Adaptive capacity to climate change: A synthesis of concepts, methods, and findings in a fragmented field

Abstract

Adaptive capacity is an important element of long-term adaptation to climate change and is the focus of a rapidly growing body of research. Interdisciplinary growth has the potential to introduce new methods and insights, but it could also cause fragmentation and hamper methodological development or limit transfer of academic insights to climate change adaptation practice. This article uses qualitative content, bibliometric, and citation network analyses to systematically review the scope, methods, and findings of 276 studies on adaptive capacity of social and social-ecological systems. The review demonstrates that adaptive capacity research is highly interdisciplinary; covers a wide range of sectors, geographic locations, and scales of analysis; and is highly fragmented. The majority of empirical studies are isolated by lack of comparative work and cross-field citation. Forty-six percent of studies reviewed do not cite prior works on adaptive capacity: even those on similar topics in the same geographic location. Methods to assess adaptive capacity have proliferated to include more than 64 indicator-based indices or frameworks and 37 proxy outcome measures. The article argues that lack of either consensus or debate across the literature raises concerns that scientific progress in the field may be constrained and the ability of adaptive capacity research to inform adaptation practice may be limited. To promote consistency and transparency in future work, 158 determinants of adaptive capacity are defined and illustrated with common assessment indicators and examples. Additional opportunities for progress are noted with suggestions for future research. This article is categorized under: Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change > Institutions for Adaptation K E Y W O R D S adaptive capacity, climate change adaptation, citation network, fragmentation, systematic review

Responsibility for climate change adaptation

“…According to Mostert, the allocation of responsibility should include such principles as minimizing social costs, acknowledging existing capacities and building on solidarity. As a next step in this field, this would imply connecting the responsibility of adaptation discussion to the one on adaptive capacity (Siders, ) and differential vulnerability (Thomas et al, ), and the impacts of adaptation on vulnerability (Atteridge & Remling, ). This would enable us to see how responsibilities may be reallocated under different principles.…”

Access and allocation in climate change adaptation

“…More and more scholars focus instead on underlying socio-economic drivers of vulnerability (Mikulewicz 2018) as well as on adaptive capacity (Siders 2019). This social vulnerability approach emphasises the links between vulnerability and governance (see also Biermann et al 2009) and calls for a broader understanding of adaptation as a political process (Eriksen et al 2015;Klepp and Chavez-Rodriguez 2018).…”

“…To understand when, where, and how adaptation occurs, it is thus necessary to also consider nonmaterial resources. Research has highlighted the numerous cultural, social, and governance dimensions of adaptive capacity, beyond just financial and technical resources (Nielsen and Reenberg 2010;Eakin et al 2014;Siders 2019). In particular, risk perceptions, as well as political dynamics, influence when and how resources (of all types) are mobilised and used for adaptation (Granderson 2014).…”

African Mountains in a Changing Climate: Trends, Impacts, and Adaptation Solutions

“…For example, communities in west Cameroon are producing honey and woodcarvings in addition to agriculture. In Zimbabwe, the Chimanimani communities are increasing their income by bottling water and collecting and selling fruit (Semente and Dangare 2015).…”