Agenda

Speaker: Prof. David Bresch, ETH Zurigo (DAIS Visiting Scholar)

Abstract:
Improving the resilience of our societies in the face of volatile weather and climate change is an urgent priority today and will increase in importance in the decades to come. The climate of the past is by no means sufficient a basis for decisions going forward any more. Never in history a society has known so much about the processes that shape its future and obtained a wealth of forward-looking weather and climate information – yet pre-emptive (and precautionary) action is not taking place as widespread as is it could be. While measures exist to adapt to an ever changing environment, decision makers on all levels – from multinational organizations (such as the Green Climate Fund, GCF), sovereigns, sub- sovereigns, cities and companies down to the local community – need the facts to identify the most cost-effective instruments, they need to know the potential weather and climate-related damages over the coming decades, to identify measures to mitigate these risks - and to decide whether the benefits will outweigh the costs.
The Economics of Climate Adaptation (ECA) methodology provides decision makers with a fact base to answer these questions in a systematic way. It enables them to understand and quantify the impact of climate change and to identify actions to minimize that impact at lowest cost. The methodology establishes an economic framework to fully integrate risk and reward perspectives of different stakeholders. Starting from a comprehensive mapping of hazards and exposed assets, using state-of-the-art probabilistic risk modeling techniques, it integrates different economic development and climate impact scenarios combined with a cost/benefit approach to assess a comprehensive portfolio of adaptation measures. The application of a worldwide consistent, yet locally specific methodology to strengthen climate resilience therefore allows integrating adaptation with economic development and sustainable growth. We will look into select case studies, covering different regions, hazards and affected sectors, with a particular focus on the quantification of uncertainty in the evaluation of bespoke baskets of adaptation options.

Bio Sketch:
David Bresch is full Professor for Weather and Climate Risks at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zürich and MeteoSwiss since 2016. Between 2000-2016 he was Head Business Development, Global Head Sustainability, Head Atmospheric Perils Group and Chief modeler for natural catastrophe risk assessment at Swiss Re. During 1998-1999 he was Research Associate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, Cambridge, USA. Member of the Swiss UNFCCC delegation 2009-2012 and 2015, member of the Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG) of the UN Green Climate Fund (GCF), 2014-2016. Member of the OcCC 2009-2021 and steering committee member of ProClim, 2010-2022, advisory board member of Deltares, Netherlands. Board member of WWF Switzerland 2013-2022, Academia Engelberg and sanu future learning AG. PhD in physics from ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
David Bresch’s research focuses on the impacts of weather and climate on socio-economic systems. Combining numerical probabilistic modelling of weather and climate risks with the engagement of decision makers and end-users, his research aims to explore ways to strengthen their resilience and create a shared understanding of weather and climate susceptibility. Such an integrated view along the chain of impacts also opens new perspectives and approaches to the treatment of uncertainty in decision-making. He has conducted many case studies across the globe, applying a worldwide consistent, yet locally specific methodology to strengthen climate resilience while integrating adaptation with economic development and sustainable growth.