Political Ecology of Climate Change Adaptation

The political ecology of climate change adaptation examines how adaptation processes are shaped by power relations, socio-economic inequalities and environmental governance at multiple scales. It foregrounds the contested nature of adaptation interventions, drawing attention to whose knowledge and whose livelihoods are prioritised. This perspective emphasises that adaptation is not a neutral technical exercise but a socio-political practice where resource access, institutional authority and historical legacies intersect. Research in this field highlights examples ranging from rural land-use schemes to urban flood defences and energy provision in marginalised communities. Key concerns include the potential for maladaptation—where well-intentioned measures reinforce vulnerability—and the role of resistance and local agency in subverting top-down initiatives. Scholars advocate for reflexive governance, participatory decision-making and plural epistemologies to ensure that adaptation pathways are equitable, context-sensitive and capable of transformative change. By linking micro-level struggles over resources with macro-level policy frameworks, political ecology offers critical insights into how adaptation can redress power imbalances rather than entrench them.

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Political Ecology of Climate Change Adaptation publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in political ecology of climate change adaptation across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Political ecology: An analytical framework that explores how environmental issues and resource management are influenced by power, politics and social inequalities.

Climate change adaptation: The process of adjustment in ecological, social or economic systems in response to actual or expected climate stimuli and their effects.

Vulnerability: The degree to which a system, community or individual is susceptible to, and unable to cope with, adverse climate impacts.

Resilience: The capacity of a system or society to absorb disturbances, reorganise and retain essential functions, structures and identities under changing conditions.

References

1. Weapons of the vulnerable? A review of popular resistance to climate adaptation. Global Environmental Change (2023).
2. Building climate resilience through energy access? An empirical study on grid connectivity in the Indian Sundarbans. Energy Research & Social Science (2024).
3. Adaptation interventions and their effect on vulnerability in developing countries: Help, hindrance or irrelevance?. World Development (2021).