This presentation will draw from two pilot cases of climate change adaptation in Portugal coastal regions, namely the coast of Ílhavo and Vagos municipalities, and Cascais municipality – where transdisciplinary action-research projects were implemented.
At the beginning of the case study research, the two pilots were in different stages in their adaptation process: while in Ílhavo and Vagos there was no strategy or plan to deal with climate change impacts, Cascais had already a climate change strategy. Yet, in both cases the adaptation process was accelerated after the participatory planning experiences, which were co-implemented by a group of researchers and local stakeholders. There was clearly a multiplication effect in the use of inclusive and participatory designs. In both pilot cases, the interactive research led to other spin-off research projects focused on implementing specific actions for increasing local climate resilience.
In the Ílhavo and Vagos case study an innovative methodology for long-term planning was developed. The methodology included a Scenario Workshop and the co-design of climate change Dynamic Adaptation Pathways. The methodology was called SWAP. As a result of the SWAP, stakeholders from the two neighbor municipalities reached a consensus on the local coastal protection and adaptation measures needed and were able to deal with uncertainty. Conversely, the goal of the Cascais pilot study was to assess the municipality’s climate change strategic plan and prioritize adaptation measures. Both quantitative (i.e. two surveys, and a Cost-Benefit Analysis of measures) and qualitative methods (nine participatory workshops) were applied in Cascais by a group of researchers and local stakeholders.
The presentation will compare these two transdisciplinary action-research projects and the impact of the different methods used in: (i) co-developing shared visions for the future, (2) dealing with uncertainty in long-term planning, (3) changing local planning cultures and (4) producing a roadmap for implementing climate change adaptation plans.