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Adaptive capacity : from coping to sustainable transformation

Wamsler, Christine LU and Brink, Ebba LU (2015) p.54-82
Abstract
People’s accumulated local capacity is increasingly recognized to be critical in enhancing disaster resilience and transformation. Nevertheless, citizens’ coping strategies are little known or

documented, and hardly considered in city authorities’ and aid organizations’ work. Against this background, this study provides an overview and systematization of citizens’ strategies to cope with

increasing disasters and climate change, presents critical insights on the positive and negative effects of such strategies, and discusses the relevance of taking them into account when formulating development policies and projects. The study shows that coping should not automatically be seen as being maladaptive. The success or failure... (More)
People’s accumulated local capacity is increasingly recognized to be critical in enhancing disaster resilience and transformation. Nevertheless, citizens’ coping strategies are little known or

documented, and hardly considered in city authorities’ and aid organizations’ work. Against this background, this study provides an overview and systematization of citizens’ strategies to cope with

increasing disasters and climate change, presents critical insights on the positive and negative effects of such strategies, and discusses the relevance of taking them into account when formulating development policies and projects. The study shows that coping should not automatically be seen as being maladaptive. The success or failure of urban societies in building disaster resilience, and

moving beyond towards sustainable transformation, is not dependent on the effectiveness of single coping strategies, but the level of flexibility and inclusiveness of individuals’, households’ and communities’ coping systems (i.e. their combined set of used strategies). Supporting citizens to negotiate their needs and rights in order to increase the flexibility and inclusiveness of these systems, and make them more viable in today’s context, is thus crucial. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Climate change adaptation and development: transforming paradigms and practices
editor
Inderberg, Tor Håkon ; Eriksen, Siri H. ; O'Brien, Karen L. and Sygna, Linda
pages
54 - 82
publisher
Routledge
ISBN
9781138025981
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e28a57d5-cc4f-4809-a04e-ff5d3b88d4bf (old id 3628887)
alternative location
http://www.sponpress.com/books/details/9781138025981/
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:17:11
date last changed
2018-11-21 20:57:53
@inbook{e28a57d5-cc4f-4809-a04e-ff5d3b88d4bf,
  abstract     = {{People’s accumulated local capacity is increasingly recognized to be critical in enhancing disaster resilience and transformation. Nevertheless, citizens’ coping strategies are little known or<br/><br>
documented, and hardly considered in city authorities’ and aid organizations’ work. Against this background, this study provides an overview and systematization of citizens’ strategies to cope with<br/><br>
increasing disasters and climate change, presents critical insights on the positive and negative effects of such strategies, and discusses the relevance of taking them into account when formulating development policies and projects. The study shows that coping should not automatically be seen as being maladaptive. The success or failure of urban societies in building disaster resilience, and<br/><br>
moving beyond towards sustainable transformation, is not dependent on the effectiveness of single coping strategies, but the level of flexibility and inclusiveness of individuals’, households’ and communities’ coping systems (i.e. their combined set of used strategies). Supporting citizens to negotiate their needs and rights in order to increase the flexibility and inclusiveness of these systems, and make them more viable in today’s context, is thus crucial.}},
  author       = {{Wamsler, Christine and Brink, Ebba}},
  booktitle    = {{Climate change adaptation and development: transforming paradigms and practices}},
  editor       = {{Inderberg, Tor Håkon and Eriksen, Siri H. and O'Brien, Karen L. and Sygna, Linda}},
  isbn         = {{9781138025981}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{54--82}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  title        = {{Adaptive capacity : from coping to sustainable transformation}},
  url          = {{http://www.sponpress.com/books/details/9781138025981/}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}