Reflections on Adaptive Capacity

With extreme weather becoming more intense and frequent, the natural, physical and financial impacts of climate change are becoming harder to ignore. However, while human and social climate-related factors might be harder to quantify, they are critical determinants of the ability of a community to prepare for and bounce back from shocks and stresses and must not be overlooked.

We know that climate change impacts are not equally distributed across communities due to the nature of climate hazards, and varying levels of exposure of assets and vulnerability of people and ecosystems. Though the severity of hazards is a product of global responses to climate change, there is significantly more control and influence over vulnerability and exposure at the local and community level. This is where the adaptive capacity* of a community plays a critical role.

*Adaptation refers to adjusting to the physical impacts of climate change by reducing vulnerability and finding opportunities offered by changing circumstances, and adaptive capacity or resilience refers to the capacity to do so.

While risk management approaches have been extremely useful in reframing the need for climate action (i.e. beyond traditional cost-benefit analysis to more complex analytical models), applying a pure risk lens to climate action can overlook the human and social components of vulnerability, adaptability and resilience. It is crucial to apply a more holistic lens to critically interrogate the deeper elements of climate risks and adaptive capacity, which our team does through the ‘5 Capitals’ framework.

This framework allows us to view physical exposure and vulnerability of communities in terms of their natural, social, financial, physical and human capital and develop strategies accordingly. It acknowledges that these five elements are interlinked, and that beyond the natural, physical and financial (such as damage to infrastructure and ecosystems and its financial repercussions), human and social systems such as cultural knowledge, practices and social networks are critical determinants to the resilience of a community. To ensure the viability of adaptation strategies, all these dimensions need to be considered and actively balanced to ensure that one is not valued at the expense of another.

Brilliant designs and strategies are nothing without people using them. Studies show that regardless of the strategy, implementation is more likely to occur when there have been high levels of participation through its development.

Beyond technical skills, the key to unravelling resilience is in understanding that the human and social components of resilience are equally important. Only then can we consider projects in their broader context and develop more effective solutions; solutions that recognise adaptation is inherently dynamic and will continue to be reshaped by evolving socio-ecological systems.

Beyond being consulted, it is important to provide ongoing opportunities for community members to engage with and co-create adaptation strategies. Not only does it allow for people to take long-term ownership over the strategies, but it acknowledges that everyone has something valuable to contribute when it comes to responding to the challenges of climate change.

Almost 70% of Australians lived in an area affected by a serious natural disaster in 2022. During ‘black summer’, the 2019-2020 bushfire season, that figure was higher than 80%. Lived experience is incredibly powerful; communities that have experienced a natural disaster know what has previously worked in their area, what clearly didn’t, what could be done differently, which critical skills seemed to be present and which ones seemed to be lacking.?

How can we, as practitioners, seek to better understand and learn from how people respond to natural disasters to inform future advice and responses?

Municipality-wide climate action planning is a prime example of where this type of thinking is crucial. These projects provide an opportunity to co-create a practical pathway for the community to ramp up their climate response through meaningful engagement. Once the technical analysis of climate hazards, exposure and vulnerability of the area has been undertaken, our role shifts towards seeking a deep understanding of the local context and community; their social networks, cultural knowledge, capacity, needs and ambitions.

If the end goal is to empower the community to reduce its emissions and adapt to a changing climate, acknowledging the deep knowledge of local conditions and the strength of social networks needs to be one of the first steps. It is then crucial to develop solutions that seek to build the physical capital of a community and strengthen both?individual and collective resilience. Adaptation strategies that are pragmatic, robust and economically-viable, while also being grounded in the human experience and tailored to the local context, culture and social fabric are more likely to be effective.

As climate adaptation is an evolving rather than one-off activity, it is critical that it provides ongoing opportunities for community members to collaborate in the planning, design and implementation of adaptation strategies. They also need to provide flexibility for change overtime, ensuring that they are not overly prescriptive and afford the time and space for communities to organically reshape them to suit evolving needs.

It is, of course, not as easy as it sounds. Challenges such as lack of trust, communication barriers, unequal representation and power dynamics, vested interest, limited resources, time constraints, burnout and engagement fatigue continue to hinder effective broad-based participation, genuine debate and therefore, meaningful engagement. These are serious challenges that require active efforts to overcome.

What would I recommend? Continuous improvement and authenticity.

• ?When it comes to community consultation, dive deep, engage broadly (i.e. different views, priorities and values) and always question your data – how representative of the community is it? Who is it excluding or overly relying upon?
• Don’t engage with the community just for the sake of it – ensure that the link between the engagement and the end-product demonstrates a clear line of sight
• Bring authenticity to your work – provide the most up-to-date and thorough advice you can while also acknowledging its limitations and that new information may prompt slight (or major) tweaks
• Challenge yourself to seek out, listen to and consider the views of those who you don’t necessarily agree with in order to find common ground on which to move forward with effective solutions
• Focus on systemic actions as well – address the underlying systems, structures, or policies as a priority rather than just addressing the symptoms or immediate issues

Finally, remember that when it comes to adaptation, success is dynamic, not static – actively seeking new ways to engage and get others to engage in this space in a way that is inclusive and restorative in the long term will help to deliver more effective adaption responses at scale.

Authored by: Alexandra Faure , Associate, HIP V. HYPE

Edited by:?Gavin Ashley , Head of Better Cities & Regions, HIP V. HYPE

Alice Mulleeney , Head of Marketing & Communications, HIP V. HYPE

Liam Wallis , Founder, HIP V. HYPE

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For more information on HIP V. HYPE or our sustainability services, send us an email:[email protected].

References

• Yohe, G. W. (2010). Addressing Climate Change through a Risk Management Lens.
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• Maidment-Blundell, L. (2020). Infrastructure, placemaking and sustainability: A report for Places for People.
• Peinhardt, K. (2021). Resilience through placemaking: Public spaces in Rotterdam's climate adaptation approach.
• Pelling, M., & High, C. (2005). Understanding adaptation: What can social capital offer assessments of adaptive capacity?
• Venable-Thomas, M. (2018). Can creative placemaking be a tool for building community resilience?
• Hitch, G. (2023). East coast flooding saw majority of Australians covered by natural disaster declaration in 2022.
• Cavaye, J.M. (2004). Governance and Community Engagement – The Australian Experience In Participatory Governance: Planning, Conflict Mediation and Public Decision Making in Civil Society.
• Innes, J. E., Booher, D. E. (2005). Reframing Public Participation: Strategies for the 21st Century.
• The Hive. (2020). Who are you excluding? Tracking representation in community engagement.