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The role of extreme events: Enhancing awareness of the need for adaptation and triggering adaptation

As summarised in Figure 2.1, common triggers for action on adaptation selected by reporting countries were extreme weather events, damage costs, EU policies and scientific research. Given the nature of the climate change adaptation issue, extreme events have played a particularly significant role in defining adaptation as a problem (Keskitalo et al., 2012). Climate-related events such as floods and droughts, as well as events such as the 2003 European heat wave, have played a significant role in pushing the adaptation agenda forward. While drawing attention to the weather events themselves, these events have been increasingly linked to climate change and socio-economic developments (EEA, 2013). These events, along with statements linking extremes to anthropogenic climate change from the scientific community such as the IPCC SREX and IPCC AR5 (IPCC 2012; IPCC WGI, 2013; IPCC WGII, 2014) have raised the awareness of the need for action on climate change and that this action needs to include adaptation.