Overcoming social barriers to climate change adaptation - ODI Background Notes

R ecent years have seen adaptation come to the fore of the international climate change debate. The focus is centred largely upon enhancing the capacity of developing countries and the poorest to adapt to the impacts of climate change. As a result, interventions to facilitate adaptation need to identify and address key barriers to ensure that societies are resilient in the face of a changing climate and foster successful adaptation. This Background Note explores the influence of social barriers to adaptation using insights drawn from field work in rural subsistence communities in western Nepal, and findings from a related ODI project in rural India. It explores the role of social institutions in determining how individuals adapt to climate stress and shock, and examines how restrictive cultural environments can limit successful adaptation. It concludes by providing recommendations for adaptation policy interventions that seek to recognise, address and overcome social barriers to adaptation.