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Summary: Global Environmental Change 15 (2005) 7786
Successful adaptation to climate change across scales
W. Neil Adgera,b,Ã, Nigel W. Arnella,c
, Emma L. Tompkinsa,b,c
a
Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, UK
b
CSERGE and School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
c
School of Geography, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
Received 14 April 2004; accepted 2 December 2004
Abstract
Climate change impacts and responses are presently observed in physical and ecological systems. Adaptation to these impacts is
increasingly being observed in both physical and ecological systems as well as in human adjustments to resource availability and risk
at different spatial and societal scales. We review the nature of adaptation and the implications of different spatial scales for these
processes. We outline a set of normative evaluative criteria for judging the success of adaptations at different scales. We argue that
elements of effectiveness, efficiency, equity and legitimacy are important in judging success in terms of the sustainability of
development pathways into an uncertain future. We further argue that each of these elements of decision-making is implicit within
presently formulated scenarios of socio-economic futures of both emission trajectories and adaptation, though with different
weighting. The process by which adaptations are to be judged at different scales will involve new and challenging institutional
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