Most scientists now agree that climate change, i.e., global warming, is occurring at a rate much faster than the normal climatic cycles, due to anthropogenic causes of greenhouse gases. Because global warming is changing the ocean currents and wind patterns, climate is changing world-wide. Some of these changes are beneficial, such as a longer growing season for farmers; however, most are harmful.

Homer, AK, located 125 miles southwest of Anchorage, has a current population of approximately 5,700. Positioned along the shore of Kachemak Bay, Homer has expansive views of glaciers, forests, and mountains. Residents and tourists alike enjoy the strong sense of community found in Homer and the many options for outdoor recreation such as kayaking, fishing, and wildlife viewing.

In 2008, Oxfam GB in Pakistan undertook community-based research to better understand the implications of climate change for communities living in the Badin coastal region of Pakistan. This research was initiated following discussions between programme staff and partners about the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 2007 reports, as well as the UNDP Human Development report of the same year. This case study is an analysis of a pilot climate change adaptation project designed by Oxfam GB in response to the research.

The archipelagic state of Antigua & Barbuda is located approximately midway in the Caribbean chain of islands at 17ºN and 62ºW. Geographically, the islands are low-lying with the primary environmental influence being the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Climatic features include relatively high and uniform temperatures throughout the year and steady easterly trade winds. Both islands are among the driest in the eastern Caribbean. Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the frequency of hurricane activity and impacts.

Bolivia is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change for six basic reasons:

1. It is one of the poorest countries in Latin America and suffers from one of the worst patterns of inequality. Low-income groups in developing countries are the most exposed to climate change impacts.

2. It is the country in South America with the highest percentage of indigenous people, where much of the poverty and inequality is concentrated.

Climate change and desertification/land degradation can adversely affect natural resources and ecosystems thus decreasing biological diversity. At the same time, conservation and management of biodiversity can increase ecosystems’ resilience thus lowering their vulnerability to climate change. One of the identified areas for possible synergies is adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change, which is a necessity regardless of the level of action taken to mitigate global warming.

Bangladesh is one of the most climate vulnerable countries in the world and will become even more so as a result of climate change. Floods, tropical cyclones, storm surges and droughts are likely to become more frequent and severe in the coming years. These changes will threaten the significant achievements Bangladesh has made over the last 20 years in increasing incomes and reducing poverty, and will make it more difficult to achieve the MDGs.

Human dimensions in global environmental change research emphasize the importance of advancing the concepts and methods for vulnerability assessment. The aim of intervulnerability project was to contribute to these efforts by proposing a conceptual framework that demands a shift in foci of vulnerability studies from generic indices to adaptive agents and by applying a method of agent-based systems to take into account the dynamics of human-environment interactions.