Place, well-being, and fairness shape priorities for adaptation to climate change

Resiliency and adaptation are increasingly prevalent in climate change policy as well as scholarship, yet scholars have brought forward several critiques of these concepts along analytical as well as political lines. Pressing questions include: who resiliency is for, what it takes to maintain it, and the scale at which it takes place. The concept of "perverse resilience", for example, proposes that resiliency for one sub-system may threaten the well-being of the overall system. In this article, I propose the related concept of "perverse adaptation", where one actor or institution's adaptation to climate change in fact produces aftershocks and secondary impacts upon other groups. Drawing on ethnographic and sociolinguistic research in northern Arizona regarding artificial snowmaking at a ski resort on a sacred mountain, I elucidate resort supporters' and others' attempts to frame snowmaking as a sustainable adaptation to drought (and, implicitly, climate change). I counterpoise these framings with narratives from local activists as well as Diné (Navajo) individuals regarding the significant impacts of snowmaking on water supply and quality, sacred lands and ceremony, public health, and, ironically, carbon emissions. In so doing, I argue that we must interrogate resilience policies for their unexpected "victims of adaptation."Key words: climate change policy, adaptation, perverse resilience, sacred sites, Diné (Navajo)

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Elderly smallholder farmers’ perceptions of and adaptation to climate variability and change in rural Ghana

Working with Older People ◽

10.1108/wwop-09-2021-0052 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Divine Odame Appiah ◽

Felix Asante ◽

Lois Antwi-Boadi ◽

Richard Serbeh

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Variability ◽

Formal Education ◽

Social Protection ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Well Being ◽

Pension Scheme ◽

Adaptation To Climate Change ◽

Climate Variability And Change ◽

Content Type

Purpose This paper aims to examine elderly smallholder farmers’ perceptions of and adaptation to climate variability and change in the Offinso Municipality, Ghana. Design/methodology/approach This paper used quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were analyzed with frequencies and chi-square tests, whereas qualitative data were thematically analyzed. Findings The results showed that elderly smallholder farmers’ knowledge of climate variability and climate change were based on their sex, level of formal education and experience in farming. Elderly smallholder farmers adopted both on-farm and off-farm strategies to cope with climate change and variability. The vulnerability of elderly smallholder farmers to climate change calls for social protection mechanisms such as a pension scheme that guarantees access to monthly cash transfers. Such a scheme will ease constraints to livelihood and ensure improved well-being. Originality/value Elderly smallholder farmers have remained invisible in discourses on perceptions and adaptation to climate change despite the surge in number of this category of farmers. This paper therefore represents an attempt to highlight the experiences of elderly smallholder farmers with climate variability and change.

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Responding to climate change through joint partnership

World Journal of Science Technology and Sustainable Development ◽

10.1108/wjstsd-06-2014-0010 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 170-181 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Oluwatoyin Dare Kolawole ◽

Piotr Wolski ◽

Barbara Ngwenya ◽

Gagoitseope Mmopelwa ◽

Olekae Thakadu

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Weather Forecasting ◽

Local Level ◽

Field Research ◽

Well Being ◽

Policy Formulation ◽

Okavango Delta ◽

Adaptation To Climate Change ◽

Content Type

Purpose – Climate change continues to pose a serious challenge to mankind. Given their socio-economic and vulnerable situations, resource-poor farmers will be hard hit and likely to be the most affected group in Africa – a continent that will bear the full brunt of inclement weather conditions. The purpose of this paper is to address the questions of how local farmers read and predict the weather, and how best they can collaborate with weather scientists in adapting to climate change and variability in the Okavango Delta of Botswana. Design/methodology/approach – A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed in sampling a total of 592 households heads (both men and women) in eight rural communities in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Findings – Analysis indicates that about 80 per cent of the farmers had a good knowledge of weather forecasting. In a knowledge validation workshop organised and implemented in early August 2012, farmers and scientists identified a nine-point agenda and strategies for addressing the challenges posed by climate change to community well-being and agricultural production. Knowledge sharing, installation of community weather stations and local-level capacity building are amongst the strategies identified. Research limitations/implications – The research is only limited to the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Originality/value – The paper emanates from original field research. The outcome of the paper provides pertinent information for policy formulation on how best to enhance small farmers’ adaptation to climate change.

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A Comparative Analysis Of Initiatives And Adaptation Measures To Climate Change Undertaken In Poland And Western Europe

Comparative Economic Research ◽

10.1515/cer-2016-0032 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 107-122

Author(s):

Dorota Michalak

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Greenhouse Gases ◽

Western Europe ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Life Support ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Well Being ◽

Preventive Action ◽

Adaptation To Climate Change ◽

Adaptation Measures

Climate change is one of the greatest contemporary threats to our planet's environmental, social and economic well-being, accompanied by major changes in life support systems on Earth, where the far-reaching effects will be felt in the coming decades. The Earth's climate is warming rapidly due to emissions of greenhouse gases caused by human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation. The Stern Report predicts that in the long term, climate change could cut global gross domestic product (GDP) by 5 to 20% or more each year if it is not brought under control by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of this paper is to compare the degree of influence of climate change on the economies of Western Europe and comparing national strategies for adaptation to climate change in selected countries of Western Europe and Poland. The analysis of the main initiatives for adaptation to climate change in selected countries of Western Europe and Poland relate to key issues mentioned in the strategic documents of the European Commission. In the United Kingdom the main emphasis is on the reduction of greenhouse gases as a form of preventive action, rather than adaptation to climate change. All strategies recognize the importance of raising public awareness about the negative effects of climate change and the importance of preparing adaptation measures, and stress the need to support the critical and most sensitive sectors of the European economy – forestry, agriculture and fisheries. The Polish strategy of adaptation to climate change does not deviate from the strategy of these countries of Western Europe, but it must be emphasized that this is only a document listing recommendations on the scope of operations of adaptation to climate change. Its realization is a separate issue.

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Сlimate Change in the Arctic: Adaptation to New Challenges

Outlines of global transformations politics economics law ◽

10.23932/2542-0240-2019-12-5-177-200 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 177-200

Author(s):

E. N. Nikitina

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Global Climate ◽

Cumulative Effect ◽

Well Being ◽

The Arctic ◽

Polar Regions ◽

Human Society ◽

Adaptation To Climate Change ◽

Economic Sectors ◽

Climate Services

Global climate change in the Arctic has been unfolding more rapidly than in other parts of the world, and its impacts affect vulnerable northern ecosystems, health and well-being of the Northerners, economic sectors and infrastructure in the polar regions of the eight Arctic states. Consequences of climate change for human society are analysed in synergy with ongoing transformations in social, economic and institutional systems in the Arctic region. Their cumulative effect exposes a variety of challenges for sustainable development of the northern communities, regions and countries; it reveals a number of uncertainties in the future pathways within the transformative context, as well as a combination of risks and opportunities for societies; it requires human responses and adaptations to consequences of the Arctic change. Adaptation to climate change in combination with greenhouse gases emission reduction turns into an important component of climate policies and measures of the Arctic states. This article presents innovative results of analysis of the major trends and features in formation of adaptive governance in the Arctic. It emerges to be based on a polycentric design, and particularly, on coordination of response actions at various levels, on interactions and networks of a variety of the Arctic stakeholders, on taking into account local environmental and socio-economic contexts, on combination of multidisciplinary approaches and packaging of governance mechanisms and instruments. The study analyses the major developments and innovations in adaptation approaches, policies, and practices of the Arctic regions in N. America (Canada) and Europe (Norway). Its foci is on assessment of priorities, strategies and planning, institutions, economic instruments, climate services, application of structural measures for disaster risk reduction. It explores possibilities of regional exchange of best practices in the Arctic, and core barriers for success in implementation of adaptation policy options. The role of the Paris agreement in formation and structuring of adaptation policies and measure of the northern regions of the Arctic states is analysed.

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The role of international organizations in equitable and just planned relocation

Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences ◽

10.1007/s13412-021-00698-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gabriela Nagle Alverio ◽

Sara H. Hoagland ◽

Erin Coughlan de Perez ◽

Katharine J. Mach

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Best Practices ◽

International Organizations ◽

Well Being ◽

Adaptation To Climate Change ◽

Loss And Damage ◽

Theories Of Justice ◽

Being There ◽

Enforcement Mechanisms

AbstractSince 2010, States party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change have recognized planned relocation as a viable adaptation to climate change. Planned relocation has been attempted in many communities globally and has raised serious issues of equity in some cases. Implementation driven by principles of equity is crucial in ensuring successful planned relocations that decrease loss and damage. In this Policy Analysis, we put forth a framework for equitable planned relocation rooted in theories of justice as a basis for implementation. The framework centers around three principles: comprehensive recognition of affected stakeholders in decision-making, consideration of socio-cultural risk factors relevant to relocation, and evaluation of multiple measures of well-being. There are many actors involved in planned relocation. Unique features and abilities of international organizations lend themselves to promoting equitable planned relocation in partnership with other stakeholders. Through the exploration of case studies, we identify best practices that international organizations have available to influence the design, implementation, and evaluation of planned relocation processes. These practices are relevant when striving for equity for all affected individuals and communities. Points of intervention include agenda-setting and advocacy, funding and implementation standards, and facilitation of international cooperation. International organizations also face barriers to supporting equitable planned relocation. Limitations include lack of enforcement mechanisms, limited resources, and fundamental dependence on existing governance structures and global collaboration. As the necessity of planned relocations grows, the need for leadership from international organizations in implementation is magnified, underscoring the importance of developing and evaluating approaches to just implementation.

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Evaluating Urban Green Public Spaces: The Case Study of Krasnodar Region Cities, Russia

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su132414059 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (24) ◽

pp. 14059

Author(s):

Nina Danilina ◽

Ksenia Tsurenkova ◽

Vladislav Berkovich

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Well Being ◽

Ecosystem Functions ◽

Adaptation To Climate Change ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Urban Green ◽

Krasnodar Region

The 21st century challenges, in particular those of climate change, population growth, air pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic global health crisis, demand greater emphasis on infrastructure facilities capable of keeping pace with population needs in well-being, health and economic prosperity. Green infrastructure aimed to intensify ecological processes in built-up areas and deliver vital ecosystem services is of a key significance for Russia, one of the most urbanized countries in the world. The article is dedicated to the issue of providing cities sustainability through creating a basic element of the urban green infrastructure—a public green network—by incorporating and linking a variety of already existing urban environmental components, both spatial and linear, such as natural areas, squares, parks, streets, boulevards, embankments and others. The territory of the case study is Krasnodar region located in the southwestern part of the North Caucasus, the warmest region of Russia characterized by highly varied urban areas. The authors propose the multiple criteria method for evaluating the existing GreenPS and creating a GreenPS framework for six cities located in Krasnodar region both on the southern seaward part and on the northern steppe part. This approach is focused on the sustainable development of the cities, adaptation to climate change and the prevention of local risks with respect to the preservation of ecosystem functions and cultural heritage. The methodology includes three stages: investigating and evaluating the present state of the existing urban GreenPS; defining sustainability potential; and the submission of master plan proposals for the improvement and further development and management of the GreenPS network implementing nature-based solutions. In addition, it follows seven main integral criteria, namely, Accessibility, Density, Sufficiency, Continuity, Diversity, Value and Clean and Sanitary, illustrated by ray diagrams. The results of the study show good potential for construction in Krasnodar region cities of an efficient GreenPS network integrating ecological and social city components. The flexibility of the method proposed makes it replicable for any other city aimed at creating a GreenPS network in sustainable, climate-change-adapted cities.

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