Combating disaster: Adaptation to global climate change and scale study

From the perspective of disaster management, addressing global climate change has become inevitable. Considering the impacts and disasters that global climate change is likely to cause, there is an urgent need for solutions to address this complex situation. Accordingly, comprehensive adaptation measures should be implemented to reduce the impacts of climate change–related disasters and emergencies, and to prevent their occurrence within the framework of disaster management. Through well-designed and sustainably implemented climate change adaptation efforts, disaster risks can be mitigated and the climate change risk management process can be conducted more effectively. In this study, a scale development process was carried out by focusing on three sub-regions of the Black Sea Region (the provinces of Kastamonu, Giresun, and Samsun, each representing a different sub-region) where meteorological disasters and human-induced impacts have been particularly intense in recent years. Data were collected from a total of 1,116 participants. For data analysis, content validity, construct validity, and reliability analyses were conducted using the SPSS 22.00 and AMOS 24.00 software packages. Following the completion of the pilot and main application phases, the Global Climate Change Social Adaptation Scale and the Awareness Scale, for which construct validity was established, were introduced to the literature. Through the developed scales, the society's climate change adaptation capacity and level of awareness were assessed. The findings revealed a statistically significant and positive correlation between the two scales (r=0,875: p=0,000).Consequently, appropriate behavioral and preparedness recommendations were proposed. In addition, three different climate model projections specific to the Black Sea Region were examined, and increasing temperature trends were presented across different models. The projection data were further supported through a SWOT analysis. Based on the findings, recommendations were developed that are expected to contribute to the literature on disaster management and climate change in the context of the Black Sea Region.