Abstract
Effective adaptation assumes a feedback between the experience or anticipation of harm, and the actions of those individuals whose decisions and actions are necessary to reduce that harm. In urban areas, citizens often expect support from the public sector to facilitate their adaptation efforts and to protect them from exposure. This expectation—grounded in notions of the social contract between citizens and the state—presumes efficient feedback between public sector actors and residents concerning vulnerable states and adaptation needs. Through a case study of Mexico City, we analyze the role of social mobilization, specifically, neighborhood protests associated with water scarcity, as an informal means for a vulnerable population to communicate its needs to those actors with the mandate and capacity to alter risk exposure. On the basis of the findings from the case study, we propose a simple framework to begin a more systematic process of analyzing the expression of grievances as a feedback among actors involved in urban adaptation. We argue that by making visible these expressions as an informal mechanism of feedback between risk exposure, impact, decision-making, and the biophysical environment, we can reveal a potentially important lever on system change: one that highlights existing asymmetries in power, equity, and rights in urban adaptation.
Highlights
For adaptation to be effective, there needs to be a feedback between the experience or anticipation of harm, and the actions of those individuals whose decisions and actions are necessary to reduce that harm (Eisenack and Stecker 2012; Smit et al 1999; Smit and Wandel 2006)
We explore the challenge of adaptation when the expectation of an uninhibited flow of information and effective governance is problematic
Water scarcity was the primary source of conflict in 58% (24 of 41 cases) of the media cases recorded over the 5 years, often concurrently with causes such as construction projects disrupting water delivery (36%), or problems in the efficiency of water delivery (19%)
Summary
For adaptation to be effective, there needs to be a feedback between the experience or anticipation of harm, and the actions of those individuals whose decisions and actions are necessary to reduce that harm (Eisenack and Stecker 2012; Smit et al 1999; Smit and Wandel 2006). There are circumstances in which the stimulus for adaptation is not effectively communicated to the multiple actors who need to act. Mobilizing that support demands communication across organizational levels and population groups and the availability of informal and/or formal institutions to meet. In most contexts, adaptation is “predicated on effective governance and management structures” These structures, undergirded by the existence of social contracts, enable vulnerable populations’ requests for support, and mandate action in response
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