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Using Climate Impact Chains (CICs) to strenghthen urban resilience

Miloslav Kaláb, Climate Resilience Specialist
Miloslav Kaláb
05/11/2024
  • Adaptation
  • Ecology
  • Greenery
  • Urbanization
Climate Impact Chains (CICs) represent an innovative approach to understanding and addressing the multifaceted impacts of climate change on urban environments. Developed to visualize and deconstruct the pathways through which climate hazards affect urban infrastructure, communities, and ecosystems, CICs are increasingly recognized as valuable tools for building urban resilience.
Visual representation of a climate impact chain showing the sequence from climate hazards, such as flooding or extreme weather, to various urban impacts. Icons depict affected elements like buildings, infrastructure, transportation, and public health. Arrows connect each stage, illustrating the progression from exposure to sensitivity and adaptive capacity. The image highlights the interconnected impacts of climate events on urban systems, aligning with the blog's focus on using Climate Impact Chains (CICs) for understanding and enhancing urban resilience."
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Climate Impact Chains (CICs) represent an innovative approach to understanding and addressing the multifaceted impacts of climate change on urban environments. Developed to visualize and deconstruct the pathways through which climate hazards affect urban infrastructure, communities, and ecosystems, CICs are increasingly recognized as valuable tools for building urban resilience.

Understanding Climate Impact Chains

Climate Impact Chains (CICs) bring clarity to complex climate challenges. This practical approach grew from climate risk assessment methods, building on research from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and organizations like GIZ and EURAC. At its core, it’s about breaking down climate risks into clear, manageable pieces that cities can understand and tackle head-on.

“Climate impact chains allow us to visualize the pathways through which climate hazards affect ecosystems, infrastructure, and communities. By mapping these connections, we can prioritize data collection and target interventions to build urban resilience in the face of complex climate risks.”
Petr Klimeš, Climate Data Analyst
Petr Klimeš
ASITIS, Climate Data Analyst

At its core, a Climate Impact Chain is a structured sequence linking climate hazards to potential impacts on society, the economy, and the environment. It begins by identifying a climate-related hazard (e.g., extreme heat, flooding) and follows the sequence of effects it may trigger within a specific urban context. CICs then break down these impacts based on four core components These components include:

  1. Hazard: The initial climate event or trend that poses a risk. Hazards can be acute events (e.g., hurricanes) or slow-onset changes (e.g., rising temperatures).
  2. Exposure: The elements within an urban area (e.g., buildings, populations, infrastructure) that are likely to encounter the hazard.
  3. Sensitivity: The degree to which exposed elements are likely to be affected by the hazard. Sensitivity can vary based on factors like age, condition, or social vulnerability.
  4. Adaptive Capacity: The capacity of a community, system, or infrastructure to cope with, recover from, or adapt to the impact of the hazard.
The diagram illustrates the impact of a climate hazard (lack of rainfall and drought) on a local river ecosystem. In the EXPOSURE section, the local river is identified as the exposed element. The climate hazard leads to various IMPACTS, including reduced stream flows, affected aquatic habitats and water quality, and accelerated growth and reproduction of bacteria, algae, and other species, creating stressful conditions for aquatic life. These impacts are influenced by SENSITIVITY, represented by the presence of vulnerable aquatic animals, and ADAPTIVE CAPACITY, defined as the ability to manage water resources. The resulting RISK is the degradation of the aquatic ecosystem.

How CICs Work

The process of developing a CIC typically begins by identifying a specific climate hazard and mapping its potential impacts across various urban systems. This analysis includes examining the infrastructure that might be affected, the populations most at risk, and the socio-economic factors that could exacerbate or mitigate the hazard’s impact. By establishing these connections, CICs allow cities to see not only the direct effects of a hazard but also the cascading impacts that could disrupt multiple facets of urban life.

CTAPP – An App to vizualize CICs

Climate Resilience App (CTAPP) is an innovative application designed for cities, municipalities and regions that facilitates effective description and monitoring of the impacts of climate change on the territory. The tool provides key data needed for strategic decision-making. At ASITIS we currently have an international feasibility study underway for the CTAPP project in cooperation with ESA. If you are interested, you can learn more about our cooperation with ESA and CTAPP here.

Why Climate Impact Chains Matter for Urban Resilience

Urban areas are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to their high concentration of people, assets, and infrastructure. CICs offer a methodology for cities to build resilience in the face of these challenges.

Cities Face Unique Climate Risks

Think of cities as intricate networks where one climate event can trigger multiple problems.

A single flood can:

🟠
Damage buidlings

and destroy critical infrastructure

🟠
Cut off transportation

Disrupt supply chains and delay emergency response times

🟠
Block access to essential services

Limit access to hospitals and emergency care

🟠
Create health risks

Increase waterborne diseases and cause mental health strain

Why Climate Impact Chains Work

CICs allow cities to move from reactive to proactive planning by mapping out how one climate hazard can create a chain of effects.

Example: Tackling heatwaves through:

  • Strategic green spaces
  • Better healthcare preparation
  • Smarter building design

Using CICs as Tools for Systemic Analysis and Bridging Data Gaps

“Climate Impact Chains allow us to move past quick fixes and see the bigger picture. Instead of dealing with problems one by one, we can map out how different climate impacts are connected and influence each other. When we analyze heatwaves, for example, we often discover that cities need a mix of solutions – from more green spaces and improved healthcare systems to energy-efficient buildings. This comprehensive view is what makes climate adaptation truly effective,”
Miloslav Kaláb, Climate Resilience Specialist
Miloslav Kaláb
ASITIS, Climate Resilience Specialist

One of the strengths of CICs is their ability to spotlight missing data cities need. By pinpointing what data is missing—such as accurate population exposure data or real-time climate monitoring—CICs help cities prioritize data collection efforts and refine their resilience planning.

Implementing CICs in Cities – Lessons from the VALORADA Project

The success of CICs in urban resilience planning depends on a well-organized implementation process. VALORADA (Validated Local Risk Actionable Data for Adaptation), a HORIZON EUROPE project, tackles these needs. Its goal is to empower European regions and cities to steer the upcoming societal transformation towards sustainable and climate-resilient development. 

Cities can follow these steps to integrate CICs into their climate adaptation strategies.

Through workshops and consultations, VALORADA has shown that successful CIC implementation relies on:

  • Collaborative partnerships: Engaging local partners, stakeholders, and international experts to share knowledge and coordinate adaptation efforts.
  • Tailoring indicators to local contexts: Not all indicators are universally applicable. Each city benefits from selecting and customizing indicators that reflect its unique climate risks and community needs.
  • Data-driven decision making: CICs depend heavily on reliable data. VALORADA has emphasized the importance of data management systems that allow cities to collect, analyze, and apply data to their resilience planning effectively.

Conclusion

In a rapidly changing climate, urban areas must adopt comprehensive tools like Climate Impact Chains to anticipate and address climate-related challenges. By enabling cities to understand and visualize complex climate impacts, CICs facilitate proactive adaptation planning. Projects like, CTAPP or VALORADA highlight the importance of data, collaboration, and context-specific strategies, ensuring that CICs are not just theoretical frameworks but practical, actionable solutions for urban resilience.

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Miloslav Kaláb, Climate Resilience Specialist
Author of the article

Miloslav Kaláb

CEO společnosti ASITIS
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