Developing an Instrument to Measure Autonomous Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change among Urban Households

Abstract

The capacity of households in urban environments to adapt and react to climate change can affect the resilience of the whole community, and instruments for systematically measuring that capacity are needed. We used Raleigh, NC as a case study to explore the dimensions of autonomous adaptive capacity of urban households and to create a scale and associated survey instrument to measure them. Our approach was guided by four capitals that support human livelihoods: social, human, physical, and financial. We surveyed 200 households in Raleigh, NC, and used a principal components analysis to test the scale and survey instrument. Results suggest the scale is a useful and concise tool. Three major dimensions were present among the scale items: financial capital, political awareness, and access to resources. Together, these three dimensions can be used to measure adaptive capacity among different households. These findings are supported by similar work illustrating the value of income inequality and political awareness as indicators of adaptive capacity. Our results also demonstrate that complex relationships among the livelihood capitals may confound our ability to measure financial, physical, and human capitals separately. This framework for assessing adaptive capacity of households, with further refinement and testing, may be used in urban areas to evaluate programs designed to impact resilience to climate change.

Understanding transformative capacity to boost urban climate adaptation: A Semi-Systematic Literature Review

“…Recent debates on climate change have shifted the focus from mitigation actions towards climate adaptation strategies due to the wide-ranging recognition that a certain degree of climate change is now unavoidable (International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2021 ). In this context, urban areas have been acknowledged as leaders in increasing climate change and addressing their subsequent challenges (Romero-Lankao 2012 ; Reckien et al 2015 ; Selm et al 2018 ; Ellena et al 2020 ). Facing the inevitable changes produced by past actions, climate adaptation has been central to urban planning (Romero-Lankao 2012 ; Lorencová et al 2018 ).…”

Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation of Households in U-Tapao River Sub-Basin, Thailand

“…Second, the impact of climate change, particularly drought and flooding, has had an effect on both urban systems and household livelihoods. It can, for example, cause significant damage to homes and possessions as well as communications disruption [10,11]. Flooding is especially dangerous in urban areas, densely populated areas, and areas with aging infrastructure [12].…”

“…Previous studies examined climate change adaptation using a variety of methodologies. Selm et al [11], Somboonsuke et al [17], Lin et al [18], and Harvey et al [19] used quantitative methods to survey household and farmer perceptions and impacts. Other researchers have used qualitative techniques such as in-depth interviews and focus groups, including Aniah et al [2], Tahiru et al [6], Lehmann et al [20], Birchall and Bonnett [21], and Artur and Hilhorst [22].…”