Transcript The Role of Social Capital in Adaptation to Climate Change

Social Capital, Adaptation, and
Climate Change
Arun Agrawal
Nicolas Perrin
Why focus on social Capital
• Plans vs. Surprises: to build resilience in the
face of climate surprises. Drawing from basic
ecological theory
– social capital boosts autonomous and flexible
adaptive responses
– Attention to multiple actors increases system
functional diversity
– Actions by multiple actors increases system
response diversity
Why focus on social capital?
• Hard vs. Soft: Social capital critical to soft
adaptation responses
– typically less costly,
– more comprehensive;
– requires local buy-in
Forms of social capital and their role in
development
--Ties and networks
(Bonding/Bridging)
--Institutions and Organizations
(Inclusive/Exclusionary)
Forms of social capital and their role in
development
Ties and networks
(Bonding/Bridging)
Forms of social capital and their role in
development
Institutions and Organizations
(Inclusive/Exclusionary)
Forms of Adaptation
Social Capital
Relevant to
facilitating
Social Capital
Relevant to
generating
Planned
Autonomous
Anticipatory
Development of
new technologies
Agricultural/
occupational
diversification
Reactive
Disaster relief
Post-disaster
migration
Forms of autonomous adaptation
Different risks correlate with different forms of autonomous adaptation
Risks across space
Mobility
Risks over time
Storage
Risks across asset classes
Diversification
Risks across households
Communal Pooling
Market Exchange
Forms of social capital and their
role in development
Spatial Distribution: Local vs Dispersed
Impact of different combinations of
social capital on ability to adapt
Types of
Risks/Adaptation
Mobility
Storage/
Pooling/
Diversification
Market Exchange
High
Medium
High
Medium
Low
Medium
Local ties,
inclusive instns.
Low
High
Medium
Local ties,
exclusionary instns.
Low
Medium
Low
Types of Social
Capital
Dispersed ties,
inclusive instns.
Dispersed ties,
exclusionary instns.
Two examples
Ruralurban
migrants
Small farmers
threatened by
climate change
Conclusion: Social Capital,
Adaptation, and Adaptive Policies
• Adaptive Policies
–Interactive decision-making and learning
–In-built adjustment mechanisms
– Autonomous responses
–Encourage self-organization and networks
–Include review mechanisms
–Promote diversity rather than consistency