Adaptation dynamics: rolling waves of change in adaptation-intensive regions

People living in climate hazard-prone regions have become regular, repeated targets of adaptation projects. These projects, modelled on development projects, make somewhat random interventions for local people: random in their objectives, timing, resources, and duration. This paper considers the question: what is the long-term reality of life in an adaptation-intensive region? Building on critical insights regarding adaptation projects’ shortcomings from the literature, we use our combined experience researching climate change and adaptation in southwest Bangladesh to identify and describe ‘adaptation dynamics’: the rolling waves of change that occur in this specific adaptation-intensive region. To explain how adaptation projects ultimately produce social, economic and environmental disruptions, we look at projects that aim to introduce freshwater access, agricultural techniques, flood protection and financial stability. Individually and cumulatively, these projects create uncertainty and instability for local people that are only exacerbated when the projects overlap and conflict. With this understanding of adaptation dynamics, we highlight how the uncoordinated timelines of adaptation projects can be modified to minimize disruptions and increase project effectiveness. Future work on adaptation dynamics will be crucial to assess the impacts of projects in adaptation-intensive regions and how adaptation processes can be improved to effectively reduce vulnerability to climate-related hazards.