Framing the application of Adaptation Pathways for agroforestry in Mediterranean drylands

André Vizinho, David Avelar, Ana Lúcia Fonseca, Silvia Carvalho, Leonor Sucena-Paiva, Pedro Pinho, Alice Nunes, Cristina Branquinho, Ana Cátia Vasconcelos, Filipe Duarte Santos, Maria José Roxo, Gil Penha-Lopes

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Adaptation Pathways is a decision support tool designed to create adaptation policies under different climate change scenarios. This tool has been used successfully in several sectors and contexts such as coastal and river adaptation, urban heat waves, floods and rural livelihoods but its use in natural resource management, has faced several challenges and limitations. In the sector of agroforestry its use has seldom been done or documented and one of the reasons for this may due to some of its specific challenges. In this study, these challenges were addressed when using the Adaptation Pathways for the adaptation planning of three case studies in the semi-arid Alentejo region, a Mediterranean dryland of southern Portugal. This tool was integrated in a participatory approach combined with the Scenario Workshop method, to plan the adaptation of the agriculture and forestry sector of one municipality (Mértola) and two agroforestry farms (221 ha and 1000 ha). The methodology included, for each case study, 20 interviews, two workshops, literature review, expert analysis and the use of indicators of efficacy of adaptation measures, to define tipping points. The adaptation process and the resulting adaptation plans were evaluated by questionnaire and expert review. This combination of methods has supported the choice of effective adaptation measures for the case studies and when combined with several adaptation pathways and a landscape approach it supported the creation of integrated climate change adaptation plans that are now in implementation. We discuss how this combination of methods deals with limitation to Adaptation Pathways identified in the literature, conclude that the method was able to create adaptation plans that are now under implementation and present avenues for future research.
Original languageEnglish
Article number105348
Pages (from-to)1-33
Number of pages33
JournalLand Use Policy
Volume104
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2021

Keywords

  • Adaptation planning
  • Agriculture management
  • Climate adaptation
  • Farm adaptation
  • Participatory planning
  • Scenario Workshop

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