Are there social limits to adaptation to climate change?

Adger, W. Neil, Dessai, Suraje, Goulden, Marisa, Hulme, Mike, Lorenzoni, Irene, Nelson, Donald R., Naess, Lars Otto, Wolf, Johanna and Wreford, Anita (2009) Are there social limits to adaptation to climate change? Climatic Change, 93 (3-4). pp. 335-354. ISSN 1573-1480

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Abstract

While there is a recognised need to adapt to changing climatic conditions, there is an emerging discourse of limits to such adaptation. Limits are traditionally analysed as a set of immutable thresholds in biological, economic or technological parameters. This paper contends that limits to adaptation are endogenous to society and hence contingent on ethics, knowledge, attitudes to risk and culture. We review insights from history, sociology and psychology of risk, economics and political science to develop four propositions concerning limits to adaptation. First, any limits to adaptation depend on the ultimate goals of adaptation underpinned by diverse values. Second, adaptation need not be limited by uncertainty around future foresight of risk. Third, social and individual factors limit adaptation action. Fourth, systematic undervaluation of loss of places and culture disguises real, experienced but subjective limits to adaptation. We conclude that these issues of values and ethics, risk, knowledge and culture construct societal limits to adaptation, but that these limits are mutable.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	sdg 13 - climate action ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia > Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Depositing User:	Rosie Cullington
Date Deposited:	22 Feb 2011 15:03
Last Modified:	20 Mar 2023 10:33
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/24442
DOI:	10.1007/s10584-008-9520-z

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