Abstract
To examine the factors that support adaptation within a regional and sectoral context, this article explores five climate-sensitive sectors in North and South Carolina (Forestry, Government Administration, Tourism, Water Management, and Wildlife Management) and the role of partnerships, collaborations, and networks in facilitating climate adaptation and related activities. Drawing from 117 online questionnaires and interviews with sector leaders across the Carolinas, the article highlights several key functions of networks in regard to supporting adaptation—intra-sector information sharing; monitoring, data collection, and research; and education and outreach. Furthermore, the analysis examines how climate networks in the region have facilitated the development of bonding, bridging, and linking social capital while also noting factors that have constrained the growth and success of both intra- and cross-sector collaboration. Although no formal, or discrete, state or regional cross-sector climate change network exists in the Carolinas, climate adaptations and capacity-building efforts have been supported by ad hoc and decentralized networks, emerging collegial partnerships within and across sectors, and collaborative efforts to pool expertise and resources. The role of different forms of social capital within these networks is discussed in the context of a contentious political environment where support for activities designed to address climate change is limited. These findings enhance our understanding of the social factors and relational processes that shape and influence capacity to adapt to climate change.
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Acknowledgments
This study was part of a larger research project (Lackstrom et al. 2012) funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Program Office (NA060AR4310007) and conducted by the Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments (CISA), one of 11 US RISA programs, to serve as a technical input for the 2013 National Climate Assessment. The authors wish to thank the decision makers who participated in the study for their time and insights as well as the invaluable support provided by research team members Amanda Brennan, Ashley Brosius, Sam Ferguson, Dylan Foster, Chris Rappold, Daniel Tompkins, Erin Weeks, and Henrik Westerkam.
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Dow, K., Haywood, B.K., Kettle, N.P. et al. The role of ad hoc networks in supporting climate change adaptation: a case study from the Southeastern United States. Reg Environ Change 13, 1235–1244 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-013-0440-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-013-0440-8