Climate Change and Human Systems

This book offers a thorough review of studies on climate change and urban adaptation strategies and plans. It takes the moves from the identification of three primary barriers to adaptation, including the uncertainty surrounding climate change and its evolution, the complexity of human systems, and the widespread perception that climate change impacts are improbable. From this analysis arises the idea of the need to adopt a new approach to the climate issue: the soft approach. This approach focuses on the intangible and organizational aspects of systems and is proposed as a valid alternative in contexts of high uncertainty. It complements the structural (hard) option in response to emerging risks. Furthermore, soft solutions have intrinsic characteristics of flexibility, reversibility, adaptability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, making them often low-regret and co-benefit. Based on these principles, the book suggests that a climate-wise reorganization of urban services could constitute an effective soft strategy to help cities tackle the impacts of climate change and investigates the potential for Urban Facility Management services to evolve through their integration with climate information. The concept of urban Adaptation services, which integrate knowledge and practices of climate services into urban services management processes, is an innovative perspective which stems from a reading of reality through the lens of specific needs.