Climate change adaptation pathways: insights from case studies in South Africa, Canada and the Pacific Islands

Abstract

This chapter introduces three case studies of adaptation to climate variability and change presented at the 2010 Climate Adaptation Futures Conference held on the Gold Coast, Australia. The case studies are from different contexts: rural household adaptation to drought in South Africa; a vulnerability assessment of the absolute homeless in Canada; and community-based adaptation in the Pacific Islands. They were chosen with the intention of illuminating how similar barriers and opportunities exist despite different contexts, with the aim of providing insights into successful adaptation. Each case study focuses on the following three issues: (1) key findings for climate change adaptation; (2) barriers and/or challenges to adaptation; and (3) insights into successful adaptation. Based on these case studies, the chapter argues that successful adaptation to climate change is about adapting to multiple stressors and, in particular in these case studies, the management of a dominant stress, such as access to resources.