The Adaptive Capacity of Soufriere, St Lucia to Climate Change

This working paper examines the adaptive capacity of Soufriere, St Lucia, as part of the Global Islands’ Vulnerability Research Adaptation Policy Development (GIVRAPD) project. It utilizes the Local Adaptive Capacity (LAC) framework to assess socio-cultural, economic, institutional, and ecological factors shaping vulnerability, while evaluating the framework's applicability across different geographical contexts.

• The Caribbean islands are projected to face rising temperatures and shifts in rainfall and wind patterns, leading to secondary effects such as sea level rise, ocean warming, coral bleaching, loss of marine biodiversity, increased landslides and coastal erosion, altered growing seasons, and a higher prevalence of contagious diseases, invasive species, and pests.
• The research employs the Local Adaptive Capacity (LAC) framework, created by the Overseas Development Institute in 2010, which defines adaptive capacity through five specific elements: asset base, innovation, knowledge and information, institutions and entitlements, and flexible forward-looking decision-making and governance.
• The paper aims to contribute to academic literature by arguing that the LAC framework's emphasis on flexibility, innovation, knowledge, and institutions aligns with an evolutionary perspective on adaptive capacity and by testing if the tool is effective across diverse geographical settings.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2017). The Adaptive Capacity of Soufriere, St Lucia to Climate Change. https://cdkn.org/resource/working-paper-adaptive-capacity-soufriere-st-lucia-climate-change

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. The Adaptive Capacity of Soufriere, St Lucia to Climate Change. 2017. https://cdkn.org/resource/working-paper-adaptive-capacity-soufriere-st-lucia-climate-change.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=The Adaptive Capacity of Soufriere, St Lucia to Climate Change |date=3 February 2017 |url=https://cdkn.org/resource/working-paper-adaptive-capacity-soufriere-st-lucia-climate-change |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2017adaptive, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{The Adaptive Capacity of Soufriere, St Lucia to Climate Change}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {https://cdkn.org/resource/working-paper-adaptive-capacity-soufriere-st-lucia-climate-change}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }