Lessons for assessing and building adaptive capacity of coastal social-ecological systems
Presentation Abstract
Coastal communities experience a wide range of environmental, climatic, and socio-political changes to which they must adapt. Due the complexity and speed of change in coastal social-ecological systems, there is significant academic and practical 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 used to understand the adaptive capacity of coastal communities and linked social-ecological systems. Each approach has different benefits and drawbacks and leads to distinct insights depending on scale, context, and application. Drawing on the results of an OceanCanada Partnership working group on adaptive capacity, this paper describes and compares a suite of techniques that are often used to study adaptive capacity to social, environmental and climatic change. Through case studies from the Salish Sea and elsewhere, we present a set of considerations and best practices for assessing adaptive capacity. Key considerations for evaluating adaptive capacity include: clearly defining the context and problem; being cognizant of the goals of those participating in the analysis; paying attention to scale (temporal and spatial); assessing responses to social and ecological change in an integrative fashion, and considering equity and well being. We also identify best practices in both choosing an assessment tool and linking results to the policy and practice of building adaptive capacity. To conclude, we synthesize some of the general insights and broadly applicable interventions for augmenting the adaptive capacity of coastal communities to social-ecological change.
Session Title
Behavior Change and the Salish Sea: Science and Application
Keywords
Key words: Adaptive capacity; climate change; social-ecological systems; transformation; resilience; coastal communities; vulnerability; climate impact; environmental change; risk assessment
Conference Track
People
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Coastal ecosystem health--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Coastal zone management--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Lessons for assessing and building adaptive capacity of coastal social-ecological systems
2016SSEC
Coastal communities experience a wide range of environmental, climatic, and socio-political changes to which they must adapt. Due the complexity and speed of change in coastal social-ecological systems, there is significant academic and practical 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 used to understand the adaptive capacity of coastal communities and linked social-ecological systems. Each approach has different benefits and drawbacks and leads to distinct insights depending on scale, context, and application. Drawing on the results of an OceanCanada Partnership working group on adaptive capacity, this paper describes and compares a suite of techniques that are often used to study adaptive capacity to social, environmental and climatic change. Through case studies from the Salish Sea and elsewhere, we present a set of considerations and best practices for assessing adaptive capacity. Key considerations for evaluating adaptive capacity include: clearly defining the context and problem; being cognizant of the goals of those participating in the analysis; paying attention to scale (temporal and spatial); assessing responses to social and ecological change in an integrative fashion, and considering equity and well being. We also identify best practices in both choosing an assessment tool and linking results to the policy and practice of building adaptive capacity. To conclude, we synthesize some of the general insights and broadly applicable interventions for augmenting the adaptive capacity of coastal communities to social-ecological change.
Comments
Key words: Adaptive capacity; climate change; social-ecological systems; transformation; resilience; coastal communities; vulnerability; climate impact; environmental change; risk assessment