Danish strategy for adaptation to a changing climate (Pdf)

That is, the adaptation question is often integrated into other research or is included as
an extra dimension. Moreover, adaptation research also includes developing methods
and tools for evaluating the socio-economic consequences of adaptation initiatives and
strategies and developing management tools.
In many cases there is a significant overlap between the five research areas. By the
same token, in certain cases there is great inter-dependency among the research areas,
i.e. the knowledge produced in one area is often a prerequisite for research in another
area. This has been the case with research in adaptation to climate change, which is
highly dependent on research in the other areas. Research and adaptation to climate
change is in many cases based on assessments and models of future climate and
developments, including assessments of uncertainties in predictions.
5.2 Focus on climate and climate changes
Over the past 20–30 years there has been a growing research interest in the climate
question. This has resulted in development of a number of well-functioning and strong
Danish research centres that have contributed knowledge about the climate, climate
change, energy savings and new technologies, but have only concentrated on adapting
Danish society to future climate change to a much lesser degree .
In a number of areas the research efforts have contributed significantly to understanding
the climate problem nationally, regionally and globally. An analysis from 2003 shows
a total of 189 full-time researchers and 63 Ph.D. students employed in Danish climate
research.
Financing climate research
A significant portion of research in the area of climate has been financed through
the research institutions' basic appropriations and private funds and grants from EU
research programmes. In pace with the increased focus on climate change, a number of
possibilities have opened up for obtaining support for climate-related research through
a wide range of research programmes/funds (see the box below).
Research programmes and funds are in most cases not narrowly directed at the climate
area, but allow individual researchers and research groups to obtain support for climate
research. This was the case for the thematic strategic research programmes in health,
environment, energy, fishing and agriculture, for example, that were established in
connection with a 2006 agreements on the Globalisation Council's funds. In the same
way, there are a number of research councils and programmes that also provide support
for climate-related research. Another example is the thematic focus on ocean research
under the Danish Council for Strategic Research, which supported research into the
effects of climate change on marine ecosystems and population developments.
42