Introducing indirect impacts of climate change on the adaptation agenda – responding to overseas climate change

The paper identifies a gap in climate adaptation policy, which typically focuses on domestic, territorial impacts. It proposes a framework for 'indirect impacts'—socio-economic or biophysical effects propagating from one region to another via trade, migration, or hydrological links. An analysis of seven Swedish and European forestry documents reveals that while market-driven outlooks consider global contexts, adaptation-specific policies remain strictly focused on local biophysical changes, ignoring the broader international dimensions of climate risk.

• Climate adaptation is traditionally framed as a domestic and territorial concern, with policy and research focusing on vulnerabilities and impacts within a specific geographical location.
• The author defines 'indirect impacts' as those experienced in one location ('A') that result from climate change effects and impacts in a different geographical location ('B').
• Indirect impacts exist on a spectrum of causality, ranging from high-causality biophysical links, such as upstream hydrological changes affecting downstream water availability, to lower-causality socio-economic shifts in trade, capital flows, and migration.
• An analysis of seven strategic documents for the Swedish forestry sector shows a disconnect: documents focused on adaptation ignore indirect impacts, while documents analyzing global market trends mention climate change only marginally and do not link it to adaptation.
• In the Swedish forestry sector, short-term market and demand-driven changes—such as the rise in bio-fuel demand—are currently viewed as more significant drivers of change than the direct or indirect biophysical impacts of climate change.
• The author suggests that recognizing indirect impacts could justify a shift in climate finance, balancing local adaptation spending with overseas funding to reduce the magnitude of indirect impacts that affect rich countries.

APA

Wallgren, O. (n.d.). Introducing indirect impacts of climate change on the adaptation agenda – responding to overseas climate change. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/SEI-2012-Wallgren-Introducing-indirect-impacts.pdf

Chicago

Wallgren, Oskar. Introducing indirect impacts of climate change on the adaptation agenda – responding to overseas climate change. Stockholm Environment Institute, n.d. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/SEI-2012-Wallgren-Introducing-indirect-impacts.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wallgren |first1=Oskar |title=Introducing indirect impacts of climate change on the adaptation agenda – responding to overseas climate change |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/SEI-2012-Wallgren-Introducing-indirect-impacts.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wallgrenndintroducing, author = {Wallgren, Oskar}, title = {{Introducing indirect impacts of climate change on the adaptation agenda – responding to overseas climate change}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/SEI-2012-Wallgren-Introducing-indirect-impacts.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }