Ostensibly Effective Adaptive Measures Could Potentially Be Maladaptations: A Case Study of the Jiadung Coastal Area, Pingtung County, Taiwan

Abstract

Extreme rainfall events have a negative effect on the coastal area of Jiadung Township in Pingtung County, Taiwan, which experiences critical land subsidence. Local stakeholders have developed various measures for coping with flooding impacts according to past experience. These adaptive measures not only involve managing the impact of heavy rainfall but also resisting the disastrous effects of land subsidence. However, in 2009, Typhoon Morakot caused multiple days of intense rainfall and nearly rendered ineffective the adaptive measures employed to prevent damage. Stakeholders adopt diverse measures according to different needs and vulnerabilities. Consequently, some adaptive measures are likely to cause an increase in the vulnerability of different sectors and induce additional socioeconomic impacts. This paper presents the results of a semistructured questionnaire and field survey conducted for analyzing the adaptive measures adopted by local stakeholders before and after Typhoon Morakot. According to the routes and pathways of maladaptation in the Jiadung coastal area, this study analyzed the main adaptive measures and functions as well as identified the entities affected by maladaptation. Furthermore, this study emphasizes a bottom-up viewpoint for adaptation policy decision makers.