Understanding Climate Change Adaptation: Lessons from Community-Based Approaches

by Jonathan Ensor, Rachel Berger

Overview

Poor people bear the brunt of climate change since they live in those regions most affected by fluctuating temperatures, sea level rise, flooding and drought. Far from behaving as victims, however, they use the assets and resources at their disposal to adapt and survive. How can agencies assist local communities adapting to change? By what mechanisms can communities make the most of emerging information? Can effective community-based approaches be scaled up? Understanding Adaptation to Climate Change demonstrates that although communities’ adaptation strategies may be varied and depend on local context, social networks play a pivotal role in accessing appropriate climate knowledge and resources and communicating useful approaches to other communities. The key activities of reducing vulnerability, fostering resilience and developing the capacity to experiment and learn are combined as appropriate. This book is essential reading for NGO practitioners, students and government and NGO policy makers who wish to gain an understanding of what adaptation means in theory and practice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781853396830
Publisher:	Practical Action Publishing
Publication date:	04/28/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Jonathan Ensor is a Researcher for Practical Action working on the relationship between climate change and international development.

Rachel Berger is a climate change Policy Advisor with Practical Action.

Table of Contents

Preface; Acknowledgements; 1) Introduction: understanding community based adaptation; 2) Erosion and flooding in northern Bangladesh; 3) Changing seasons and flash flooding in the foothills of the Nepal Himalaya; 4) Desert and flood plain adaptation in Pakistan; 5) Increasing paddy salinity in coastal Sri Lanka; 6) Increasing drought in arid and semi-arid Kenya; 7) Multiple pressures on pastoralism in semi-arid Niger; 8) Declining water resources in Sudan’s Red Sea coastal belt; 9) Extreme weather in the Peruvian high Andes; 10) Conclusion: adaptation in practice; References; Index.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

‘This important book demonstrates that people are in the frontline of climate change around the world but are not simply passive victims – community-based adaptation is where the action is. It shows how engaged scholarship can both describe and harness the power of communities to face the challenge of climate change for generations to come. The work is a thoughtful and brilliant application of theory and practice in this crucial development arena.’ Neil Adger, Professor, School of Environmental Sciences, Universityof East Anglia and Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research ‘This book is a very timely attempt to analyse what adaptation actually looks like in practice and to set it in the context of climate change analysis and community dynamics.’ Richard Ewbank, Climate Change Programme Coordinator, Christian Aid, UK ‘This book provides some excellent early learning from a number of case examples from different developing countries and will help those trying to understand and carry out community-based adaptation to climate change.’ Saleemul Huq, Senior Fellow, Climate Change, International Institute for Environment and Development

Editorial Reviews

Understanding Adaptation to Climate Change provides some excellent early learning and will help those trying to carry out community-based adaptation to climate change.

Saleemul Huq

This book is a very timely attempt to analyse what adaptation actually looks like in practice and to set it in the context of climate change analysis and community dynamics.

Richard Ewbank

This book is a thoughtful and brilliant application of theory and practice in this crucial development arena.

Neil Adger

"recommended"

Choice

"recommended"

“This book is a thoughtful and brilliant application of theory and practice in this crucial development arena.”

“Understanding Adaptation to Climate Change provides some excellent early learning and will help those trying to carry out community-based adaptation to climate change.”

“This book is a very timely attempt to analyse what adaptation actually looks like in practice and to set it in the context of climate change analysis and community dynamics.

From the Publisher