A multidimensional framework for assessing adaptative justice: a case study of a small island community in the Philippines

Abstract

Island communities are the targets for a wide range of interventions designed to help them adapt to climate change. A growing body of research explores the equity and justice implications of adaptation policies and programmes, revealing they often exacerbate, rather than alleviate, inequality within at-risk communities. This paper pushes beyond existing understandings of climate justice, which prioritise its distributive and procedural aspects. Through household surveys, interviews and participant observation, the paper presents a case study of a major adaptation project in a small island community in the Philippines, paying particular attention to its equity implications at the local level. It describes how local politics and power relations distorted the well-intentioned aims of the project and resulted in the project exacerbating, rather than alleviating, pre-existing inequality. Climate change adaptation is a deeply political process that is easily subverted by the interests of the powerful. To mitigate the influence of power and politics in future climate adaptation projects, we present an expanded multidimensional framework for assessing adaptative justice that incorporates the neglected aspects of recognition and structure.

Equity dimensions in initiatives promoting urban health and wellbeing in east and southern Africa

“…Noting a conceptual focus on distributive and procedural justice, they expanded the conceptualisation of equity to include the status, legitimacy and respect different groups have in presenting their interests, and the parity of opportunity they have to be included in decision making. They noted further the need to expose the underlying systemic processes that influence and create an uneven playing field for these other dimensions of equity, as also noted by Anderson as both driver and outcome of social relations that generate prejudice or impose disadvantage ( 22 , 23 ). Drawing on these conceptualisations ( 22 ), and adding the dimension of the longer term impact on future generations and natural resources, we explored five different dimensions of equity, that were also proposed in the ISUH Accelerating City Equity project, and that resonated with the ESA regional understanding of equity.…”

“…They noted further the need to expose the underlying systemic processes that influence and create an uneven playing field for these other dimensions of equity, as also noted by Anderson as both driver and outcome of social relations that generate prejudice or impose disadvantage ( 22 , 23 ). Drawing on these conceptualisations ( 22 ), and adding the dimension of the longer term impact on future generations and natural resources, we explored five different dimensions of equity, that were also proposed in the ISUH Accelerating City Equity project, and that resonated with the ESA regional understanding of equity. The five dimensions were thus: (i) participatory or procedural equity , in terms of groups’ participation in, and their power and influence over decisions; (ii) recognitional equity, in terms of formal recognition of the conditions and rights of social groups; (iii) distributional equity in terms of the distribution of benefits, burdens and outcomes related to wellbeing; (iv) structural equity in terms of underlying policies, laws and norms; and (v) intergenerational equity in terms of the benefit for future generations.…”

“…This resonates with EQUINET’s focus on interventions that seek to allocate resources preferentially to those with the worst health status, backed by a redistribution of social and economic resources and measures to enhance the power and ability people and social groups have to claim rights and make choices over health inputs, and their capacity to use these choices for health and wellbeing ( 21 ). While there are various ways of conceptualising the drivers and forms of equity, See and Wilmsen in 2022 suggested a framework that may be used in analysing case studies of different areas of urban health practice ( 22 ). Noting a conceptual focus on distributive and procedural justice, they expanded the conceptualisation of equity to include the status, legitimacy and respect different groups have in presenting their interests, and the parity of opportunity they have to be included in decision making.…”

Does mangrove restoration imply coastal protection? A prospective simulation study

“…The existing mangroves were facing an oblique direction to Haiyan's wind velocity. Simulating Haiyan conditions revealed that the inland inundation would have been wider and deeper in the absence of mangroves, possibly penetrating into Sitio Proper (See and Wilmsen, 2022). The 1,250/ha mangroves in the surveyed area lessened the momentum of the reflected waves that penetrated inland, acting like shock absorbers that limited the energy of water flow (Supplementary Movie 2).…”

Climate change, human rights and sustainability

“…Special attention must be granted to the population in most endangered areas (e.g., small islands, coastal zones, tropics and sub-tropics). Governments must build the enabling environment for climate change adaptation, that includes regulations, environmental education and capacity building (See and Wilmsen, 2022). Also, sufficient financial resources must be oriented to adaptation policies.…”