Regional assessments of constraints to climate change adaptation in the Caribbean and West Africa

PhD Project

Since January 2020, Emily is part of the IRI THESys junior research group “Temporal Evolution of Barriers to Adaptation and their Relevance for Climate Related Loss and Damage” (EmBARK), a consortium project between Humboldt University in Berlin and Climate Analytics, led by Dr. Carl-Friedrich Schleussner. This project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Emily’s work within the research group focuses on the regional assessment of barriers to adaptation in the Caribbean and West Africa. She also looks at adaptation limits, which occur when barriers cannot be overcome and actor or a system cannot be secured from intolerable risks through adaptive actions. In vulnerable regions such as the Caribbean and West Africa, a better understanding of these limits is essential for adequate adaptation planning. Regarding her methods, she is conducting a literature review, online surveys, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with adaptation practitioners, policy-makers and academics to understand the realities being faced in both regions.

Climate