ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the systematic characterization of different national approaches to developing strategies of climate change adaptation from a spatial planning or regional development perspective, respectively. Planning and planners are generally regarded to be responsible and capable to reduce vulnerability and to develop climate mitigation and adaptation capacities against the impacts of climate change. Cross-regional vulnerability analyses in general differentiate between regional types of climate change exposure due to climate stimuli and the sensitivity of regions towards climate change. The results of the meta-analysis comparative studies on climate change adaptation strategies served as the basis for the research design of the country studies. The uncertainty about future climatic conditions is seen as the main challenge for designing strategies and particular measures for climate change adaptation. Adaptation activities are still very much disaster-driven because extreme events influence the perception of climate change while less obvious, creeping changes are often disregarded by the public.
