Building adaptive capacity in a coastal region experiencing global change
Coastal ecosystems in the eastern U.S. have been severely altered by human development, and climate change and other stressors are now further degrading the capacity of those ecological and social systems to remain resilient in the face of such disturbances. We sought to identify potential ways in w...
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Resilience Alliance
2020
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oai:doaj.org-article:32868fb9315e4112826166f294637d7f2021-12-02T14:14:41ZBuilding adaptive capacity in a coastal region experiencing global change1708-308710.5751/ES-11700-250309https://doaj.org/article/32868fb9315e4112826166f294637d7f2020-09-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol25/iss3/art9/https://doaj.org/toc/1708-3087Coastal ecosystems in the eastern U.S. have been severely altered by human development, and climate change and other stressors are now further degrading the capacity of those ecological and social systems to remain resilient in the face of such disturbances. We sought to identify potential ways in which local conservation interests in the Lowcountry of South Carolina (USA) could participate in a social process of adaptation planning, and how that process might ultimately be broadened to engage a more diverse set of partners. We engaged participants through a combination of informal meetings, workshops, and other collaborative interactions to explore how the conservation community perceives and pursues its various missions, and how that community might confront the threats and opportunities in its future. Coproduction of knowledge and meaning were facilitated by collaborative scenario planning and strategic planning evaluation, which illuminated how the conservation community is integral to the broader governance of the region and highlighted how responses to forces of change are mediated through local culture, economics, and politics. We suggest an interpretation of conservation in which the fundamental objectives of both social and ecological systems might be prioritized in tandem, rather than narrowly focusing on environmental protection without consideration of the social landscape. Ultimately, adaptive capacity depends on the ability to act collectively, and social capital, trust, and organization greatly influence the capacity to act. Thus, we conclude that the presence of strong social networks, coordination and deliberation among diverse stakeholders, mechanisms for experiential feedback, and emphasis on social learning are key elements needed to build adaptive capacity. Central to the evolving perspective of governance of the commons is recognition that social and ecological systems are coupled; the issues and problems of one cannot be addressed without considering the consequences for the other. Moreover, a dominant theme emerging from our research and that of other scholars is the importance of culture and place attachment, which generates social cohesion and facilitates problem solving. These ideas have important implications for when, where, and how stakeholders are engaged to address the rapid changes being experienced by social-ecological systems.Fred A. JohnsonMitchell J. EatonJessica Mikels-CarrascoDavid CaseResilience Alliancearticleadaptive capacityclimate changecoproductionculturepanarchyscenario planningswot analysiswicked problemsBiology (General)QH301-705.5EcologyQH540-549.5ENEcology and Society, Vol 25, Iss 3, p 9 (2020) |
| institution |
DOAJ |
| collection |
DOAJ |
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EN |
| topic |
adaptive capacity climate change coproduction culture panarchy scenario planning swot analysis wicked problems Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5 |
| spellingShingle |
adaptive capacity climate change coproduction culture panarchy scenario planning swot analysis wicked problems Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5 Fred A. Johnson Mitchell J. Eaton Jessica Mikels-Carrasco David Case Building adaptive capacity in a coastal region experiencing global change |
| description |
Coastal ecosystems in the eastern U.S. have been severely altered by human development, and climate change and other stressors are now further degrading the capacity of those ecological and social systems to remain resilient in the face of such disturbances. We sought to identify potential ways in which local conservation interests in the Lowcountry of South Carolina (USA) could participate in a social process of adaptation planning, and how that process might ultimately be broadened to engage a more diverse set of partners. We engaged participants through a combination of informal meetings, workshops, and other collaborative interactions to explore how the conservation community perceives and pursues its various missions, and how that community might confront the threats and opportunities in its future. Coproduction of knowledge and meaning were facilitated by collaborative scenario planning and strategic planning evaluation, which illuminated how the conservation community is integral to the broader governance of the region and highlighted how responses to forces of change are mediated through local culture, economics, and politics. We suggest an interpretation of conservation in which the fundamental objectives of both social and ecological systems might be prioritized in tandem, rather than narrowly focusing on environmental protection without consideration of the social landscape. Ultimately, adaptive capacity depends on the ability to act collectively, and social capital, trust, and organization greatly influence the capacity to act. Thus, we conclude that the presence of strong social networks, coordination and deliberation among diverse stakeholders, mechanisms for experiential feedback, and emphasis on social learning are key elements needed to build adaptive capacity. Central to the evolving perspective of governance of the commons is recognition that social and ecological systems are coupled; the issues and problems of one cannot be addressed without considering the consequences for the other. Moreover, a dominant theme emerging from our research and that of other scholars is the importance of culture and place attachment, which generates social cohesion and facilitates problem solving. These ideas have important implications for when, where, and how stakeholders are engaged to address the rapid changes being experienced by social-ecological systems. |
| format |
article |
| author |
Fred A. Johnson Mitchell J. Eaton Jessica Mikels-Carrasco David Case |
| author_facet |
Fred A. Johnson Mitchell J. Eaton Jessica Mikels-Carrasco David Case |
| author_sort |
Fred A. Johnson |
| title |
Building adaptive capacity in a coastal region experiencing global change |
| title_short |
Building adaptive capacity in a coastal region experiencing global change |
| title_full |
Building adaptive capacity in a coastal region experiencing global change |
| title_fullStr |
Building adaptive capacity in a coastal region experiencing global change |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Building adaptive capacity in a coastal region experiencing global change |
| title_sort |
building adaptive capacity in a coastal region experiencing global change |
| publisher |
Resilience Alliance |
| publishDate |
2020 |
| url |
https://doaj.org/article/32868fb9315e4112826166f294637d7f |
| work_keys_str_mv |
AT fredajohnson buildingadaptivecapacityinacoastalregionexperiencingglobalchange AT mitchelljeaton buildingadaptivecapacityinacoastalregionexperiencingglobalchange AT jessicamikelscarrasco buildingadaptivecapacityinacoastalregionexperiencingglobalchange AT davidcase buildingadaptivecapacityinacoastalregionexperiencingglobalchange |
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