Assessing the distributional effects of climate change impacts and adaptation in Austria, for just, targeted and efficient adaptation (DISCC-AT)

In order to reach the above stated objective, the project aims to answer the following research questions:

• What are the vulnerabilities and therein particularly the adaptation capacities for different societal groups with respect to flood and heat related health risk?
• Who bears the welfare costs of climate change-induced flood and health impacts in Austria and who benefits from public adaptation?
• Is there a risk for public maladaptation from an equity perspective?
• What are ways forward for mainstreaming just adaptation in the existing transfer/social security/public insurance systems and in new policies?

To reach its objective DISCC-AT will follow an inter- and transdisciplinary approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, embedded in a broad stakeholder process. We will thus follow the state-of-the art approach of integrating “bottom-up” with “top-down” models. Particularly we establish a modelling chain, that is embedded in a broad stakeholder process. We will soft link a flood risk model and health impact analyses with an economy-wide multi-sectoral multi-household model and will create scenarios until 2080. These models are informed, calibrated and parameterized by qualitative insights. 

The Equity and Justice (EQU) Research Group at IIASA will lead work package (WP1) on the "Participatory assessment of intersectional vulnerabilities". EQU researchers will engage with a wide spectrum of stakeholders from organizations representing and working with various social groups that are particularly susceptible to flooding and/or heat to 

• jointly frame the needs and expectations for a vulnerability assessment and create comprehensive stakeholder maps;
• conduct an in-depth analysis of existing vulnerability assessments and indicators for Austria;
• implement a co-production workshop.

Insights gained from WP1 will support the quantitative modelling in other work packages, providing information on the most important socio-economic characteristics of vulnerability, particularly on key elements of intersectional vulnerabilities.