Alternative Entry Points for Adaptation: Examples from Vanuatu

Abstract As climate change accelerates, effective adaptation is an urgent and unavoidable priority. Bottom-up approaches such as community-based have been portrayed the panacea. Recent studies are, however, highlighting ongoing inherent issues with normative “community” conceptualizations that assume a geographically bound, temporally fixed, harmonious unit. Despite documentation on negative impact these problematic assumptions can outcomes, at community scale remains preferred option for project delivery in highly exposed places Pacific Islands region. More creative entry points are less charged needed local scale. This paper draws from three examples Vanuatu to offer compelling alternative adaptation: 1) rural technical college embedded within Anglican mission village, 2) whole-of-island approach, 3) “collective of vendors” marketplaces. We hope by identifying ways expand complement existing, restricted notions and, through this, improve outcomes.