Emplaced climate imaginaries: The regional construction of climate futures on the German Wadden Sea Coast

Abstract

It is increasingly recognised that the perceptions and lived experiences of climate change are grounded in places. This paper brings together work on place and climate imaginaries to develop a situated and emplaced understanding of climate change futures. Empirically, the paper examines local climate imaginaries on the North Frisian Wadden Sea coast of Germany. The low-lying islands are vulnerable to anthropogenic sea-level rise and face an uncertain future. Based on 21 semi-structured interviews conducted with coastal dwellers, the study examines all interviews from a grounded theory perspective. A refined in-depth analysis of the language helps to reveal climate imaginaries and systematise the ways through which local climate futures are articulated, structured and constructed. The aim of the paper is threefold: to synthesise research undertaken on place and climate imaginaries, to empirically analyse emplaced climate imaginaries and to explore – though tentatively – their role in developing regionally grounded climate change adaptation.