Assessing and fostering the adaptive capacity to climate change of local agricultural communities in mountainous areas
Abstract
Literature on adaptation, proposes that communities and households develop adaptive capacity (AC) to minimize impacts from climate change. AC is the capability of a system to react. AC assessments of local agricultural communities are missing so far. The Community Capitals Framework is used in this research project to close this gap. This framework includes human, social, financial, physical and natural as well as cultural and political capital. In this research project an indicator-based assessment framework is developed to elaborate indicators which enable a comparison of AC levels of specific communities in mountainous areas in different spatial and certification contexts with empirical research in Austria, Switzerland and California by use of the Community Capitals Framework. In the elaboration of a composite index, indicators are derived from literature and triangulated by expert interviews. For the empirical analysis a household survey is carried out to capture AC levels of local agricultural communities. Approximately 200 interviews with farmers will be carried out in each of the three case study area, capturing one community with certification scheme and one without certification respectively. The innovative aspects of this research project are the study of AC from a community perspective, instead of a purely individual view. Furthermore, so far, a systematic analysis is missing on how certification influences AC of agricultural communities compared to the ones who cultivate non-certified. So far AC indexes lack the recognition of cultural and political capital. The inclusion of these determinants on basis of the Community Capitals Framework and indicators represents new scientific research ground.
Project staff
Christine Altenbuchner
Dipl.-Ing.Dr. Christine Altenbuchner BEd
christine.altenbuchner@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-73127
Project Leader
01.10.2022 - 31.03.2026
Maria Buchsteiner
Maria Buchsteiner B.Sc.
m.buchsteiner@students.boku.ac.at
Project Staff
01.10.2022 - 22.01.2025
Barbara Gerlinde Felmer
Dipl.-Ing. Barbara Gerlinde Felmer B.Sc.
barbara.felmer@boku.ac.at
Project Staff
01.10.2022 - 31.03.2026
Judith Fischer
Judith Fischer B.A.,M.A.
judith.fischer@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-73122
Project Staff
15.02.2023 - 30.09.2025
Marian Momen
Dipl.-Ing. Marian Momen B.Sc.
marian.momen@boku.ac.at
Project Staff
01.10.2022 - 31.03.2026
BOKU partners
External partners
University of California, Davis
Mark Lubell
partner
Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau
Christian Schader
partner