International workshop on social dimension of adaptation to climate change

Background and objective of the workshop

Even if world governments soon agree to adopt measures to stabilize GHG concentrations in the atmosphere by the end of the century, the projected residual increase in global warming will considerably alter climate worldwide. Adaptation is thus needed to respond optimally to the new challenging environment.

Adaptation will in part occur autonomously, with individuals and societies switching to new technologies and new practices, and in part will require the planning, coordination and funding of governments. In both cases individuals and society at large, including government, will need to adopt new technologies, planning tools, styles of life and behaviours. The success of adaptation will largely depend on the extent to which individuals and societies will be willing to accept change.

Cultural habits and customs together with a low capacity to learn and adopt new technologies may slow down adaptation, especially in more vulnerable developing countries. Rigidity and lack of far sighted approach at governmental level might reduce adaptation capacity, also in developed countries. Without social and cultural norms that embrace change and innovation adaptation will be slow and the transition to a new climate might be costly and in some cases disruptive.

The objective of this workshop is to consider theories, pilot studies and cases to increase our understanding of factors, barriers or drivers conditioning the social and behavioural dimension of adaptation to climate change.
 
Contents and topics of the workshop

Three main topics will be considered:
- The social and behavioural dimension as key factors to adapt to climate change;
- The flexibility of social systems in adapting to climate (institutional and social capability, multi stakeholder engagement, including governments, Ngos, the private sector, communities, and individuals.)
- The learning capacity as a means to overcome behavioural and social constraints to changing technologies (development and adoption of new technologies).

The workshop is structured around three main sessions, each composed by at most four papers in order to provide enough time for a in depth presentation of each participant’s research.