Introduction: understanding adaptation in the context of social theory

Abstract

The past two decades have witnessed significant evolution of the adaptation research enterprise (Preston et al. 2013; Preston et al. 2015). This is evidenced by the expanded treatment of adaptation in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (IPCC 2014), a development that was enabled by rapid growth in the volume of adaptation literature following the Fourth Assessment Report (IPCC 2009). A similar expansion of adaptation has also been witnessed in adaptation policy and practice. Although once viewed as a taboo topic (Pielke Jr 1998; Pielke et al. 2007), adaptation is now being institutionalized at a range of geopolitical scales. Adaptation, and particularly adaptation finance, is a major subject of debate within international negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and various funding mechanisms have been developed to support adaptation in developing nations (Grasso 2009; Hulme et al. 2011; Petherick 2012; Schipper and Burton 2009). National governments of developed nations have also initiated strategic thinking regarding adaptation as represented by the

Place-Based Adaptation through Network Governance

“…Despite the increasing use of the term 'transformation', Mustelin and Handmer [33] observe that the concept remains somewhat vague regarding the extent of transformation, such as its level, scale, and speed. Keskitalo and Preston [34] also support this point, emphasizing the need for a clear roadmap of CCA measures that can be delivered. Therefore, we explore what conventional gover-nance modes operate current CCA, as well as the new governance arrangements that have emerged, to examine what works on the ground through case studies.…”