Climate Change and development - Climate Change Adaptation and Development: Transforming Paradigms and Practices - page 274

This broader view of adaptation does not mean that technical measures are
unnecessary or unimportant. Drought-resistant seeds, flood barriers, early
warning systems, water harvesting, malaria control, drip irrigation and other
such responses will remain critical to the lives and livelihoods of millions.
Nonetheless, such measures are not sufficient for dealing with vulnerability in
a world where development processes themselves often contribute to inequities
and reduce response options, all the while moving the world along a trajectory
towards dangerous climate change. The current high-risk situation means that
it is time to consider how adaptation, mitigation and development can, together,
contribute to shared outcomes that are equitable, ethical and sustainable.
In this concluding chapter, we consider what it means to transform paradigms
and practices so as to enhance social equity, resilience and environmental integrity
in the face of climate change. Synthesizing some key findings about adaptation
from the chapters, we present a framework or 'roadmap' that can be used to
navigate what Pelling (2011) refers to as 'adaptation as transformation'. We begin
by discussing why transformative responses to adaptation and development
are necessary. Focusing on three interacting spheres of transformation, we
describe entry points for adaptations that reduce vulnerability and contribute
to outcomes for global sustainability, of which social equity, resilience and
environmental integrity can be considered key components. Finally, we offer
some recommendations relevant to those working in bilateral and multilateral
aid organizations, in governments and in research, all of whom can potentially
play key roles in promoting the transformation of paradigms and practices in
support of global sustainability.
transformative responses
Sustainable development is a challenging social goal in a world where planetary
boundaries are being crossed, and where thresholds and tipping points threaten
the stability of important Earth system processes (Lenton et al. 2008; Rockström
et al. 2009). A new language of the Anthropocene is being developed to describe
an era where human development pathways have had, and will continue to have,
considerable influence on the conditions under which humanity may or may not
thrive (Steffen, Rockström and Costanza 2011). Science has increasingly shown
that the future climate will depend on the types of development pathways that
are pursued (IPCC 2013, 2014a, 2014b). Within this context, climate-resilient
pathways are defined as sustainable development trajectories that combine
adaptation and mitigation to reduce climate change and its impacts (Denton
et al. 2014). These are seen as iterative and evolving processes for managing
change within complex systems. Importantly, they draw attention to the need
for transformative responses, rather than merely continuation of 'business as
usual' (ibid.). Thus, adaptation becomes part of a larger process that includes
transforming development paradigms and practices alike to achieve global
sustainability.