Spatializing Climate Change Adaptation as a Decision-Support Tool: Evidence from Suwon City, South Korea

Effective climate change adaptation at the municipal level requires decision-support tools that translate scientific risk assessments into actionable, place-based policy choices. However, climate vulnerability assessments produced at national or regional scales often lack the spatial resolution needed to support site-specific intervention and policy prioritization. This study presents a science–policy hybrid approach that spatializes climate change adaptation policy as a decision-support tool, drawing on the Third Climate Crisis Adaptation Plan of Suwon City, South Korea.

The planning process began with an analysis of long-term climate trends and historical damage records related to major climate-driven hazards, including heatwaves, cold waves, and heavy rainfall, which were identified as the most critical climate risks for Suwon City. To operationalize these risk assessments for policy use, localized and downscaled vulnerability analyses were conducted at the municipal scale, integrating socio-demographic indicators with spatial exposure mapping.

Heatwave vulnerability was assessed by combining age structure, health conditions, and socioeconomic status with spatial indicators of solar exposure and urban surface characteristics to identify priority intervention areas. Cold-wave vulnerability focused on elderly individuals living alone and low-income groups, alongside spatial identification of areas with high freezing risk. Heavy rainfall vulnerability was addressed through spatial analysis of flood-prone infrastructure, including underground buildings and underpasses.

The resulting spatial vulnerability maps function as decision-support outputs that enable the identification of priority project sites and the sequencing of adaptation measures across policy sectors. By embedding these localized and downscaled spatial outputs into municipal adaptation planning, the approach strengthens policy prioritization, facilitates targeted resource allocation, and enhances implementation capacity. This case illustrates how spatialization can effectively bridge scientific climate risk analysis and practical urban adaptation policy, offering transferable insights for other local governments seeking decision-supportive, place-based climate resilience strategies.

 *This work was supported by Korea Environment Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI) through Climate Change R&D Project for New Climate Regime Program, funded by Korea Ministry of Environment (MOE)(RS-2023-00221110)