Sustainable adaptation under adverse development? - Climate Change Adaptation and Development: Transforming Paradigms and Practices - page 193

A B

Political, economic, and
social change

Climate, and environmental
change

Climate change

Negotiation
of goals,
interests and
values

National and
international
policy actors

Households,
individuals, and
groups

Policy intervention

NGOs,
businesses, and
other actors

Adaptation
as adjustments in technology,
management, and governance
systems

Diverse decisions and actions that affect
adaptation (include livelihood strategies,
investments, service provision, infrastructure
development, development interventions,
and formal adaptation projects)

Development outcomes:
• Consumption
• Em i ssion s
• Equity
• Vulnerability
• Social conditions

Climate outcomes:
• Reduced emissions
• Reduced vulnerability

• Equity

Figure 10.2 The conceptualizations of adaptation used in a) 'development as usual'
and b) sustainable development pathways

development goals are made overt and explicit, as indicated in Figure 10.2b . In
a 'development as usual' conceptualization of the adaptation process, adaptation
and mitigation actions lead to climate outcomes, that in turn influence rates of
climate change and formal policy responses required. A sustainable adaptation
conceptualization recognizes that development outcomes more broadly
influence political, economic and social change in addition to climate and
environmental change, forming part of a dynamic societal context. Adaptation is
hence understood as a broader societal process. In contrast, the 'development as
usual' conceptualization of adaptation leaves out many elements that are critical
for achieving more sustainable development pathways.
Yet, simply acknowledging the political nature of development and adaptation
is not enough. It is also necessary to acknowledge that the current 'development
as usual' pathway, based on perpetual economic growth and unlimited use of
resource and energy throughput (Beddoe et al. 2009), acts to alter environmental
processes at the systemic level and threatens the entire global socio-ecological
system (Westley et al. 2011; Steffen et al. 2011). The case of Afar shows how
processes related to a modernization-related development pathway generate
vulnerability and inequity (principles 1 to 3), in turn also related to global
development pathways (principle 4). What is required, therefore, is a model of
development as a societal transformation driven by common goals negotiated
among broad interests (Beddoe et al. 2009; O'Brien and Sygna 2013). A major
question is nevertheless how and to what extent common societal sustainability
goals can be achieved (Shove and Walker 2007; Manuel-Navarrete 2010).