Changing the decision context to enable social learning for climate adaptation
1. Successful adaptation often involves changes to the decision context to enable new ways of thinking and acting on climate change. Using 16 adaptation initiatives the authors were engaged with, we analysed how and why decision contexts changed to identify ways to improve adaptation as a process of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
Wiley
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174432 |
| _version_ | 1855543307593056256 |
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| author | Colloff, M. J. Gorddard, R. Munera-Roldán, C. Locatelli, B. Lavorel, S. Allain, S. Bruley, E. Butler, J. R. A. Dubo, T. Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah González-García, A. Lécuyer, L. Lo, M. Loos, J. Palomo, I. Topp, E. Vallet, A. Walters, G. |
| author_browse | Allain, S. Bruley, E. Butler, J. R. A. Colloff, M. J. Dubo, T. Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah González-García, A. Gorddard, R. Lavorel, S. Lo, M. Locatelli, B. Loos, J. Lécuyer, L. Munera-Roldán, C. Palomo, I. Topp, E. Vallet, A. Walters, G. |
| author_facet | Colloff, M. J. Gorddard, R. Munera-Roldán, C. Locatelli, B. Lavorel, S. Allain, S. Bruley, E. Butler, J. R. A. Dubo, T. Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah González-García, A. Lécuyer, L. Lo, M. Loos, J. Palomo, I. Topp, E. Vallet, A. Walters, G. |
| author_sort | Colloff, M. J. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | 1. Successful adaptation often involves changes to the decision context to enable new ways of thinking and acting on climate change. Using 16 adaptation initiatives the authors were engaged with, we analysed how and why decision contexts changed to identify ways to improve adaptation as a process of collective deliberation and social learning.
2. We used the scope of the adaptation issue and governance arrangements to classify initiatives into four types and scored changes in the decision context using three frameworks: (1) the values, rules and knowledge (VRK) perspective to identify changes to adaptation decision-making; (2) the five dimensions of futures consciousness to identify the building of adaptation capabilities and (3) the social learning cycle to reveal evidence of reflexive learning.
3. Initiatives using novel governance arrangements for discrete problems (‘problem governance’) or complex, systemic issues (‘systems governance’) scored highest for influences of VRK, futures consciousness and the social learning cycle on the decision context. Initiatives using existing management for discrete problems (‘problem management’) scored moderately for change in the decision context, while those using existing management for systemic issues (‘systems management’) scored low because change was often impeded by existing rules.
4. All three frameworks influenced decision contexts in systems governance initiatives. Problem governance initiatives revealed interactions of VRK and futures consciousness but limited influence of VRK on the social learning cycle. Scope and governance arrangements differ with the adaptation issue and initiatives adapt over time: some small-scale ones became more systemic, developed novel governance arrangements and changed the decision context.
5. Our findings do not show that some adaptation initiatives are better or more transformative than others; just that their scope and appropriate governance arrangements are different. This questions the notion that successful adaptation requires building generic transformative adaptation approaches and capabilities. There is a diversity of arrangements that work. What is important is to align the approach to the adaptation problem. We suggest two directions for improving adaptation initiatives: first, by influencing how they can shift between problem and systems focus and between standard management and novel governance, and secondly, by using methods to diagnose and direct change in the decision context. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace174432 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| publisherStr | Wiley |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1744322025-12-08T09:54:28Z Changing the decision context to enable social learning for climate adaptation Colloff, M. J. Gorddard, R. Munera-Roldán, C. Locatelli, B. Lavorel, S. Allain, S. Bruley, E. Butler, J. R. A. Dubo, T. Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah González-García, A. Lécuyer, L. Lo, M. Loos, J. Palomo, I. Topp, E. Vallet, A. Walters, G. climate change adaptation social learning governance frameworks decision making socioecological systems 1. Successful adaptation often involves changes to the decision context to enable new ways of thinking and acting on climate change. Using 16 adaptation initiatives the authors were engaged with, we analysed how and why decision contexts changed to identify ways to improve adaptation as a process of collective deliberation and social learning. 2. We used the scope of the adaptation issue and governance arrangements to classify initiatives into four types and scored changes in the decision context using three frameworks: (1) the values, rules and knowledge (VRK) perspective to identify changes to adaptation decision-making; (2) the five dimensions of futures consciousness to identify the building of adaptation capabilities and (3) the social learning cycle to reveal evidence of reflexive learning. 3. Initiatives using novel governance arrangements for discrete problems (‘problem governance’) or complex, systemic issues (‘systems governance’) scored highest for influences of VRK, futures consciousness and the social learning cycle on the decision context. Initiatives using existing management for discrete problems (‘problem management’) scored moderately for change in the decision context, while those using existing management for systemic issues (‘systems management’) scored low because change was often impeded by existing rules. 4. All three frameworks influenced decision contexts in systems governance initiatives. Problem governance initiatives revealed interactions of VRK and futures consciousness but limited influence of VRK on the social learning cycle. Scope and governance arrangements differ with the adaptation issue and initiatives adapt over time: some small-scale ones became more systemic, developed novel governance arrangements and changed the decision context. 5. Our findings do not show that some adaptation initiatives are better or more transformative than others; just that their scope and appropriate governance arrangements are different. This questions the notion that successful adaptation requires building generic transformative adaptation approaches and capabilities. There is a diversity of arrangements that work. What is important is to align the approach to the adaptation problem. We suggest two directions for improving adaptation initiatives: first, by influencing how they can shift between problem and systems focus and between standard management and novel governance, and secondly, by using methods to diagnose and direct change in the decision context. 2025-06 2025-05-06T05:40:53Z 2025-05-06T05:40:53Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174432 en Open Access Wiley Colloff, M. J.; Gorddard, R.; Munera-Roldán, C.; Locatelli, B.; Lavorel, S.; Allain, S.; Bruley, E.; Butler, J. R. A.; Dubo, T.; Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah; González-García, A.; Lécuyer, L.; Lo, M.; Loos, J.; Palomo, I.; Topp, E.; Vallet, A.; Walters, G. 2025. Changing the decision context to enable social learning for climate adaptation. People and Nature, 7(6):1425-1442. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70043] |
| spellingShingle | climate change adaptation social learning governance frameworks decision making socioecological systems Colloff, M. J. Gorddard, R. Munera-Roldán, C. Locatelli, B. Lavorel, S. Allain, S. Bruley, E. Butler, J. R. A. Dubo, T. Enokenwa Baa, Ojongetakah González-García, A. Lécuyer, L. Lo, M. Loos, J. Palomo, I. Topp, E. Vallet, A. Walters, G. Changing the decision context to enable social learning for climate adaptation |
| title | Changing the decision context to enable social learning for climate adaptation |
| title_full | Changing the decision context to enable social learning for climate adaptation |
| title_fullStr | Changing the decision context to enable social learning for climate adaptation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changing the decision context to enable social learning for climate adaptation |
| title_short | Changing the decision context to enable social learning for climate adaptation |
| title_sort | changing the decision context to enable social learning for climate adaptation |
| topic | climate change adaptation social learning governance frameworks decision making socioecological systems |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174432 |
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