Political Dimensions of Climate Change Adaptation: Conceptual Reflections and African Examples

Eguavoen, Irit; Schulz, Karsten; Wit, Sara de; Weisser, Florian; Müller‐Mahn, Detlef

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-40455-9_82-1

Cited by 16 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…In contrast to a range of African studies (e.g. Eguanvoen et al 2013), we found little evidence for cultural attributions of blame related to climate change. There were some differences between farmers' perceptions of change and that indicated by local instrumental records, for example, some of our informants expressed the belief that the weather was getting drier, a view not supported by the data.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Community perception, adaptation and resilience to extreme weather in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

et al. 2020

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Perceptions of climate change, the impacts of and responses to climatic variability and extreme weather are explored in three communities in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, in relation to livelihood resilience. These communities provide examples of the most common livelihood strategies across the region: small-scale fisheries (San Felipe) and semi-subsistence small-holder farming (Tzucacab and Calakmul). Although the perception that annual rainfall is reducing is not supported by instrumental records, changes in the timing of vital summer rainfall and an intensification of the mid-summer drought (canicula) are confirmed. The impact of both droughts and hurricanes on livelihoods and crop yields was reported across all communities, although the severity varied. Changes in traditional milpa cultivation were seen to be driven by less reliable rainfall but also by changes in Mexico's agricultural and wider economic policies. Diversification was a common adaptation response across all communities and respondents, resulting in profound changes in livelihood strategies. Government attempts to reduce vulnerability were found to lack continuity, be hard to access and too orientated toward commercial scale producers. Population growth, higher temperatures and reduced summer rainfall will increase the pressures on communities reliant on small-scale farming and fishing, and a more nuanced understanding of both impacts and adaptations is required for improved livelihood resilience. Greater recognition of such local-scale adaptation strategies should underpin the developing Mexican National Adaptation Policy and provide a template for approaches internationally as adaptation becomes an increasingly important part of the global strategy to cope with climate change.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Community perception, adaptation and resilience to extreme weather in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

et al. 2020

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“…Similarly, the flat terrain and absence of streams increase the proneness of Dassari to droughts. In contrast to the few mentions in literature, e.g., [63], farmers in both catchments stated almost unanimously that wind/storms were a major climate change-related hazard.…”

Section: Household Surveycontrasting

confidence: 80%

Farmer Perceptions and Climate Change Adaptation in the West Africa Sudan Savannah: Reality Check in Dassari, Benin, and Dano, Burkina Faso

Callo-Concha

2018

Climate

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Climate change is a great threat to the already climate-unstable West Africa. Current and potential impacts are especially hard on farming in the Sudan savannah, thus adaptation is widely advised and encouraged, and already occurring. In the study sites Dassari, Benin, and Dano, Burkina Faso, farmers' climate change perceptions and practiced coping measures were qualitatively and quantitatively recorded. Analyses included statistical testing to detach anecdotal responses from factual decisions. Results reveal that responses regarding climate change perception and adaptation are frequently subjective, conjectural and inconsistent. Farmers' acknowledge that adaptations to climate change impacts are diverse, but site specific. Measures do not causally respond to the type of hazard, nor to its impacts, but instead tend to address wide-ranging demands, such as household food security, income generation and capitalization. Hence, causally linking hazards, impacts and responses can be misleading, and measures can thus be ineffective. After our findings, key qualities of effective coping measures are short-term economic returns, compatibility with local ecological, social and institutional settings and agreeing with the customary farming traditions. With respect to operability, the national agricultural extension services are still the most relevant instances. Considering these aspects can support local farming adaptation and also increase the general resilience of the households.

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“…Power asymmetries are becoming particularly salient in the context of North-South relations and the political effects of adaptation discourse in the Global South have remained largely invisible in scholarly debate 9 . A global stocktake process for climate adaptation will likely be driven by those with the capacity to participate at the national and international level, and likely thus obscure the views of local actors with less power and especially vulnerable groups 9,10 . Already, within-country rural residents' needs and local institutions are not well represented within National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) 11 .…”

Section: Who Gets To Define What Is Measured Mattersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is adaptation success a flawed concept?

Dilling

Prakash²,

Zommers³

et al. 2019

Nat. Clim. Chang.

Self Cite

109

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The Paris Agreement established a global goal on adaptation and invites parties to review the effectiveness of adaptation actions. However, the measurement of adaptation success remains elusive. Focusing on the capabilities of households and governments to pursue a range of adaptation futures provides a more robust foundation. The Paris Agreement established a global goal on adaptation (Article 7, para. 1) and invites Parties to "review the adequacy and effectiveness of adaptation" in a global stocktake (Article 7, para 14c). However, creating universally applicable measures of adaptation success remains elusive given that most adaptation projects are implemented at the local level, and start from wildly differing baseline conditions. Further, the adaptation process is never truly "finished" in a changing, evolving climate 1. Berrang-Ford et al. 2 propose tracking government adaptation policy instruments as a way to assess progress. However, these and other approaches do not address what constitutes "success", focusing instead on government planning, or how vulnerability is changing-leaving open the question of vulnerability of whom, This comment evolved from a special session on adaptation success convened by the authors at Adaptation Futures 2018, the 5th International Climate Change Adaptation Conference in Cape Town. We thank the over 100 session participants from around the world, including participants from government agencies, donors, non-governmental organizations, students, humanitarian agencies, academics, policy-makers and members of civil society.

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Political Dimensions of Climate Change Adaptation: Conceptual Reflections and African Examples

Cited by 16 publications

References 41 publications

Community perception, adaptation and resilience to extreme weather in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Community perception, adaptation and resilience to extreme weather in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Farmer Perceptions and Climate Change Adaptation in the West Africa Sudan Savannah: Reality Check in Dassari, Benin, and Dano, Burkina Faso

Is adaptation success a flawed concept?

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