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This paper explores the impact of place loss due to the loss of a beach from coastal erosion in the community of Courtown, Co. Wexford, Ireland. Using in-depth walking interviews and photo-elicitation, we investigate (i) the experiences and emotional challenges of place loss; (ii) the impacts of place loss and adaptive actions on people–place relationships and; (iii) how individuals re-imagine the future of place following loss. We find that place loss results in emotional responses consistent with solastalgia for many interviewees. Adaptation actions in the form of installation of rock armour to deal with coastal erosion were seen by many as undesirable and amplified the sense of loss experienced. For most, the lack of community engagement in decision-making has created a sense of powerlessness and anxiety around the future of place. Moreover, this sense of powerlessness is amplified for many by concurrent but unrelated policies that incentivised rapid residential development in the area, contributing to changing place identity and community cohesion. Our findings highlight that impacts of environmental change and adaptation on individuals, while significant on their own, unfold within and can be amplified by the context of on-going development issues and decision-making processes. Despite their sense of powerlessness, there is evidence that residents see rich opportunities to re-imagine place if decision-makers can create opportunities to incorporate the voice of local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal agriculture and livelihoods worldwide are highly vulnerable to changing climates, and Bangladesh is no exception due to its geophysical location. This paper examines rice farmers' vulnerability, adaptation strategies, and adaptation barriers to managing climate change impacts in the coastal region of Bangladesh. Survey data were collected from 220 randomly selected rice farmers located across two coastal districts of Bangladesh. A multinomial logit model was applied to analyze determinants of adaptation strategies of rice farmers. The results reveal that flood is the main risk to vulnerability, followed by cyclones and storms surges and saline intrusion. The main adaptation strategies are cultivating flood and salinity tolerant rice varieties, direct seeding of rice, supplementary irrigation, cultivation of non-rice crops that have shorter growth duration, and rearing of livestock, poultry, and duck. The econometric analysis shows that factors such as household head's education, household income, farm size, access to information, and extension services significantly influence the choice of adaptation strategies of the rice farmers. We recommend to increase investment in research, training of farmers, and targeted extension services to disseminate climate-smart technologies and information for minimising vulnerability of the farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutions are influential in mediating the impact of adaptation initiatives at the local level, yet there are disconnects between the goals of multi-scale planning initiatives and community priorities. Research to address this challenge primarily focuses on reform to formal institutions in environmental governance. Meanwhile, knowledge of the specific role informal institutions play in governance processes remains limited. This study increases understanding of the interactions between informal institutions and adaptation using a case study of the Native Village of Wainwright on Alaska's North Slope. Qualitative contextual analysis was employed to identify patterns of informal institution and adaptation associations in historic and contemporary situations in Wainwright. The Adaptation Institutional Analysis Framework developed in this paper extends Elinor Ostrom's Institutional Analysis and Development Framework and is used as a tool to analyse and describe these dynamics. Four primary findings resulted from this analysis (1) identification of informal institutions that have a bearing on adaptation to environmental change and adaptive capacity in Wainwright, (2) insight into how the identified institutions relate to each other and to different aspects of local adaptation, (3) identification of changes in informal institutions that have occurred over time and the potential implications of these changes for local adaptive capacity, and (4) potential opportunities to leverage knowledge of informal institution and adaptation relationships in targeted formal initiatives. The outcomes of this study contribute to an improved understanding of the function and potential of informal institutions in adaptation processes, the benefits of which extend beyond the local context of Wainwright. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban heat is a growing problem, especially for vulnerable populations who are disproportionately exposed to higher temperatures. Adaptive capacity and, especially, social capital increases recovery from disasters and enhances adaptation. Social capital is declining nationwide and the Sunbelt States, with highest national temperatures, have the lowest levels of social capital. Social capital is situational and reflects a position within the formal and informal aspects of any issue, and frameworks developed for some purposes may not be relevant for others. Few have fully explored social capital's relation to heat vulnerability. There is a need to understand social capital in the context of urban heat to determine if it is present, used, enhanced or is a latent capacity. This research explores indicators and related questions for effective social capital for urban heat. This research was conducted in one of the hottest United States cities, metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona and, while the geographic and cultural context may be different, the findings have applicability to other warming urban centres. Using social capital as a lens to explore heat vulnerability and better metrics for urban heat social capital can inform policies that deepen networks and increase trust, minimise poor public health outcomes, and facilitate more effective community engagement. Effective social capital for extreme heat can provide a roadmap for decision-makers in working towards climate adaptation at the community scale by increasing their understanding of when and how to assist communities in building their capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to climate change (CC) and consequent agricultural productivity repercussions. This study aimed at exploring the difference in farmers' perceptions of CC impacts on crop production and variation in adaptation measures across the Ganges' Tidal Floodplain (GTF) region. To unlock the local level contextspecific nature of adaptation, the study area covered two distinct zones of the GTF: interior zone, surrounded by the Sundarbans mangrove forest, and exterior zone being more exposed to the Bay of Bengal. An analysis of the differences in empirical climate parameter trends and farmers' adaptations to adjust to these changes in the two sample study areas (one from each zone) was conducted. In the exterior zone (Patuakhali), delayed monsoon and increasing intensity of post-monsoon rainfall coupled with poor water drainage resulted in delayed winter vegetable production and late harvest of rainy season rice (aman), eventually leading to a loss of winter rice season (boro). Rainfall in the interior zone (Satkhira) was found erratic and unevenly distributed causing unexpected loss of harvest. Farmers in both areas reported a high impact of CC on crop production. Farmers reported optimisation of fertiliser and pesticide use and planting date adjustment as the most practiced adaptations in both areas. Other preferred adaptation options were rice-fish farming in Satkhira and growing of high-value cash crops in Patuakhali. In terms of weighted average index scoring, Satkhira farmers on average had medium adaptation scores, while most of Patuakhali farmers had medium to low adaptation scores. Living in the same agroecological zone, the difference in farmers' perceptions, climate variability, and adaptation practices call for context- and location-specific adaptation planning and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]