Adaptation Narrative Analysis. A Learning-centered Appraisal Method for Ecosystem-based Adaptation

Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) seeks to combine climate change adaptation, socio-economic development and climate change mitigation benefits through the use of ecosystem services and biodiversity. Embedded in socio-ecological-systems, EbA efforts need to overcome challenges posed by complexity, uncertainty, long time horizons and interdisciplinarity. A narrative-based appraisal method was developed aimed at addressing these challenges to support learning about the contributions of EbA efforts to climate resilience and adaptive capacity of the SES. The resulting Adaptation Narrative Analysis method is an argument and initial mean for the use of narratives in EbA appraisals.It may be humankind’s biggest challenge to date – mitigation and adaptation to climate change, without compromising the development of people. One approach that seeks to achieve mitigation, adaptation and sustainable development is Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA). Through the protection and strengthening of the benefits that people receive from nature (ecosystem services), EbA aims to increase the ability of people and nature to live with climate change impacts, such as extreme weather events. EbA is used in a context where many uncontrollable and unknown influences interact, making it very difficult to understand progress, and achieve expected results. This thesis has developed a method that is intended to support practitioners and researchers at a community level to better understand how EbA work develops and what kind of results are achieved. Furthermore, it may help to capture influences that are not easily recognized and provides the analytical perspective needed for insight into how EbA work helps the community to deal better with climate change. The method is called “Adaptation Narrative Analysis”, as it uses narratives from people and organisations directly or indirectly involved in the EbA work. Narratives can capture contextual information of the EbA work, which is currently not well documented and understood. Overall, this thesis argues that narratives are a fruitful path to improve EbA work, while offering one approach to the use of narratives, that is the Adaptation Narrative Method