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Adaptive Strategies Building Resilience to Climate Variability in Argentina, Canada and Colombia

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Climate Change Adaptation, Resilience and Hazards

Part of the book series: Climate Change Management ((CCM))

Abstract

Many regions of the world are experiencing the impacts of climate change, which include the increasing variability of weather as well as increased drought and flood. Although many areas have had a long history of this variability and have a strong historic practice of adaptation, increasing variability has had a significant impact on adaptive strategies of agricultural producers over the last several years.

Drawing on comparative vulnerability studies of agricultural producers in dryland river basins in Argentina, Canada, and Colombia, this paper presents an analysis of the adaptive strategies employed by agricultural producers in responding to climate change impacts and an analysis of how these adaptive strategies have built resilience and improved producers’ living conditions. Common exposures and sensitivities, linked with increasing variability, isolate important new adaptive strategies. Particular attention to the connection of these strategies to social, economic and institutional capital and the inter-relationship of these provides important insight for future adaptation. These research findings will be useful for governments, policymakers, and organizations assisting with adaptation.

This paper presents results of the research program Vulnerability to Climate Extremes in the Americas (VACEA) financed by the International Research Initiative on Adaptation to Climate Change [International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada].

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The VACEA project (see footnote #1) involves three sets of interrelated activities: (1) Evaluation of past, present and future vulnerabilities related to climate, agriculture and natural resources using climatological scenarios and future climate projections for the areas; (2) Analysis of the vulnerabilities of communities using a combination of in-depth interviews—which inquired about risk exposures, sensitivities and adaptation strategies of farmers—and secondary socioeconomic data. This activity also included a study of the role of institutions in adaptability. (3) Finally, bringing together the insights produced by the first two sets of activities in order to assess future vulnerabilities based on how the current vulnerabilities will be affected by the expected future conditions. The analysis of adaptive capacity in this chapter corresponds to the second set of activities within the larger research project (For further information about the conceptual framework of VACEA project, see Harry Díaz in this volume).

  2. 2.

    Most small and medium farmers sell their grapes to four large corporations that produce common wines: Peñaflor, Baggio, FE.CO.VI.TA and Catena.

  3. 3.

    http://www.federaciondecafeteros.org/particulares/es/buenas_noticias/nueva_plataforma_para_monitorear_el_clima (accessed April 6 2015).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Researcher at the Human, Social and Environmental Sciences Institute (INCIHUSA), Scientific and Technological National Research Institute (CONICET), Av Ruiz Leal s/n P., San Martín, 5500, Mendoza, Ciudad, Argentina

    Paula Mussetta

  2. Department of Anthropology, University of Antioquia, Calle 34 A N. Ap. 203, 77-46, Medellín, Colombia

    Sandra Turbay

  3. Department of Sociology and Social Studies, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, S4S 0A2, Regina, SK, Canada

    Amber J. Fletcher

Authors
  1. Paula Mussetta
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  2. Sandra Turbay
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  3. Amber J. Fletcher
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paula Mussetta .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Science, Research and Transfer Center, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. Food and Tourism Management, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom

    Haruna Musa

  3. Manchester, United Kingdom

    Gina Cavan

  4. Geography & Environmental Management, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom

    Paul O'Hare

  5. Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal

    Julia Seixas

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Mussetta, P., Turbay, S., Fletcher, A.J. (2016). Adaptive Strategies Building Resilience to Climate Variability in Argentina, Canada and Colombia. In: Leal Filho, W., Musa, H., Cavan, G., O'Hare, P., Seixas, J. (eds) Climate Change Adaptation, Resilience and Hazards. Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39880-8_14

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