The roles of community resilience and risk appraisal in climate change adaptation: the experience of the Kannagi Nagar resettlement in Chennai

Abstract

This study sheds light on the effects of community resilience and risk appraisal on climate change adaptation behaviour within the context of the resettlement site of Kannagi Nagar in Chennai, India. The residents of Kannagi Nagar, built on flood-prone marshlands, are exposed to the risks of flooding and water scarcity. Data were collected at the household level through a questionnaire and interviews to investigate activities contributing to community resilience, their interrelatedness, and the influence of community resilience and risk appraisal on household adaptation behaviour. Findings show that community resilience – assessed using the five core dimensions of trust, place attachment, collective efficacy, social networks and social support – significantly and positively influences adaptation actions. This implies that only when the inhabitants of Kannagi Nagar are supported by their social networks and have confidence in their community’s capabilities, can greater risk awareness increase the number of adaptation measures taken.