Journal article
Community-based adaptation research in the Canadian Arctic
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, Vol.7(2), pp.175-191
2016
Abstract
Community-based adaptation (CBA) has emerged over the last decade as an approach to empowering communities to plan for and cope with the impacts of climate change. While such approaches have been widely advocated, few have critically examined the tensions and challenges that CBA brings. Responding to this gap, this article critically examines the use of CBA approaches with Inuit communities in Canada. We suggest that CBA holds significant promise to make adaptation research more democratic and responsive to local needs, providing a basis for developing locally appropriate adaptations based on local/indigenous and Western knowledge. Yet, we argue that CBA is not a panacea, and its common portrayal as such obscures its limitations, nuances, and challenges. Indeed,if uncritically adopted, CBA can potentially lead to maladaptation, may be inappropriate in some instances, can legitimize outside intervention and control, and may further marginalize communities. We identify responsibilities for researchers engaging in CBA work to manage these challenges, emphasizing the centrality of how knowledge is generated, the need for project flexibility and openness to change, and the importance of ensuring partnerships between researchers and communities are transparent. Researchers also need to be realistic about what CBA can achieve, and should not assume that research has a positive role to play in community adaptation just because it utilizes participatory approaches.
Details
- Title
- Community-based adaptation research in the Canadian Arctic
- Authors
- James D Ford (Author) - McGill University, CanadaEllie Stephenson (Author) - McGill University, CanadaAshlee Cunsolo Willox (Author) - Cape Breton University, CanadaVictoria Edge (Author) - University of Guelph, CanadaKhosrow Farahbakhsh (Author) - University of Guelph, CanadaChristopher Furgal (Author) - Trent University, CanadaSherilee Harper (Author) - Trent University, CanadaSusan Chatwood (Author) - Institute for Circumpolar Health Research, CanadaIan Mauro (Author) - University of Winnipeg, CanadaTristan Pearce (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts, Business and LawStephanie Austin (Author) - McGill University, CanadaAnna Bunce (Author) - McGill University, CanadaAlejandra Bussalleu (Author) - Cayatano Heredia University, PeruJahir Diaz (Author) - Cayatano Heredia University, PeruKaitlyn Finner (Author) - McGill University, CanadaAlan Gordon (Author) - University of Guelph, CanadaCatherine Huet (Author) - McGill University, CanadaKnut Kitching (Author) - McGill University, CanadaMarie-Pierre Lardeau (Author) - McGill University, CanadaGraham McDowell (Author) - McGill University, CanadaEllen McDonald (Author) - Trent University, CanadaLesya Nakoneczny (Author) - McGill University, CanadaMya Sherman (Author) - McGill University, Canada
- Publication details
- Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, Vol.7(2), pp.175-191
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons Inc.
- Date published
- 2016
- DOI
- 10.1002/wcc.376
- ISSN
- 1757-7780
- Copyright note
- Copyright © 2015 The Authors. WIREs Climate Change published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Sustainability Research Cluster
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99449252502621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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