Policy making under scarcity: reflections for designing socially just climate adaptation policy

Limited information and insufficient resources are inherent challenges for climate policy, policy makers must grapple with how to design implement adaptation policies under conditions of scarcity. Drawing on empirical evidence from Honduras, Ethiopia, Haiti, Puerto Rico, analysis the global landscape finance, this perspective identifies ways that designing scarcity can inadvertently lead reinforce inequality fail address underlying social vulnerabilities. It reflects two sources impact policy—lack data lack finance—and acknowledges despite non-ideal creates, will be designed these conditions. The highlights issues aware when calls greater attention justice implications in process. These particularly acute developing countries weak historical where compete other urgent priorities. However, it is widely acknowledged most impacted by change urgently need reduce vulnerability increase resilience. This creates a particular challenge, as very hamper policy-making process contribute urgency contexts. also provides an opportunity priorities, structural inequality. Despite ensuring prioritizes should not compromised. goal reflect key policy: implementing socially just policy. term “adaptation policy” refers diverse strategies institutions, government use impacts change, including variability extremes, includes mix measures.1Mimura N. Pulwarty R.S. Elshinnawy I. Redsteer M.H. Huang H.Q. Nkem J.N. Rodriguez R.A.S. Moss R. Vergara W. Darby L.S. Kato S. Adaptation planning implementation.in: Climate Change 2014 Impacts, Vulnerability: Part A: Global Sectoral Aspects. Cambridge University Press, 2014: 869-898Google Scholar I argue finance only makes making more challenging overall, but specifically make difficult ensure just. 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