Climate changes are causing extreme weather conditions, which is expected to increase. Extreme precipitation is an example of this, which, through flooding, affects humans and buildings. This study aims to investigate how management of extreme precipitation takes place in two Swedish municipalities, the city of Gothenburg and Örebro municipality. Based on a thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with employees in the municipalities and document analysis of the municipalities' strategic planning documents, this study takes shape. The theoretical approach is based on what the existing research considers to be the most successful strategic, practical and organizational approaches. The result of this study shows that there is a need for better knowledge and clearer regulations regarding the management of extreme precipitation. The municipalities have come further in the work with strategic planning than with practical measures. Multifunctional facilities are a priority and, based on the study material, is the most effective way to implement practical measures.

Aim: Identifying how climate change, habitat loss, and corridors interact to influence species survival or extinction is critical to understanding macro-scale biodiversity dynamics under changing environments. In North America, the ice-free corridor was the only major pathway for northward migration by megafaunal species during the last deglaciation. However, the timing and interplay among the late Quaternary megafaunal extinctions, climate change, habitat structure, and the opening and reforestation of the ice-free corridor have been unclear. Location: North America. Time period: 15–10 ka. Major taxa studied: Woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius). Methods: For central North America and the ice-free corridor between 15 and 10 ka, we used a series of models and continental-scale datasets to reconstruct habitat characteristics and assess habitat suitability. The models and datasets include biophysical and statistical niche models Niche Mapper and Maxent, downscaled climate simulations from CCSM3 SynTraCE, LPJ-GUESS simulations of net primary productivity (NPP) and woody cover, and woody cover based upon fossil pollen from Neotoma. Results: The ice-free corridor may have been of limited suitability for traversal by mammoths and other grazers due to persistently low productivity by herbaceous plants and quick reforestation after opening 14 ka. Simultaneously, rapid reforestation and decreased forage productivity may have led to declining habitat suitability in central North America. This was possibly amplified by a positive feedback loop driven by reduced herbivory pressures, as mammoth population decline led to the further loss of open habitat. Main conclusions: Declining habitat availability south of the Laurentide Ice Sheet and limited habitat availability in the ice-free corridor were contributing factors in North American extinctions of woolly mammoths and other large grazers that likely operated synergistically with anthropogenic pressures. The role of habitat loss and attenuated corridor suitability for the woolly mammoth extinction reinforce the critical importance of protected habitat connectivity during changing climates, particularly for large vertebrates.

It is evident that climate change threatens considerable parts of the population. With effects such as floodings, heatwaves and water scarcity already visible and expected to increase in severity, adapting society is vital. In Sweden, the county administrative boards are dedicated the role to coordinate climate adaptation work and support, guide, and supervise the municipalities. However, the municipalities are responsible for the physical planning process. They thus play an important role in climate adaptation as it is statutory in the comprehensive plan.The aim of this thesis is to analyse how two Swedish municipalities that have significantly experienced the effects of climate change and are particularly vulnerable to them work with climate adaptation of the built environment as well as in the planning phase of new areas. Based oninterviews with officials and analysis of municipal documents, five important themes emerged. They include current work on climate adaptation, unpreparedness, legislation, co-operation, and the importance of the early stage. Both municipalities work with adaptation measures and integrate it into the planning process, to varying degrees. Unpreparedness is a challenge due to the longterm perspective and uncertainties in climate change. Legislation is often a barrier as it is lagging, making it difficult for municipalities to take necessary measures. It is easier to plan for adaptation measures in the planning phase of new areas than in the existing built environment. It is thus of considerable importance to incorporate climate adaptation in the early stage of the planning process.

Adapting urban planning policies to upcoming effects of climate change is becoming increasingly important to municipalities all over the world. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine how Jönköping municipality prioritizes sustainability dimensions in their planning of waterfront areas, as well as how they implement climate adaptation in their regulatory documents. To achieve the results for this study, a qualitative content analysis with predetermined codes has been used. The predetermined codes are based on a part of the analytical framework of the study, which is “Sustainable urban planning development framework”. The framework consists of four sustainability dimensions, environmental, social, economical, and planning, accompanied by subthemes and codes. Another analytical framework that has been used to analyze the results is the Sustainable Development Goals. The results of the study indicates that Jönköping municipality addresses the sustainability dimensions differently in their planning documents. The results of the study also demonstrates how Jönköping municipality incorporates climate adaptation strategies in a majority of their urban planning documents, with a significant focus on managing future flood risks.

This paper examines the implementation of biodiversity in local policy in the cities of Melbourne and Stockholm. Using process tracing as methodology, the study examines the process from the time the process to develop a policy on climate adaptation is initiated, to the time it is adopted. The process is examined in order to determine if and how biodiversity is included in local climate adaptation policies. Particular attention is paid to citizen participation in local governance in the process examined in the light of the research and theories developed by Elinor Ostrom. The paper finds biodiversity to be included in the policy outlined in the policy document in Melbourne, and citizen participation in local governance may have been conducive to this result. In contrast, biodiversity is included but in a less pronounced manner in the climate adaptation policy in Stockholm, and there seems to be no citizen participation in the policy process examined. These results indicate that citizen participation in local governance could be a contributing factor to biodiversity being included in local climate adaptation policy. It is however not unequivocally determined that it is in fact a causal mechanism.

“Global floods and extreme rainfall events have surged by more than 50% in the past decade and recent studies show that they are occurring four times higher than in 1980” (Neslen, 2018). At the same time, the urban population is rising. Today, 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas and it is estimated to increase to 70% by 2050 (United Nations, 2018). This expansion of urbanized areas is correlated with the increase of impermeable surfaces that, in case of extreme weather events, are not able to drain the water efficiently. The rainfall-runoff is channelled from roads, parking lots, buildings, and other impervious surfaces to storm drains and sewers that cannot handle the volume. The high ratio of impermeable surfaces and the increased extreme rainfall events cause severe environmental, social, economical problems in urban areas. Merely technical and engineering solutions are no sufficient, therefore a new approach that can maintain and adapt the natural water cycle inside the urban areas is needed. Ecosystem services and resilience thinking have become key principles in adaptation strategies at different levels, from international policies (e.g. Sustainable Development Goals) to local actions (e.g. Copenhagen adaptation plan 2015) and design (e.g. climate resilient San Kjeld in Copenhagen). In this scenario, the design approach of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) aims to promote resilience at the local level by managing stormwater, encouraging the defence of the aesthetic value of green and blue areas. WSUD is a multidisciplinary approach that involves water management, urban planning, architecture, and landscape design. The main idea of WSUD is that sustainable stormwater systems should be beautiful, meaningful, and educational (Echols, 2007). This master thesis explores the concept of Water Sensitive Urban Design and its application in the cities of Copenhagen, Malmö and Rotterdam. The case study of PHVision in Heidelberg, Germany, is analysed from the concept of WSUD. Design improvements are suggested stemming from the analysed European examples and the theoretical background.

A growing body of scholarship has explored the link between climate change, natural resources and conflict. While considerable interest has been shown in examining how and under what circumstances climate change may increase a country’s risks of conflict, research exploring climate change response initiatives in fragile and conflict-affected contexts remains limited. Drawing from political ecology and ecological security literature, I understand climate resilience to be an intrinsic part of peace. This study explores and empirically tests if climate funding, through natural resource management practices, contributes to social cohesion and reduced environmental stress and, hence, peace. By doing a quantitative subnational analysis based on Colombia, I use a Fixed Effects regression model to test two hypotheses. While statistical evidence shows a positive and statistically significant relationship between climate change funding and negative peace, not enough evidence is found to support the second hypothesis linking it to environmental sustainability (as indicator of positive peace).

The climate is in a state of perpetual flux and we, the public, are constantly reminded of this fact via the latest environmental reports which are wholeheartedly discussed in the media. Communities experience 50-year-rainfalls more frequently than ever, leading to recurring flooding of streets and homes. And yet, progress on adapting to this ever-changing climate has been slow. When discussing climate adaptation, a widely accepted fact is that there exists an intrinsic inertia in the Swedish planning system which largely stems from a governmental path dependance, a general lack of willingness to focus on adaptation measures in favor of societal and economic growth, and inadequate knowledge and communication of climate-related issues within the governing body. The aim of this study is to identify what kind of climate adaption measures are implemented in two Swedish municipalities, and to ascertain whether there is any merit to the use of the term adaptive barriers, which supposedly hinder the implementation of other climate adaptation measures. With respect to climate adaptation, theories regarding contextual vulnerability and adaptive capacity, among others, will be applied to the Swedish planning system with a focus on municipal planning documents via a qualitative research approach. To answer questions regarding barriers to adaptation within the municipal organization, and to strengthen the validity of the study, two semi-structured interviews with relevant authorities on climate adaptation have been conducted. This study finds that there has been some progress in later years regarding the implementation of climate adaptation measures in municipal planning, but that organizational barriers still fundamentally impede efficient implementation of some adaptation measures.

Extrema skyfall till följd av klimatförändringar blir att vanligare och när de inträffar riskerar de att leda till urbana översvämningar. Den ökade frekvensen av skyfall är anledningen till att urbana översvämningar har lyfts som ett problem i svensk lagstiftning. Enansvarsproblematik har identifierats i relation till detta, då fastighetsägare inte är medvetna om sitt eget ansvar och därför inte anpassar sina bostäder. En kunskapsbrist bland fastighetsägare samt uppfattningen om deras exponering och utsatthet har identifierats som grunden bakom denna problematik. Sommaren 2021 inträffade ett skyfall i Gävle vilket ledde till omfattande översvämningar. Många fastighetsägare drabbades, däribland bostadsrättsföreningar. Hur bostadsrättsföreningar påverkas och resonerar kring översvämningar är ett relativt outforskat forskningsområde i svensk kontext. Av den anledningen blev därför syftet med denna studie att undersöka föreningarnas uppfattning om risk och anpassning. Detta genom att studera ordföranden inom föreningarnas uppfattning om utsatthet, sårbarhet samt möjlighet till hantering i relation till översvämningen. För att ta reda på detta genomfördes semistrukturerade intervjuer. Resultaten visar på att föreningarna har fått en något högre riskuppfattning kopplat till översvämning. I kontrast till tidigare studier kan respondenterna även identifiera ett samband till klimatförändringar. Den faktor som främst påverkade föreningarnas anpassningsförmåga negativt var att det rådde en utbredd kunskapsbrist inom föreningarna. Det finns därmed ett fortsatt stort behov av en ökad kunskap och vägledning från externa aktörer. / Extreme cloudbursts due to climate change are increasing and when these events occur urban flooding is a potential consequence. This is the reason urban flooding has been addressed in the Swedish legislation, at a national level. However, liability issues have been identified, as property owners are not fully aware of their responsibility and therefore neglect adaptation. A lack of knowledge has been identified as the main reason, as well as perception of risk. In the summer of 2021, cloud bursts struck Gävle and caused substantial urban flooding. Many housing co-operatives were affected. Housing co-operatives and how they are affected by flooding is a relatively unexplored research area in a Swedish context and therefore the purpose of this study became to: analyze how experiences of flooding has affected housing co-operatives' perception of risk and adaptation by exploring chairmans perceptions of exposure, vulnerability and flood risk management. Semi structured interviews were performed with chairmans within the boards of the housing co-operatives. The results proved there had been a slight increase in flood risk awareness. The respondents were also able to connect the flood with climate change. However, a large lack of knowledge negatively affects the adaptive capacity of the housing co-operatives. The need for further knowledge and guidance from external actors is therefore large. / Stöd för aktörssamverkan och mångfunktionell anpassning av bostadsområden

The increasing focus on sustainability necessitates careful planning of future construction projects, with human health and biodiversity being key factors to protect. Planning projects with significant environmental impacts must conduct an environmental impact assessment, which involves identifying potential environmental effects and propose sustainable measures. The aim of the study was to examine how urban and rural municipalities described and assessed sustainability in environmental impact assessments for residential areas. Using thematic analysis, categories such as climate, localization, and environmental goals were established and divided into representative themes. Chi2-tests were used to test statistical significance between the municipal groups. The results revealed significant differences in two climate-related themes and one localization theme. Municipalities primarily utilized various types of stormwater management to adapt projects to climate changes and incorporate green infrastructure. The differences between municipal groups are likely influenced by factors like population density, resources, and surrounding environment. While national environmental goals were included in all environmental impact assessments, did not all proposed plans take them into account Future studies could include a larger sample to enhance reliability and consider underlying factors that may affect municipal conditions.