A system to monitor the implementation of the Swiss adaptation strategy needs to be developed. The system will verify the achievement of the Swiss adaptation strategy’s objectives and ensure optimal adaptation to climate change. The project will support the establishing of the monitoring system and will develop indicators to identify outcomes and impacts of the existing climate adaptation impact model. The indicators will be derived from the adaptation strategy’s objectives and from evaluation questions. Ecologic Institute supports the project lead by INFRAS. The work of Ecologic Institute is mainly based on the experience gained from developing the indicator report for Germany’s adaptation strategy.
On 2 March 2012, Switzerland adopted the first part of the Swiss strategy for adaptation to climate change. It describes climate change challenges in Switzerland and defines the fields of action and the adaptation objectives for nine sectors. Currently, the relevant federal agencies are developing adaptation measures to implement these adaptation objectives. The measures had to be designed by the end of 2013 and included in the adaptation strategy's second part, an action plan.
The main part of the project is the development of indicators to identify outcomes and impacts of the climate adaptation action model. The indicators will be derived from the adaptation strategy’s objectives and from evaluation questions.
The "adaptation indicators" are intended to indicate the extent to which the defined adaptation objectives are achieved. The aim is meaningful, from the relevant stakeholder-accepted and user-friendly system that is based on a limited number of indicators. According to information provided by the Federal Office for the Environment, the indicators will mainly be used by the department Climate Adaptation (strategic level) and the departments in charge of the relevant Federal Offices (operational level). There are four work packages included in the framework of the project: 1. Formulate evaluation questions, 2. Determine the indicators 3. Implement the inventory, and 4. Document the results.
Ecologic Institute is mainly engaged in Work Package 2: Determine the indicators. Inputs and reviews to the formulation of indicators are provided, which are mainly based on the experience gained from developing the indicator report for Germany’s adaptation strategy.