Urban Adaptation to Climate Change State of the Art: Evaluating the Role of Adaptation Assessment Frameworks through a Systematic and Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Urban adaptation and resilience are essential aspects of climate change. The latest IPCC reports of 2022 recall the importance of taking concrete actions, especially through the implementation of actions able to make cities more resilient. However, the current scientific discourse predominantly revolves around policies, theoretical aspects and specific case studies. This study aims to provide an updated analysis of the existing scientific literature, with an additional focus on the role of assessment and monitoring frameworks in urban adaptation. By employing qualitative and quantitative methodologies, supported by VOSviewer for co-occurrence network analysis, this paper reveals novel clusters and thematic groupings within the ongoing debate. Results include the identification of new clusters and thematic grouping and the identification of potential future trends.

Integrating Climate Change Adaptation Strategies into Urban Policies for Sustainable City Resilience: Barriers and Solutions in the Central African City of N’Djaména

“…Urban adaptation is an essential aspect of climate change studies and actions. It can be defined as "the process of adjusting to climate change" and to actual or anticipated climate risks, by seeking to reduce negative impacts or exploit beneficial opportunities" in urban and peri-urban environments [18]. This definition does not differ from the more general concept of climate adaptation, which is defined in the 2014 IPCC report as "the process of adjusting to actual or expected changes in climate and its effects".…”

“…An adaptation strategy will then define a range of political, technical, institutional, societal, and behavioral guidelines to limit the negative impacts and take advantage of the opportunities offered by climate change. This strategy is structured either sectorally or more transversally and is broken down into strategic and/or operational objectives and a program of actions [18]. Local players are often ill equipped to make decisions in a changing climate environment.…”

Urban growth’s implications on land surface temperature in a medium-sized European city based on LCZ classification

“…Each city is unique, has a distinct environment, geography, structure and its own specific local climate. Accordingly, it is still important to develop the climate research in the cities, especially considering the uncertainties of the directions of urbanisation in the future 50 . Our research, examining shifts from the past to present, aims to enhance our understanding of the relationship between urban structures and local climate.…”

Evaluation of the Use of Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement in Chile: Urban Infrastructure Solution for Adaptation and Mitigation against Climate Change

“…Both in Chile and many countries around the world, there is increasing urban growth, where the urbanization of natural basins causes an alteration of their corresponding hydrological processes [1][2][3]. These basins, which are subject to constant urbanization, present more rapid flooding, making the consequences of flooding increasingly severe; presenting a lack of sustainable urban rainwater management systems in which extreme hydrometeorological events test the performance of urban drainage systems; and causing countries to demand new solutions to adapt to climate change [4][5][6].…”