저소득계층의 기후변화 적응역량 강화를 위한 정책방안 연구 I

Abstract

Policies to enhance the capacity of climate change adaptation on the low-income People(I) This study was conducted for the purpose of developing policies to enhance the effects of climate change adaptation among the low-income people and their coping abilities based on an investigative analysis of abilities to cope with climate changes among low-income people residing in urban areas. Areas affected by storms and floods are found usually in the lowland regions of river margins where a much higher percentage of single-unit residential houses of relatively low-income groups are densely distributed than that of apartment complexes and multiple-unit residences of high-income groups. During heat waves, the elderly with mobility difficulties, children, those of low-income and low-education, and those with cardiovascular ailment remain vulnerable to the effects of severe weather. During cold spells, the increase in energy price aggravates the energy shortage suffered most deeply by the low-income people. Such effects of climate change were incorporated into the assessment indicators so as to be able to examine coping abilities, with the level of local community and each household (individual) as the proxy variables. Based on such indicators, adaptations and actual conditions of the low-income people in urban areas from the perspective of local community and household (individual) were examined and their coping ability and characteristics assessed and analyzed. The results showed that the local community low in socio-economic status was found to be high in the exposure to weather conditions and vulnerability, while their coping ability was found to be low, indicating that they are highly vulnerable to climate changes. It is conjectured that the resources for local community are relatively lacking for the low-income people residing in the local community with low socio-economic status to detect and adapt to the effects of climate changes. In case of households (individuals), the effects of climate change on select socio economically disadvantaged group were analyzed. The results indicated that they had low coping abilities even among the low-income group. In addition, residentially disadvantaged households (residing in attics or semi-basements) were found to be the most vulnerable, followed by households with the socially disadvantaged, namely the solitary elderly and single-parent families. It was found that that the lower the income of the group, the more vulnerable it was to climate changes, thus necessitating more institutional support than ever. To derive a policy plan for enhancing coping abilities for the low-income people, related policies were assessed. In the event of storms and floods, due to the poor management of automatic sewage pumps to be provided free of charge to each household, flood protection was found to be sorely lacking. In the event of heat waves, low-income people such as the solitary elderly confined to the elderly community showed low utilization of the “heat shelter” of a given area. Energy support policies by the government which would allow the low-income people to gain access to the relatively inexpensive and pure fuel, municipal gas, appeared very lacking. This study proposes five propulsive strategies, policy areas, and businesses. The five propulsive strategies include a policy plan for the enhancement of coping abilities to climates change among the low-income people. The five strategies are as follows: the institutionalization through the introduction of the related legislations such as “low carbon green growth fundamental act;” the adoption of climate welfare system, as the comprehensive set of politics for the doubling of coping ability to the climate changes; the establishment and intensive management of emergency rescue system for the high-risk population for each extreme weather condition such as flood or drought; building the social safety network of the low-income group in response to climate changes based on the creation of social capital through voluntary participation from citizens, and; building DB and investigative analysis of low-income people’s coping abilities to climate change. Suggestions for policy area and businesses are as follows: the construction of a climate-friendly pilot village in the regions with a dense population of low-income group vulnerable to climate changes; ban on the construction of lowland or basement houses and, on the other hand, enactment of relocation projects; strengthening measures for protection against floods and storms of frequently flooded areas through a flood protection system based on renovations of the city facilities and social enterprises; businesses which promote comprehensive enhancement of energy efficiency by improvement in indoor residential environment in connection with health and welfare businesses; improvements in the safety management measures for intense heat through improvement of conditions and changes of the heat shelters for the protection of elderly, and; the use of local children’s center for protection against extreme cold or heat for the children of low-income households including single-parent families and grandparent-led households.