The past, the present and some possible futures of adaptation

Orlove, Ben

doi:10.1017/cbo9780511596667.010

Cited by 70 publications

(65 citation statements)

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“…Climate change adaptations can involve particularly significant transaction costs, in part because of the uncertainty surrounding what adaptation is needed in response to what potential changes, what the options are and what is most appropriate: the contingency cost can be high. Transaction costs and risks can also be high because the expected benefits of action may not be realised for a long time, or even ever, and the actions can contest with existing norms and values Orlove 2009). In the case of TA, the retarding influence of uncertainty is greatly exacerbated as the longer time scale, larger spatial and social scale, and greater magnitude of action increases the degree of uncertainty and the deliberation needed.…”

Section: The Costs Of Transformational Adaptationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adaptation efforts that fail in this way, or involve excessive costs in the process, are a form of maladaptation. In addition to how effective and efficient adaptation actions are, 'good adaptation' is increasingly assessed, at least in theory, according to other more searching criteria, notably: equity (distributional justice, including future generations); social legitimacy (procedural justice); and sustainability (including inter-species justice) (Adger et al 2005;Barnett and O'Neill 2010;O'Brien et al 2009;Orlove 2009;Eriksen and Brown 2011) as well as risk of increased greenhouse gas emissions which would operate as a positive feedback to climate change .…”

Section: Maladaptationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Transformational adaptation: agriculture and climate change

2012

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Abstract. Climate change presents the need and opportunity for what the Stern report called 'major, non-marginal change'. Such transformational adaptation is rapidly emerging as a serious topic in agriculture. This paper provides an overview of the topic as it applies to agriculture, focusing on the Australian situation. It does so by first defining transformational adaptation, distinguishing it from other more incremental but overlapping modes of climate change adaptation and positing its emergence in agriculture as a response to both drivers and opportunities. The multiple dimensions of transformational adaptation are highlighted before two types or cases are focussed upon in order to tease out issues and highlight two major examples of transformation in agriculture in the past. Four key issues about climate change adaptation in agriculture particularly pertinent for transformational adaptation are then reviewed: the identification, level, distribution and management of the costs of adaptation; the definition, potential for and need to avoid maladaptation; the capacity demands that this level of adaptation presents; and the role of government in adaptation. Overall, transformational adaptation poses potential great gains but also great risks. It reinforces the realisation that agricultural research can no longer remain insulated from off-farm, non-science or non-agricultural knowledge or processes. Support and guidance of transformational adaptation requires that we understand how Australian agriculture is currently, and could be, positioned within the landscape, rural communities, and broader social, political and cultural environment.

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Section: The Costs Of Transformational Adaptationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Maladaptationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transformational adaptation: agriculture and climate change

2012

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“…For example, Smit et al (1999) highlight the various origins of adaptation in fields such as ecology, natural hazards, and risk management, and Head (2010) cites its established presence in cultural ecology. Orlove (2009) traces changes in the use of the term and observed that 17th century definitions of adaptation in the English language indicated a process of change, including connotations of "fitting in" or "suiting to" in reference to an external issue. From the mid-19th century, he noted more specific uses in science.…”

Section: A Brief History and Critique Of Adaptationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In particular, John Dewey (1916) drew on Darwin's description of adaptation to explain how individuals and societies could respond to or modify contexts toward social change and the realization of full potential. Orlove (2009) highlights that Dewey's definition has led to the common use of the term to describe a person's ability to adjust to dynamic contexts. Of relevance to climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines adaptation in the Third Assessment Report as "adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities" (McCarthy et al 2001:982).…”

Section: A Brief History and Critique Of Adaptationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptation or Manipulation? Unpacking Climate Change Response Strategies

Thomsen¹,

Smith²,

Keys³

2012

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Adaptation is a key feature of sustainable social-ecological systems. As societies traverse various temporal and spatial scales, they are exposed to differing contexts and precursors for adaptation. A cursory view of the response to these differing contexts and precursors suggests the particular ability of persistent societies to adapt to changing circumstances. Yet a closer examination into the meaning of adaptation and its relationship to concepts of resilience, vulnerability, and sustainability illustrates that, in many cases, societies actually manipulate their social-ecological contexts rather than adapt to them. It could be argued that manipulative behaviors are a subset of a broader suite of adaptive behaviors; however, this paper suggests that manipulative behaviors have fundamentally different intentions and outcomes. Specifically, adaptive behaviors are respectful of the intrinsic integrity of social-ecological systems and change is directed toward internal or self-regulating modification. By way of contrast, manipulative behaviors tend to disregard the integrity of social-ecological systems and focus on external change or manipulating the broader system with the aim of making self-regulation unnecessary. It is argued that adaptive behaviors represent long-term strategies for building resilience, whereas manipulative behaviors represent short-term strategies with uncertain consequences for resilience, vulnerability, and the sustainability of social-ecological systems. Of greatest significance; however, is that manipulative strategies have the potential to avoid authentic experiences of system dynamics, obscure valuable learning opportunities, create adverse path dependencies, and lessen the likelihood of effective adaptation in future contexts.

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“…Other ethnographic studies have also addressed this issue (Rhoades 2008;Orlove 2009;Carey2010;Young and Lipton 2006), providing valuable insights into the ways in which communities living along the edges of the retreating glaciers, especially in the mountainous areas of Ecuador and Peru, have adapted. However, even though these studies sometimes refer to migration as an inescapable consequence of the melting of the glaciers, they do not specifically analyse the relationship.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%