Using vulnerability and resilience concepts to advance climate change adaptation

Joakim, Erin; Mortsch, Linda; Oulahen, Greg

doi:10.1080/17477891.2014.1003777

Cited by 88 publications

(79 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Building adaptive capacity of either social or ecological components of a system will also affect certain groups more than others. If the effect or change continues, coastal communities will need to develop long-term adaptive strategies that may be more dependent on governance, planning, infrastructure, adaptive management, sense of place, or even emigration (retreat) from factors such as rising sea levels (Tol et al 2006, Adger et al 2007, Berman et al 2012, Joakim et al 2015.…”

Section: Synthesis Of Lessons Learnedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive capacity: from assessment to action in coastal social-ecological systems

Whitney¹,

Bennett²,

Ban³

et al. 2017

E&S

129

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ABSTRACT. Because of the complexity and speed of environmental, climatic, and socio-political change in coastal marine socialecological systems, there is significant academic and applied interest in assessing and fostering the adaptive capacity of coastal communities. Adaptive capacity refers to the latent ability of a system to respond proactively and positively to stressors or opportunities. A variety of qualitative, quantitative, and participatory approaches have been developed and applied to understand and assess adaptive capacity, each with different benefits, drawbacks, insights, and implications. Drawing on case studies of coastal communities from around the globe, we describe and compare 11 approaches that are often used to study adaptive capacity of social and ecological systems in the face of social, environmental, and climatic change. We synthesize lessons from a series of case studies to present important considerations to frame research and to choose an assessment approach, key challenges to analyze adaptive capacity in linked socialecological systems, and good practices to link results to action to foster adaptive capacity. We suggest that more attention be given to integrated social-ecological assessments and that greater effort be placed on evaluation and monitoring of adaptive capacity over time and across scales. Overall, although sustainability science holds a promise of providing solutions to real world problems, we found that too few assessments seem to lead to tangible outcomes or actions to foster adaptive capacity in social-ecological systems.

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Section: Synthesis Of Lessons Learnedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive capacity: from assessment to action in coastal social-ecological systems

Whitney¹,

Bennett²,

Ban³

et al. 2017

E&S

129

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Resilience is another complex term (Cork, ; Joakim et al ., ; Marcuse, ). In one conceptualisation, it is the transfer of an ecological term to other domains and applied in economic and social contexts (Allison and Hobbs, ; Walker and Salt, ).…”

Section: Resiliencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…This approach appears to be most useful when there is a significant and definable event, rather than a series of smaller events or an ongoing process to which a response is necessary. Resilience is also understood by some authors, in social and economic contexts, as the ability to embrace change and to adapt seamlessly to largely exogenous events (Joakim et al, 2015). These may be unrelated to 'natural hazards', for example technological change impacting on employment conditions and opportunities (Pizzol, 2015;Wang, 2015).…”

Section: Resiliencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rather than resilience, authors such as Sorensen and Epps (2005) prefer the term 'stable adaptation'. In hazards management, where concepts of vulnerability were seen to be negative and disempowering, resilience is the positive term to indicate an ability to withstand or rebound from major events such as a cyclone, bushfire, earthquake, or flood (Joakim et al, 2015). This is largely the conceptualisation of resilience employed in Sydney's new metropolitan plan.…”

Section: Resiliencementioning

confidence: 99%

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Geographic Connections: Language, Power Relations, and Relevance

McManus

2015

Geographical Research

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The interrogation of language is crucial in all sub‐fields of geography and in related disciplines. This paper interrogates the terms nature, environment, sustainability, and resilience, given their importance in connecting geography with other academic pursuits and with people and organisations that make our discipline relevant. The paper explores how geography may be seen as ‘relevant’ while maintaining a constructively critical approach. It does so through the example of Sydney's metropolitan strategy/plan that was released in December 2014. The concept of resilience as defined and used in this new metropolitan plan fails to address transboundary issues such as climate change, raising concerns about sustainability. As such it serves the needs of political interests aligned with a growth agenda. This is one example highlighting that a challenge for many geographers is to maintain critical thinking while being relevant. It is an important challenge that geographers should relish.

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“…Vulnerability to climate change has been presented in earlier IPCC assessment reports (2001; 2007) and other studies as a function of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity (Ford & Smit, 2004;Füssel, 2007;Heltberg et al, 2009;Smit & Wandel, 2006). Vulnerability and resilience have also been linked in the literature, although there are numerous contestations around the nature of the link (see Gallopin, 2006;Joakim et al, 2015). It may be broadly understood that a vulnerable system has lost resilience (Folke, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What is shaping vulnerability to climate change? The case of Laamu Atoll, Maldives

McNamara¹,

Clissold²,

Piggott-McKellar³

et al. 2019

ISJ

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ABSTRACT:As climate change accelerates, it brings with it numerous challenges to society and the natural world. Concepts such as vulnerability have emerged as a way of trying to understand people's risk, despite there being a range of variables that can influence vulnerability and its temporal and spatial dimensions. Drawing from the well-known conceptualisation of vulnerability as a function of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, this paper seeks to understand what variables are influencing and shaping vulnerability in Laamu Atoll, the Maldives, and produce a base of knowledge for future vulnerability reduction initiatives. Household questionnaires (n=412) were used on Laamu Atoll to ascertain locals' perceptions of vulnerability based on livelihood resources, financial security, and climate-change experiences. Results show that peripherality, as a notion that describes the disparities between 'core' and 'peripheral' islands, is a key factor shaping vulnerability variables on Laamu Atoll. This has prompted an overarching recommendation for peripherality to be considered as a key dimension of vulnerability to climate change and an important consideration for existing and future human development and climate change policy and practice in Small Island Developing States.

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Using vulnerability and resilience concepts to advance climate change adaptation

Cited by 88 publications

References 49 publications

Adaptive capacity: from assessment to action in coastal social-ecological systems

Adaptive capacity: from assessment to action in coastal social-ecological systems

Geographic Connections: Language, Power Relations, and Relevance

What is shaping vulnerability to climate change? The case of Laamu Atoll, Maldives

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