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increased emissions from travel will be counterproductive to the higher adaptive
capacity to respond to climate change effects gained by livelihood diversification.
Especially problematic is the situation when the negative spinoffs are not
immediately apparent or simple to remedy, or where significant positive and
negative effects emerge from the same phenomenon. The various steps in the
value chain need to be evaluated separately to make such pitfalls visible (Román
and Hoffmaister 2012).
Efforts at adapting to climate change, whether they are internally-,
government- or CBO/NGO-driven, will benefit from identifying and utilizing
existing social structures, local organizations and initiatives. SHGs that are
based on existing groups, including informal ones, have been found to be more
successful than those created specifically for a new scheme (Omorodion 2007).
The ICT case shows that commercial farmers already successfully use cellphones
to convey information on the spread of wildfires. New social media may also be
required to promote positive spinoffs such as forums for information exchange
and communication that include smallholders. In programmes that encourage
vulnerable groups to pursue wage-earning activities or engage with decision-
makers and a broader circle of community members, socio-economic features
like SHGs, forums and networks can be important as spinoff capitalization
spaces. Infrastructural features can also be important, such as the construction
of new roads that could link tourists with formerly remote dwellers. Research
on inclusive innovation in East Africa (e.g. Kjellqvist et al. 2013) showed that
comparatively slow and locally based changes are best suited in development
contexts, as poor households are usually restricted to joining slower stepwise
processes. A local market for tourism and organic food, as in the livelihood case,
illustrates such a process where poorer households are being integrated through
a gradual, small-scale approach.
As climate change progressively impacts on various aspects of society, a
mind-shift is needed among planners, politicians and development workers.
Open-mindedness, creative thinking and flexibility (O'Brien 2012) are required
to recognize social innovations and take advantage of them in the short as well
as long term. This will entail devising and promoting adaptation measures for
dealing not only with current climate variability but also probable future climates.
Development workers should reflect on how climate change will impact on
their region, and they need to understand adaptation as much more than merely
reacting to negative conditions. An important starting point is to acknowledge
that communities and households, and especially poor ones, are not passive
but rather highly dynamic and adaptive. Recognition should also be given to
the many socio-economic and technological spinoffs that already exist and are
being used in local communities, although perhaps not in all households and
not necessarily specifically for climate adaptation. It is important to recognize
and analyse existing and emerging spinoffs to determine how to best support
or introduce them in climate adaptation activities in low-income households.
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