent need to operationalise Climate Resilient Development Pathways (CRDP), adopting mitigation and adaptation measures to secure a safe climate, meet human needs under a changing climate and enable sustainable development. Analyses have not yet compared different vulnerable geographies to understand similarities and differences in the constraints and opportunities in operationalising CRDP. Using conventional narrative literature review, this paper assesses CRDP across some of the world’s most vulnerable geographies: highlands (mountains), drylands and islands. It asks: (1) how are climate impacts experienced across highlands, drylands and islands and (2) what types of adaptation and mitigation are being employed across these vulnerable geographies? Key steps are discussed in moving towards CRDP via multiple enabling conditions. Findings show shared impacts across geographies include impacts on ecosystems, fisheries, agriculture and water systems, livelihood failure, food insecurity, and degradation of human health, inequality, losses to economic sectors, human migration and conflict, and cascading transboundary impacts. Adaptation and mitigation actions tend to focus on promoting nature-based approaches, livelihood diversification and economic development, harnessing mixed knowledges and policy and institutional measures. Actions with potential to accelerate transitions towards CRDP should focus on the specific arenas of engagement shaping the underlying vulnerability context of each geography, including the socio-cultural context, politics, governance and institutions, the economic and financial systems, knowledge availability, and technological capabilities.