Supporting transformative climate adaptation: community-level capacity building and knowledge co-creation in South Africa

69Citations
Citations of this article
349Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

This article is free to access.

Abstract

Calls for transformative adaptation to climate change require attention to the type of capacity building that can support it. Community-level capacity building can help to ensure ownership and legitimacy of longer-term interventions. Given that marginalized communities are highly vulnerable to climate risk, it is important to build their capacity to adapt locally and to integrate their perspectives into higher-level adaptation measures. Current adaptation policy does not pay sufficient attention to this. Using a Cape Town-based project on water governance in low-income urban settlements, this paper explores how a transdisciplinary research project supported capacity building. Our findings suggest that knowledge co-creation at the community level is central to the capacity building that is needed in order to inform transformative adaptation. The collaborative methodology used is also important; we illustrate how a transdisciplinary approach can contribute to transformative adaptation where knowledge is co-produced to empower community-level actors and organizations to assert their perspectives with greater confidence and legitimacy. We argue that if capacity building processes shift from the top-down transferal of existing knowledge to the co-creation of contextual understandings, they have the potential to deliver more transformative adaptation. By considering diverse sources of knowledge and knowledge systems, capacity building can start to confront inequalities and shift dominant power dynamics. Adaptation policy could provide more guidance and support for community-level transdisciplinary processes that can enable this type of transformative adaptation. Key policy insights To address equity and justice issues as well as climate risk, adaptation policy needs to better support transformative adaptation. Community-level capacity building, called for by developing countries, will benefit from more attention to bottom-up approaches as a complement to top-down ones. Community-led research that draws on a diversity of knowledge systems can effectively inform the development of transformative adaptation interventions. Transdisciplinary research methods present a promising pedagogical approach to building transformative adaptation capacity. Adaptation policy for capacity building would benefit from a broader understanding of governance that includes local participation and values bottom-up contributions. A priority for capacity building is getting previously excluded actors a spot at the negotiating table as well as skills to substantiate their arguments.

References Powered by Scopus

Adaptive governance of social-ecological systems

3877Citations
5488Readers
Get full text
1940Citations
4663Readers

This article is free to access.

Cited by Powered by Scopus

32Citations
176Readers

Co-Creation for Sustainability: The UN SDGs and the Power of Local Partnership

31Citations
110Readers
Get full text
21Citations
123Readers

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Ziervogel, G., Enqvist, J., Metelerkamp, L., & van Breda, J. (2022). Supporting transformative climate adaptation: community-level capacity building and knowledge co-creation in South Africa. Climate Policy, 22(5), 607–622. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2020.1863180

Readers over time

‘20‘21‘22‘23‘24‘250306090120

Readers' Seniority

Tooltip

PhD / Post grad / Masters / Doc 92

55%

Researcher 37

22%

Lecturer / Post doc 26

15%

Professor / Associate Prof. 13

8%

Readers' Discipline

Tooltip

Social Sciences 54

45%

Environmental Science 40

33%

Earth and Planetary Sciences 13

11%

Agricultural and Biological Sciences 13

11%

Article Metrics

Tooltip
Mentions
Blog Mentions: 1
News Mentions: 3
Social Media
Shares, Likes & Comments: 2

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free
0