Viewing Adaptation through a Complex Systems Perspective

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4:00 pm- 6:00 pm IST

Adaptation to climate change remains a locally driven process. Individuals, Families, Communities, Countries would derive their adaptive capacities by accessing their natural, financial, social, and human resources. Human beings and social-ecological systems when viewed as complex or complex adaptive systems have this unique ability to self-organize, in different ways at different times in different forms, to tackle local challenges and thereby evolve. Hence, adaptation cannot be viewed as a linear process. It is an inherently nonlinear, dynamic, and complex process. It is important to use methods and frameworks which allow us to account for such complexity while understanding or mapping adaptation. What are the tenets of complex systems? How are they different from complex adaptive systems? How to evaluate adaptation to climate change using contextual complexity? This masterclass would use systems thinking and complexity theory to throw some light on the above questions and many more which would come up during this interactive session. The discourse would be rooted in theory and applications of complexity methods as cited above.

Format: • Showcasing theory and practical applications.

Interactive Session with Q&A. Aims and Objectives:

• Sensitizing Participants on Systems Thinking and Complexity Theory

• Viewing Adaptation as the characteristic of a complex system co-hosted session

Plan:

• Adaptation as a Local Process

• Complex Adaptive Systems and Adaptation

• Q&A

• Climate Change Framework

• Examples of mapping adaptation using systems thinking

• Q&A