"adjust" aims to develop recommendations for fair allocation of climate adaptation finance. The project follows an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach that combines political sciences, philosophy and environmental geography. Our role is to investigate how the criterion of vulnerability can be operationalised for the distribution of climate adaptation finance. In this context, we assess the vulnerability of the Seychelles to sea-level rise (SLR). The Seychelles constitute a small island developing state (SIDS) by the United Nations and exhibit characteristic vulnerabilities of SIDS, such as limited resources, remote location, small land area, high dependence on international trade and tourism as well as high exposure to natural disasters.

Against the background of these challenges, we aim to identify hotspots of vulnerability to SLR. We focus on the three Seychellois main islands, which accommodate 90% of the Seychellois population and critical infrastructure. A first-order assessment is currently being conducted by downscaling the global Dynamic Interactive Vulnerability Assessment (DIVA) modelling framework to the regional scale of the three main islands. Considering various socio-economic and SLR scenarios, we will produce a range of vulnerability indicators (e.g. number of people flooded annually and annual flood damage). Based on the results of the analysis we will develop, together with local stakeholders, generic adaptation pathways for the Seychelles and attempt to extend those pathways for SIDS.

Our findings are continuously discussed within the project group and with stakeholders with regard to value judgements on vulnerability that may arise in the process of the analyses. This will enable us to critically reflect vulnerability as a criterion for a fair distribution of climate adaptation finance.

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