“Climate change is the least of my worries”: stress limitations on adaptive capacity

Abstract

The wine industry in southern Australia faces potential threats from climate change. This article examines how grape growers in this region perceive and prioritize climate change adaptation as an issue for their industry. Analysis of a survey of 50 growers reveals themes contributing to stress and worry overshadow planning for climate change. Growers are constrained by current economic, social and environmental stresses, not climate change. We relate these findings and the literature on stress to the adaptive capacity and general wellbeing of individual farmers. Projected future climate change means stress in the farming community is likely to worsen and practitioners working with farmers need to recognize the complex causes of stress, in addition to the practical need to facilitate climate change adaptation. A useful approach is to understand both the types and causes of stress, and the way individuals cope.

Enhancing adaptation outcomes for transformation: climate change in the Australian wine industry

“…In some cases, access to financial resources and health factors can be related, as a lack of financial capital can lead to increased levels of stress and reduced mental health status (Berry, Bowen, Kjellstrom, 2010;Hogan et al, 2011). One consequence of stress conditions is a focus on decisions aimed at managing for the short-term horizon (Fleming et al, 2015;Hogan et al, 2011). This contrasts to the longer-term perspective required for considering decisions undertaking adaptation actions of a transformative nature.…”

“…The on-going levels of concern experienced by growers in the wine industry may impact their capacity to make long-term plans and engage a successor for the future, as well as maintain a positive perspective of their work, trust in others and effectively address key issues of concern (see also Bryant & Garnham, 2013, for a discussion of the issues concerning growers). Financial difficulties are a constraint to transformation, but they can also contribute to other social factors such as stress, anxiety and depression, which may constrain an individual's ability to consider larger scale change and make decisions (Fleming, Dowd, Gaillard, Park, & Howden, 2015;Hogan, Berry, Ng, & Bode, 2011).…”

Visualization for supporting individual climate change adaptation planning: Assessment of a web-based tool

“…However, individual socio-cognitive aspects in the form of perceived exposure to climate-related risks as well as perceived ability and willingness to manage these risks also influence people's adaptation capacity because they are closely linked to their action space (Grothmann & Patt, 2005). Together with the structural aspects, socio-cognitive constraints embody individuals' adaptive capacity, which is an important precondition for adaptive action (Fleming, Dowd, Gillard, Park, & Howden, 2015).…”

Localizing Climate Change: Nordic Homeowners’ Interpretations of Visual Representations for Climate Adaptation

“…In previous studies, climate visualization has for example been applied as means to envision complex changes to assess how to make them understandable and relevant for non-experts on the local level (e.g. Fleming et al, 2015;Sheppard 2015;Burch et al, 2010;Shaw et al, 2009), With references made to such research, we have argued elsewhere for the importance of framing climate change "as a phenomenon personally relevant to the target audience" and of the significance that "communication on risks and impacts resonates with local practices, values, concerns, and previous experiences" (Glaas et al, 2017:3). Meanwhile, it is similarly important to recognize that proximizing climate change in time and space is far from a panacea for climate change communication.…”