Societal barriers and drivers for climate adaptation

The aim of SFI Klima 2050 is to reduce the societal risks regarding climate change, increasing precipitation and floodwater exposure in the built environment. As much as technical concepts and solutions, climate adaptation is about basic structures and processes in society. The ongoing integration of climate adaptation in the society often ignore the factors that lead to vulnerability; interests, power relations and structure. To over-focus on practical climate adaptation measures do not address the underlying drivers leading to vulnerable societies. Good climate adaptation means an overall approach to change; changes in political systems and personal attitudes are necessary to obtain a high and necessary focus on climate adaptation. Thus, pursuing changes running across the practical, political, and personal spheres is essential, because the values and the worldview we carry cement "business as usual". Networks for learning climate adaptation, running across administrative levels, is a good example of learning going both ways. This presupposes innovation at many levels. It is easy to focus on the practical measures, the technical solutions. However, innovation – transformation – should to a larger extent be at the political and structural level. 

The most important factors influencing the society's ability for climate adaptation are given in Klima 2050 Report 4 (in Norwegian).

SCIENTIFIC BASIS