Tracking urban climate change adaptation over time: Evidence from indicator-based monitoring systems of ten major cities

Urban areas are at the forefront of responding to climate change impacts, yet there is limited understanding of adaptation effectiveness over the long term. Given this uncertainty and the dynamic nature of climate change, adaptation measures and their effectiveness need to be tracked over longer time periods. In this study, we examine how city-level monitoring systems support such tracking by analysing adaptation-relevant indicators of ten major cities. We use the adaptation benefits framework to assess how the tracking focus has changed over time, what is monitored across planning cycles and how the focus has evolved. The results show that overall patterns relating to hazard response, adaptation pathways, and benefitting units remain relatively stable over time. However, city-level analysis reveals limited consistency in the indicator focus across planning cycles. These findings highlight the need for greater attention to the life cycle of adaptation indicators and to the principles guiding their selection, ensuring consistency over time while allowing monitoring priorities to be revised when necessary.