Questions of equity and justice influence adaptation pathways for cities, settlements and infrastructure . Although infrastructure, ranging from social to ecological and physical to digital, can help to reduce the impacts of climate change , there is limited evidence of how infrastructures, implemented to reduce climate risk, also reduce inequality. Rather, there is more evidence to suggest that both adaptation plans and associated infrastructure implementation pathways are increasing inequality in cities and settlements . Social, economic and cultural structures that marginalise people by race, class, ethnicity and gender all contribute in complex ways to climate injustices and need to be urgently addressed for adaptation options to shift to benefit those most vulnerable, rather than mainly benefitting the already privileged and maintaining the status quo . Innovation and imagination are needed in adaptation responses to ensure that cities and settlements shift from perpetuating structural domination and inequality to fairer cities . To support these possibilities, this section explores adaptation through the lens of distributive and procedural justice. Although not expanded on here, spatial and recognition injustices are equally important . Recognition can be supported through a capabilities approach that helps to bring attention to past cultural domination and enable citizens to develop the functioning life they choose . This brings a focus on local action, emphasising the relevance to vulnerability reduction and resilience building of individual and local/community capacities and supporting structures. This blurs the distinction between climate change adaptation and community development, with the former firmly embedded in the latter. Struggles for recognition are deeply political and central to adaptation responses which requires increased focus on power to support more equitable and just adaptation . Justice questions are not static, Box 6.4 overviews the implications of COVID-19 for urban justice and vulnerability.
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report