Participatory processes build adaptive capacity and agency, and can help transform systems

Transformation in climate change adaptation is the opposite of today’s business as usual. It requires a reframing of the climate challenge to allow a shift from the existing largely technocratic and Northern knowledge base, to a fairer configuration of power relations that recognises the critical role of non-technocratic knowledge. Indeed, initiatives that can lead to transformation in climate change adaptation need to emphasise the reorientation of social norms and relations, as well as the reorganisation of climate governance structures. Inclusive, participatory processes that bring together diverse stakeholders – both in positions of power and dispossession – can help to integrate marginal voices into the mainstream, thereby shifting the adaptation narrative and research methods to new spaces of grounded solutions. In so doing, these processes can help build people’s agency and their adaptive and transformative capacities.

ASSAR’s focus on participatory processes

An overarching theme throughout ASSAR was the contested nature of what it means to be inclusive, participatory and transformative in advocating for climate change adaptation. As there are conflicting views on transformation and its normative nature, our research was mostly exploratory. We started by assessing the different uses and interpretations of transformation in climate change and development circles. We then implemented and researched different types of participatory processes that aimed to understand the potential for adaptation pathways and for transformation as a result of stakeholder engagement. In response to the shortcomings of techno-rational logic which ignores socio-political contexts at different scales, we particularly worked to understand the benefits of challenging unequal power relations through representative stakeholder participation, and its contribution to transformation. Trying to stay true to the spirit of transformation, we aimed to challenge our own values and be open to shifting the way we understood the climate change challenge, as opposed to imposing our own world view on others.

As ASSAR ended, it became increasingly apparent that any work on climate change needs to be framed with the need for transformation at its core. The scale and speed of change needed to avoid an irreversible climatic overshoot (going beyond 2°C of global warming) requires systemic and behavioural changes that could only reasonably be described as major departures from today’s mindsets and visions of a desirable future, namely, transformations. Universal principles of social and environmental justice, human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could serve as pillars of reference against which to consider the implication of possible transformations

Social and environmental justice in climate change adaptation requires deep shifts in power structures and social norms

The existing power imbalances in climate governance structures at local to global levels demonstrate that transforming power relations is an important element of attaining just and effective adaptation. Working with stakeholders – those in positions of power and in states of dispossession – can help rebalance these social inequalities.

New partnerships between research institutions and practitioners can positively impact policies and practice

Despite increasing recognition in the last decades of the root causes of climate change, the limited progress that has been achieved on the problem calls for new partnerships and new ways of acting. Collaborations between research and practitioner institutions that are based on equality and trust can deliver impactful results in climate action, and capture much interest from governments.

Inclusive, participatory processes generate valuable new knowledge that is critical for adaptation

Rather than state of the art innovation, more often than not what is needed in adaptation efforts is good, honest collaboration among a wide group of stakeholders. These collaborations flourish when the opportunity to co-create ideas and challenge our assumptions are genuinely offered. These processes can help shift the adaptation narrative and research methods to new spaces of grounded solutions.

A process that aims to be transformative requires a high level of commitment

It can be challenging to secure the commitment of influential and diverse stakeholders to participatory processes that aim to be transformative. However, making compromises at this stage can limit the potential of collaborations to challenge the status quo. A word of caution, though: the repercussions of transformations need to be carefully considered, as they are likely to produce winners and losers.

Click here for more detail, and ASSAR's specific recommendations for policy, practice, and research

 Daniel Morchain* (danielmorchain@gmail.com), Oxfam GB

 Teresa Perez (tpz031@googlemail.com), University of Cape Town