Social vulnerability and adaptive capacity to climate change impacts : identifying attributes in two remote coastal communities on Haida Gwaii, British Columbia.
Date
2008-11-12T19:25:20Z
Authors
Conner, Teresa Ann.
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Abstract
This study investigates the contribution of including local stakeholders in
the early stages of identifying local attributes of vulnerability, adaptive capacity
and resiliency to climate change impacts. The research is specific to two remote
coastal communities on Haida Gwaii (The Queen Charlotte Islands), British
Columbia. It includes community feedback on research tools, as well as on local
attributes of vulnerability and adaptive capacity. I employ multiple methods and a
participatory approach for data collection. Using this approach I discovered that
some of the attributes I originally believed contributed to vulnerability were
perceived by participants as strengthening their community. Other attributes
which I believed to be strengthening, were viewed by participants as contributing
to vulnerability. This thesis illustrates how the use of multiple methods and a
participatory approach contribute to greater knowledge and understanding, by
both the researcher and the community, of local attributes of vulnerability and
adaptive capacity to projected climate change impacts.
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Keywords
Climatic changes, Queen Charlotte Islands