Project

Mistra-SWECIA

Mistra-SWECIA was a research programme on climate, impacts and adaptation. It extended and transcended state-of-the-art disciplinary research on climate science, biology/ecology, economics, and social sciences.

Inactive project

2008–2011

Project contact

Åsa Gerger Swartling / asa.swartling@sei.org

Overview

The overarching aim was to create a capacity for advanced analysis and consistent assessment of climate, economy and impacts. Global and regional models of climate, economy and impacts were the main tools, together with data on natural and human processes and systems. The application of this capacity involved a strong line of research on the adaptation process itself, focusing on learning from experience, putting new knowledge into use, identifying bottlenecks and opportunities.

The programme scope was global, with focus on regional and local scales in the Nordic region. Climate, impacts, economy and adaptation were considered on and across all these scales, including couplings and feedback. Indeed, Mistra-SWECIA forged a new interdisciplinary approach to serve as a stepping stone for improved and useful understanding and handling of the systems, processes and issues at hand.

SEI led the project “The Process of Adaptation to Climate Change” to investigate factors that influence people’s decisions to prepare or not to prepare for future climate risks. It involved analysis of people’s perceptions of risk, and of how information on the consequences of climate change promotes individual and collective learning. The research combined theoretical and empirical research. The empirical research was carried out in case studies, the first two of which were on the Stockholm region and the Swedish forestry sector.

Results of SWECIA are expected to help planners and policymakers in designing more effective strategies to reduce the vulnerability of Swedish citizens and firms to climate change, and to integrate climate concerns into day-to-day decision-making.

Learn more

Åsa Gerger Swartling

Head of Knowledge Management, Senior Research Fellow

Global Operations

SEI Headquarters

Richard J. T. Klein

Team Leader: International Climate Risk and Adaptation; Senior Research Fellow

SEI Headquarters

Peter M. Rudberg

SEI Affiliated Researcher

Gregor Vulturius

Magnus Benzie

Senior Research Fellow

SEI Oxford

Karin André

Team Leader: Cities, Communities and Consumption; Senior Research Fellow

SEI Headquarters

Adaptation processes in Swedish forestry: risk perceptions, drivers and communication

Other publication / This chapter identifies key factors identified through the research, including trust in climate science and personal objectives.

4 February 2016 / About Adaptation, Behaviour and choice, Climate policy, Climate services and Forests

Climate adaptation discussions between forest owners and researchers

Other publication / This article describes key issues arising from meetings with forest owners about how Swedish forestry is affected by climate change.

20 April 2015 / About Adaptation and Forests

Communicating climate change research – experiences from Swedish forestry

Other publication / Mistra-SWECIA develops methods to communicate new knowledge about climate change mitigation and adaptation to stakeholders in the Swedish forestry sector.

25 August 2014 / About Adaptation, Climate services, Forests, Mitigation and Participation

Adaptation processes in forestry

Other publication / Focus group discussions with private forest owners and officials show how adaptation is a natural part of Swedish forest management.

25 August 2014 / About Adaptation, Forests and Participation

Barriers to and opportunities for climate change adaptation in the Swedish forestry sector

Other publication / Swedish forestry has been highlighted as a climate change "winner", but it's increasingly clear that there will be negative effects on Swedish forests.

22 March 2012 / About Adaptation

The climate change adaptation landscape

Other publication / How the continued climate change will unfold depends crucially on decisions on mitigation.

22 March 2012 / About Adaptation and Mitigation

Participation in adaptation processes – focus on the actors

Other publication / Mistra-SWECIA research uses participatory methods to improve knowledge on adaptation while contributing to methodology development.

22 March 2012 / About Adaptation

The science-stakeholder interface in Mistra-SWECIA: Experiences from the Swedish forestry sector

Other publication / Scientific knowledge is recognised as a source of knowledge for decision support, but it is often unclear what is needed and how it should be communicated.

20 July 2011 / About Adaptation and Forests

Social learning in focus

Journal article / Informal learning between individuals and groups and between different levels of society is a crucial basis for bringing about necessary change.

11 March 2010

Processes for Adaptation

Journal article / Human actions are likely the primary cause for contemporary climate change, and change will continue for a long time ahead. This calls for adaptation.

19 February 2010