Research project B2/20E/P3/SOLARIS (Research action B2)
Mitigation policies are widely perceived as insufficient to prevent the impacts of anthropogenic climate change. Adaptation is, therefore, a necessity. However, inequalities may occur in climate change adaptation policies (CCAP). As a result, major issues arise in the implementation of CCAP concerning democracy, solidarity and social justice. Therefore, SOLARIS focuses on socio-spatial inequalities and aims to fill the gap in the analysis of social justice concerning CCAP. SOLARIS has both scientific and societal objectives and outcomes. It aims to: develop conceptual and analytical approaches to reveal social justice perspectives of CCAP and explore the policy and decision-making process for a large range of stakeholders (e.g. policy-makers, practitioners, citizens, etc.) to facilitate better participatory processes.
Several potential injustices may occur in the face of climate change and policies to assist adaptation: 1) injustices in the level of risk experienced and how these are impacted by climate change, 2) injustices related to the level of contribution to tackling risk and implementing climate adaptation, 3) differences in the level of ability to impact decision-making, and 4) injustice in the capacity to respond and adapt. Understanding how and when these injustices occur, who is advantaged or disadvantaged, and in what manner, is critical in implementing socially acceptable, just and effective CCAP.
As floods are currently among the main climate and weather-related causes of loss & damage in Europe, SOLARIS will evaluate the design of CCAP and the instruments used to reduce risks through a flood risk management lens. The main focus of SOLARIS will be on flood prevention, the accommodation of water to reduce impacts, and flood preparation and recovery. A case study approach will be adopted (2 cases per country) to analyse which cases have been implemented or are in the process of implementing CCAP. This approach allows us to study ongoing participation as well as exampling the socio-spatial inequalities that may only be revealed after the implementation of CCAP.
Based on multi-disciplinary research (law, sociology, geography and planning) from four countries (Belgium, England, Finland, France) SOLARIS aims to address two research questions:
1. How can we assess and map socio-spatial inequalities in the face of CCAP? We explore what factors make specific groups less involved in CCAP and analyse their distributional impacts.
2. How are inequalities addressed in CCAP and what is the role of participation? We examine what solidarity mechanisms are implemented and how affected groups are engaged in adaptation policies. Integration of citizens in decision-making is studied through citizen participation during the process of definition and implementation.
SOLARIS will build upon and utilize data from existing data sets and previous research projects (e.g. STAR-FLOOD). In addition, empirical research will be conducted to analyse socio-spatial inequalities.
SOLARIS will add to the state-of-the-art understanding of social justice implications of CCAP, specifically in relation to flood risks. We aim to make our data accessible to other researchers (where not constrained by third party IPR or anonymity issues). One of the key priorities is benefiting the academic community through the output of high-quality publications, providing an analytical and conceptual approach that can be applied in different geographical and social contexts (and also to different future climate change risks), and training early career researchers (e.g. PhDs, students and interns) in the field of climate change adaptation.
Furthermore, we aim to disseminate the project’s outcomes to societal actors through 1) a concrete, demand-driven approach, 2) the involvement of external stakeholders during the project, and 3) a strategy to communicate to non-scientific stakeholders. Not only is SOLARIS grounded in current challenges to CCAP implementation, we also aim to actively involve institutional and private stakeholders in the project. In this way, the results of SOLARIS have practical relevance and contribute to a societal problem, namely the existence of socio-spatial inequalities in CCAP. A wide range of decision-makers and stakeholders will be identified for project dissemination activities, from different policy domains (e.g. flood risks and water management, broader climate change policy, health, transport, urban, and so on). One of the main research deliverables will be a practitioner’s guide with the most relevant information and propositions to help address inequalities in CCAP. We also aim to have multiple local discussion groups in each case including authorities, NGOs, small businesses, communities and residents, which may contribute to the definition and improvement of future CCAP.
