Are there social limits to adaptation to climate change?

被引:1360
|
作者
Adger, W. Neil [1 ]
Dessai, Suraje [4 ]
Goulden, Marisa [5 ]
Hulme, Mike [1 ]
Lorenzoni, Irene [1 ]
Nelson, Donald R. [2 ]
Naess, Lars Otto [1 ]
Wolf, Johanna [1 ]
Wreford, Anita [3 ]
机构
[1] Univ E Anglia, Sch Environm Sci, Tyndall Ctr Climate Change Res, Norwich NR4 7TJ, Norfolk, England
[2] Univ Georgia, Dept Anthropol, Athens, GA 30602 USA
[3] Scottish Agr Coll, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
[4] Univ Exeter, Dept Geog, Exeter EX4 4RJ, Devon, England
[5] Univ E Anglia, Sch Dev Studies, Tyndall Ctr Climate Change Res, Norwich NR4 7TJ, Norfolk, England
基金
英国工程与自然科学研究理事会;
关键词
ADAPTIVE CAPACITY; CHANGE IMPACTS; RESILIENCE; VULNERABILITY; PERCEPTION; STRATEGIES; ECONOMICS; SYSTEMS; FUTURE; VALUES;
D O I
10.1007/s10584-008-9520-z
中图分类号
X [环境科学、安全科学];
学科分类号
08 ; 0830 ;
摘要
While there is a recognised need to adapt to changing climatic conditions, there is an emerging discourse of limits to such adaptation. Limits are traditionally analysed as a set of immutable thresholds in biological, economic or technological parameters. This paper contends that limits to adaptation are endogenous to society and hence contingent on ethics, knowledge, attitudes to risk and culture. We review insights from history, sociology and psychology of risk, economics and political science to develop four propositions concerning limits to adaptation. First, any limits to adaptation depend on the ultimate goals of adaptation underpinned by diverse values. Second, adaptation need not be limited by uncertainty around future foresight of risk. Third, social and individual factors limit adaptation action. Fourth, systematic undervaluation of loss of places and culture disguises real, experienced but subjective limits to adaptation. We conclude that these issues of values and ethics, risk, knowledge and culture construct societal limits to adaptation, but that these limits are mutable.
引用
收藏
页码:335 / 354
页数:20
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