Transformative adaptation: what it is, why it matters and what is needed

Report

The motivation for writing this paper was to summarise the findings of a short scoping exercise we (UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP)) undertook to understand transformational adaptation in more depth, compare how different people were framing it and consider what it might mean for a practice-focused organisation such as ourselves. We also saw this as an opportunity to bring together people interested in or already using the term to ask ‘is this a meaningful concept?’ and ‘is there useful work we could do together to develop it further?’ Drawing upon recent literature on transformation and climate adaptation1 and reflecting upon a recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) conference (University of Oslo, 2013) and a workshop on transformational adaptation we organised in March 2015 for practitioners and academics, we consider whether transformational adaptation is simply a means of categorising the nature of our response to climate change risks, or has potential to provide practical tools for more effective adaptation. This paper is not a rigorous review but an attempt to draw out key themes from the literature, with a focus on the practice implications, as a starting point for exploring what is required to move transformation from an attractive concept to something more tangible and policy-relevant. Mobilising information and resources to respond effectively to the challenges brought by our changing climate requires transdisciplinary approaches that address the scientific, technological and social dimensions of change, and the different ways of seeing and defining the challenge that this encompasses. As a capacity-building organisation, we are keen to identify what practical approaches might be used to enable adaptation that goes beyond incremental ‘change at the margins’ to build more resilient systems with capacity for transformation. This paper summarises themes from the literature and workshop discussions about the concept of transformation, how it might be applied and priorities for future research and practice.

Authors: Lonsdale, K; Pringle, P; Turner, B

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Not peer reviewed
• Publication date: 2015-01-01
• Edition: Publisher's version
• ISBN: 9781906360115
• Language: English
• Keywords: adaptation policy research and science; climate change adaptation; transformative adaptation
• Subjects: Climate systems and policy