In the climate change adaptation literature, pathways thinking seems to be cropping up everywhere. A quick search I did for papers published 2014 onwards threw up 25 distinct case studies engaging with adaptation pathways-speak, with examples ranging from \'priming\' multiple stakeholders to find transformational solutions to climatic risks in Indonesia (Butler et al., 2016), toContinue reading "Adaptation pathways: two recent papers and implications for maladaptation"
Thoughts on two new papers from vulnerability and adaptation research
I read two very interesting papers from adaptation and vulnerability research last week.In Operationalizing longitudinal approaches to climate change vulnerability assessment, Fawcett et al. (2017) make a case for longitudinal methodological approaches when studying vulnerability and adaptation. The lack of attention paid to temporality has been a long-held peeve of mine (it\'s gotten so bad thatContinue reading "Thoughts on two new papers from vulnerability and adaptation research"
Urban Livelihoods: Learning by Doing
If I were to choose one word to define my research, it would not be climate change or adaptation, it would actually be livelihoods. Livelihoods. How people earn a living; a process, a strategy that goes much beyond a \'job\' or income source\', a negotiation that people and families make to live, and meet theirContinue reading "Urban Livelihoods: Learning by Doing"
Envisioning with empathy: Reflections on the Transformative Scenario Planning Methodology
Last month, my team organised and participated in a training workshop on a methodology called Transformative Scenario Planning (TSP). Aimed at envisioning and co-creating futures in situations that are seemingly stuck, cannot be resolved by one/few actors, and are complex and conflict-ridden, the TSP has been used across the globe from post-apartheid South Africa to democraticContinue reading "Envisioning with empathy: Reflections on the Transformative Scenario Planning Methodology"
What\’s the difference between adaptation and development?
How do we differentiate between adaptation and development? Are development projects being re-branded to show that they are meeting climate change goals in a bid to attract funds? Or is adaptation just the latest fad; nothing more than development with a climate change hat on?Drip irrigation is ubiquitous in water-scarce Kolar. Photo by Chandni SinghAContinue reading "What\’s the difference between adaptation and development?"
Book Review | The Adivasi Will Not Dance
Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar\'s \"The Adivasi Will Not Dance\" does not have the most poetic prose but it is raw and honest. This short story collection brings to readers stories from India\'s fecund yet ravaged lands — the resource-rich Adivasi-inhabited Jharkhand. Ten stories, refreshingly focussed on women protagonists (though that may not have been deliberate), portrayContinue reading "Book Review | The Adivasi Will Not Dance"
Teaching (and learning about) vulnerability
In December, I helped organise an exciting 3-day course on vulnerability and the concepts and methods used to assess it. The course was attended by 30 participants from various disciplines and from sectors as varied as government officials, PhD researchers, NGO and private sector professionals. We used a mix of classroom teaching, games, field visitsContinue reading "Teaching (and learning about) vulnerability"
My Year of Conferences
2015 has been the year of the conference for me. From the CBA (Community-based Adaptation) Conference in Nairobi (April), Scaling Up Good Adaptation Practices in Delhi (August) to the Development and Climate Days in Paris (December), a 2-day side event to the Conference of Parties, adaptation has been a binding thread. What have I taken away fromContinue reading "My Year of Conferences"
My Contentions with Gandhi\’s "Village Swaraj"
I have taken my time exploring Gandhi. My first encounter with his words were in the form of \'Gandhi\'s Talisman\' that graced the inner cover of every book I had throughout school. It said, when it doubt, asked yourself whether your actions will, in any way, help the poorest person you know to live aContinue reading "My Contentions with Gandhi\’s "Village Swaraj""
Link Pack #9: Livelihoods and farming
Over the past seven years, I have been working in and researching rural areas. I have helped build water storage tanks, and sown medicinal plants with women\'s Self Help Groups in Himachal Pradesh. I have trained farmers in Arunachal to expand their use of wetlands to ecotourism, and examined why young Rajasthani men are openingContinue reading "Link Pack #9: Livelihoods and farming"
Chandni Singh 