Some degree of climate change is now inevitable, and so therefore is the need for responses to avoid its likely impacts. Yet adaptation to climate change is no easy matter: decisions may fail to meet their objectives, and they may even increase vulnerability. This problem of increasing risks from adaptation is often termed ‘maladaptation’. We define and explain five key dimensions of maladaptation, which we then ground with reference to the example of responses to water stress in Melbourne. We define five types of maladaptation to climate change, and explain these with reference to the responses to water stress in Melbourne. Adaptation strategies may increase the vulnerability of other systems, sectors, or groups if they increase emissions of greenhouse gases, disproportionately burden the most vulnerable, have high opportunity costs, reduce incentives to adapt, or set paths that limit the choices available to future generations. These five pathways to maladaptation offer a basis by which adaptation decisions can be screened for their possible adverse effects. Each implies a question and a line of investigation.
Barnett, J; O'Neill, S
Maladaptation
Global Environmental Change