The impacts of climate change place vulnerable communities at increased risk and could undermine community resilience to other contextual stressors. Economic development therefore needs to embrace strategies that strengthen this resilience rather than inadvertently eroding it.
Lisl Pullinger and social consultant Insiya Salam highlighted the impact of the ‘triple crisis’ on communities’ capacity and capability to deal with external shocks and stresses in the recent virtual global SRK workshop on climate change.
“Even where people manage to escape poverty, progress is often temporary,” said Pullinger. “Economic shocks, conflict, food insecurity and climate change can push them back into poverty.”
She noted that communities and ecosystems were having to adapt to climate change, but it was too soon to say whether this would happen quickly enough or whether the global community would be able to slow down the progress of climate change within manageable limits. At the same time, extreme weather events, biodiversity loss and water insecurity disproportionally affect people who are already vulnerable due to poverty or conflict.
“It is vital that we recognise the interaction of these factors,” she said. “Focusing on climate or nature challenges – but not considering the socio-economic or political context of the communities whose lives and livelihoods depend on the local environment – will fail to deliver positive outcomes.”
Salam explained the value of the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework to understand people’s or communities’ access to and control over different types of livelihood assets or ‘capitals’ – such as natural, human, financial, social and physical capital.
