This paper looks at climate change adaptation from the point of view of households and asks how political and economic institutions may affect – help or hinder – these adaptation decisions.

The authors review the range of risk-coping mechanisms available to poorer households, with a focus on possible barriers to adaptation. They ask both how government interventions affect the set of options available for adaptation and risk coping, and also what these adaptive responses imply for development prospects, and in particular the prospects of the poor and other marginalised groups. The paper argues that some risk taking is necessary for development and adaptation therefore should be primarily about risk-coping rather than arbitrary attempts to minimise risks. It highlights that a previous neglected consideration for policymakers is how adaptation and development will interact dynamically over time.

[Adapted from source]