Perceptions of Local Vulnerability and the Relative Importance of Climate Change

Abstract

Populations that are natural resource dependent are especially sensitive to accelerating climatic change. Therefore, it is important to understand how multi-dimensional vulnerabilities that affect community well-being also impact the capacity of these populations to cope with and adapt to climate change. Coastal communities, in particular, exist in a state of flux and are continually exposed to a variety of environmental and social changes. Yet, as the effects of climate change become more pronounced, these communities are expected to face greater rates of change than ever before (Bennett & Dearden, 2013; Bunce et al., 2010; McDowell & Hess, 2012). The aim of this study is to document and conceptualize factors that shape vulnerability among three coastal, rural communities in northeastern Ecuador and explore the perceived relative importance of climate change, compared to other factors, among community members. The study draws upon participatory risk assessment methodologies and theories of vulnerability, adaptive capacity, and political ecology to better understand the relative importance of climate change within a broader context. Data was collected at the household level through surveys and free-list interviews and at the community level through focus group discussions. Findings suggest that factors such as economic instability, lack of access to basic services, and environmental degradation are perceived as greater threats to overall community well-being than climate-related factors such as seasonal variability or increased rains. Our results indicate that different stressors interact with each other synergistically to create greater local vulnerability to climate change. Thus, policies directed at climate change adaptation need to take a holistic assessment approach that integrates analyses of climate and non-climate related stressors.