Incremental adaptation when transformation fails: The importance of place-based values and trust in governance in avoiding maladaptation

Climate change threatens human wellbeing and adaptation is essential. To-date, little research has examined connections between incremental and transformative adaptation. We address this gap using two multi-functional flood defence projects in Clontarf, a community in Dublin, Ireland, one of which represents transformative and the other incremental adaptation. Using a repeated study, we ask (i) does the importance of place-related values differ depending on whether adaptation is incremental or transformative, and (ii) what role does trust in governance play in incremental adaptation when transformation fails? Surveys were administered in Clontarf in 2014 (n = 280) after community resistance to transformative flood defences. A follow-up study using an identical survey was undertaken to evaluate separate incremental flood defences in 2016 (n = 242). Results highlight several important findings. First, both adaptation interventions show repeated potential threats to place from perceived weak governance rather than from disruptive place change caused by climate change. Second, where place attachment is strong, communities may repeatedly resist potential threats to place by challenging poor governance. However, this inadvertently threatens place disruption from climate change e.g., extreme climatic events. This could cause maladaptation, tying future decisions to past actions and failing to consider alternative transformative adaptation pathways. Finally, community discussions on transformative pathways and avoiding maladaptation risks are crucial for successful adaptation. This includes recognising trade-offs between place disruption threats from proposed adaptation strategies and climate change. Governance processes may subsequently need to transform and incorporate learnings or risk repeated resistance to adaptation previously considered rational. Many of these issues are likely to be encountered in all regions globally and across multiple adaptation sectors. Findings therefore provide important evidence to improve adaptation outcomes more generally.