Building Resilience to Climate Change: Exploring the Contribution of Community-Based Adaptation Projects to Local Resilience in Bolivia

Janyskova, Lenka

4. term

Development and International Relations, Master

2019

75

Resiliens—samfunds og økosystemers evne til at klare forandringer og chok uden at bryde sammen—peges ofte ud som nøglen til bæredygtighed og indarbejdes i mange klimatilpasningsprojekter. Alligevel ved vi lidt om, hvordan resiliens anvendes i udviklingsprojekter, og om det faktisk styrker lokale systemer. Denne afhandling undersøger seks fællesskabsbaserede klimatilpasningsprojekter i Bolivia (2008–2012), finansieret af Den Globale Miljøfacilitet (GEF). På baggrund af projektdokumenter anvender jeg et tværsnitssammenlignende design og indholdsanalyse for at identificere, hvilke udbredte resiliensprincipper der er til stede. Analysen bygger på resiliens-tænkning og litteraturen om fællesskabsbaseret klimatilpasning. Resultaterne viser, at projekterne kan styrke resiliensen i de lokale social-økologiske systemer ved at 1) fremme mangfoldighed og redundans i viden, forvaltning og leveveje, 2) styrke samspil i og mellem sociale og økologiske domæner, 3) fremme en helhedsforståelse, der accepterer usikkerhed og omsættes til mere bæredygtig naturressourceforvaltning, 4) engagere mennesker og opbygge kapacitet til at tilpasse sig, forandre og handle, og 5) støtte selvorganisering. Ikke alle principper gik igen i alle projekter. To projekter, Alto Seco og Saipina, afspejlede alle principper og har derfor størst potentiale for at øge resiliensen ved at adressere både økologiske og sociale processer mere helhedsorienteret. I fire andre lokaliteter kan fraværet af polycentrisk styring—flere overlappende beslutningscentre, der muliggør kollektiv handling—begrænse resiliensen ved at svække samarbejde og selvorganisering. Projekterne i Carabuco og Moro Moro manglede desuden kompleks adaptiv tænkning, hvilket kan betyde, at omgivelserne ses mere mekanisk end som et komplekst, uforudsigeligt system, og det kan undergrave resiliensen. For at klimatilpasningsprojekter kan have positive effekter, bør flere betingelser være opfyldt: alle aktører og videnssystemer skal behandles ligeværdigt uden at påtvinge ekstern viden; magtforhold skal adresseres; klimaændringer og menneskelig tilpasning skal gøres forståelige; målene med aktiviteterne skal være klare; og naturressourcer skal forvaltes helhedsorienteret. Jeg anbefaler at undersøge, hvordan resiliensprincipper kan indarbejdes i vurderinger af tilpasningsprojekter, da de kan skabe bedre forståelse af de komplekse relationer mellem lokalsamfund og deres miljø under øget klimavariabilitet.

Resilience—the ability of communities and ecosystems to cope with change and shocks without losing their core functions—is widely seen as key to sustainability and is built into many climate adaptation projects. Yet we know little about how resilience is actually applied in development projects and whether it strengthens local systems. This thesis examines six community-based adaptation projects in Bolivia (2008–2012) funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Using project documents, a cross-sectional comparative design, and content analysis, I looked for the presence of widely used resilience principles, drawing on resilience thinking and the literature on community-based adaptation. Findings show that the projects can enhance the resilience of local social-ecological systems by 1) promoting diversity and redundancy across knowledge, management practices, and livelihoods; 2) strengthening interactions within and between social and ecological domains; 3) encouraging a holistic view that accepts uncertainty and translates into more sustainable natural resource management; 4) engaging people and building their capacity to adapt, transform, and take action; and 5) supporting self-organization. However, not all principles appeared in every project. Two projects, Alto Seco and Saipina, reflected aspects of all principles and therefore show the strongest potential to increase resilience by holistically addressing both ecological and social processes. In four other sites, the absence of polycentricity—multiple, overlapping centers of decision-making that enable collective action—may limit resilience by weakening cooperation and self-organization. Projects in Carabuco and Moro Moro also lacked complex adaptive thinking, meaning communities may view their environment in mechanistic terms rather than as a complex, unpredictable system, which can undermine resilience. For adaptation projects to have positive effects, several conditions should be met: treat all actors and knowledge systems with equal respect rather than imposing external expertise; address power relations; make climate change and adaptation understandable; clarify the goals and purposes of activities; and manage natural resources holistically. I recommend exploring how to embed resilience principles into project assessments, as they help make sense of the complex relationships between communities and their environments amid increasing climatic variability.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]

resilience ; community-based adaptation ; climate change ; Bolivia

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