Insights from Communities

By interviewing farmers and water resource managers in Canada and India, policies were identified that have helped people and communities adapt to historic weather-related shocks and stresses. Such policies are fruitful ground for researching specific adaptive policy-making mechanisms. Through the case studies listed below, we unearthed many specific and practical features that policy-makers have employed to make policies adaptive.

Canada Case Studies:

Understanding Adaptive Policy Mechanisms through Farm-level Studies of Adaptation to Weather Events in Manitoba, Canada (PDF - 1 mb)
This case study examines adaptive policy mechanisms observed in two policies: The Manitoba Crop Insurance Program and the Manitoba Drainage Policy.
Understanding Adaptive Policy Mechanisms through Farm-level Studies of Adaptation to Weather Events in Saskatchewan, Canada (PDF - 1 mb)
This case study examines the adaptive policy features of the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association's Extension Activities for Minimum Tillage.
Understanding Adaptive Policy Mechanisms through Farm-level Studies of Adaptation to Weather Events in Alberta, Canada
(PDF - 1.5 mb)
This case study examines the adaptive policy features of the Alberta Irrigation District Program and select Agriculture Income Stabilization Programs in Alberta.

India Case Studies

Adaptive Policies Community Case Study: Participatory Irrigation Management in Maharashtra, India
This case study examines the adaptive policy mechanisms observed in the Maharashtra Management of Irrigation System by Farmers Act of 2005.
Adaptive Policies Community Case Study: Participatory Watershed Management in Maharashtra, India (PDF - 386 kb)
This case study examines the adaptive policy mechanisms observed in the National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas.
Understanding Adaptive Policy Mechanisms through Farm Level Community Case Study to Understand Weather Related Shocks and Stress in Meghalaya, India (PDF - 158 kb)
This case study examines the adaptive policy features observed in the Watershed Development Project in Shifting Cultivation Areas.
Understanding Adaptive Policy Mechanisms through Power Subsidies for Agriculture in Andhra Pradesh, India (PDF - 144 kb)
This case study examines the adaptive policy mechanisms observed in the free power for agriculture subsidy as implemented in Katherapalli village (Chittoor district) and Neramatla village (Anantapur district).

Key Publication

Rising Temperatures, Rising Tensions: Climate change and the risk of violent conflict in the Middle East

» Oli Brown, Alec Crawford, IISD, 2009.

In a region already considered the world's most water scarce and where, in many places, demand for water already outstrips supply, climate models are predicting a hotter, drier and less predictable climate in the Middle East. Climate change threatens to reduce the availability of scarce water resources, increase food insecurity, hinder economic growth and lead to large scale population movements. This could hold serious implications for peace in the region.

This report examines whether the legacy of conflict in the Levant undermines the ability of the region to adapt to climate change, outlines the threats that climate change could pose to regional security, and suggests strategies that can be pursued for peace and sustainable development despite a changing climate.

» Themes

» Initiatives

» Networks and Communities

» North American Climate and Energy Policy

» Global Climate Actions

» Developing Country Actions

» Land-Use Management

» Cross-cutting Issues: Trade and Climate Change

» Climate Change and Security