INQUIMUS Workshop

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Together with the co-organizers from the University of Salzburg, Austria, and Eurac Research, Italy, IIASA scientists Thomas Schinko and Reinhard Mechler developed the workshop topic "Transformational risk management and Loss & Damage: What are suitable approaches for assessing climate-related (residual) risks?". IIASA has longstanding research expertise on the topics of climate risk assessment and management, with a focus on those risks that lead to the breaching of adaptation limits. The workshop will convene leading international experts from research and practice at IIASA to discuss novel options for assessing and tackling those residual risks.

Scope of the Workshop

Climate change is accelerating and in combination with other drivers (exposure, vulnerability) is increasingly turning risks more dynamic (i.e. harder to assess with standard approaches). There is first evidence of related impacts breaching physical and social adaptation limits, highlighting the need for tackling ‘residual climate-related risks’. Residual risks being defined as potential negative impacts after all feasible mitigation and adaptation measures have been implemented. Identifying policy solutions for dealing with risks “beyond adaptation” - referred to as Loss and Damage - has recently become the third pillar in the international climate policy process next to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Of particular importance for improving the science-policy interface is the development of comprehensive risk assessment methodologies as well as indicators that inform policy and decision makers about climate-related risks beyond adaptation limits. Moreover, the IPCC’s special report on 1.5C global warming has strongly emphasized the role of, and need for, transformational risk management once adaptation limits are being exceeded. The IPCC defines transformation as “deep, systemic change that requires reconfiguration of socio-ecological systems”.

However, concrete research and evidence remains scarce and existing scientific approaches are reaching their limits when it comes to assessing risks beyond adaptation and designing transformational risk management practice and policy. At the INQUIMUS 2022 workshop scientists and practitioners working in different fields will advance in cross-fertilization scientific concepts, methods and tools and to share best practices in different application contexts.