ABSTRACT

In addition to climate mitigation (CO2 reduction), climate adaptation has in recent years featured on the agendas of local governments. Climate adaptation strategies imply the acceptance of climate change and its many local consequences as an unavoidable fact. However, the many consequences can be addressed more or less systematically so that local society can adapt through various measures. The measures include, but are not limited to, technologies for the energy-efficient heating and cooling of buildings, provision of green spaces for improved quality of life during hot summers or preparation for extreme weather events such as extreme rainfall or extended periods of drought. Municipal health departments expect a rising number of so-called ‘tropical nights’ (i.e. nights not cooler than 26°) in Germany and an increasing heat island effect in built-up urban environments. The intensification of the heat island effect impacts on the well-being of city dwellers and may even produce health risks for the elderly. However, the spatial localisation, the frequency of occurrence and the intensity of the mentioned effects are a contested issue. This is a prime example of uncertainty conditions. The precise identification of local effects of climate change is difficult due to insecure and inaccurate knowledge and, therefore, many decisions are taken under conditions of uncertainty (Fröhlich 2009; Termeer and van den Brink 2013). Therefore, the measures adopted are highly contingent upon local political decision-making.