Climate Change and Adaptive Innovation: A Model for Social Work Practice (Indigenous and Environmental Social Work)

The world is witnessing climate change. As responsible citizens of planet earth, we can actively participate in the co-creation of actionable knowledge and solutions. There may not be a single and linear pathway to adaptation anymore. This book explores multiple and iterative pathways of adapting to climate change and its impacts.

Climate Change and Adaptive Innovation introduces an adaptive innovation model that has its premise on core values of justice, care and solidarity. Navigating collectively through shared conversations and dialogic processes, this model showcases how we could embark on an enduring journey where diverse actors could collaboratively make informed choices and take necessary actions to enhance the safety and security of their lived environment. Rooted in action research, it is envisaged that this model could enable us to facilitate the designing and implementation of people-centred ethical adaptation projects.

This book will be of interest to social workers, social scientists and development practitioners who are engaged in the field of climate justice, adaptation, social innovation and sustainable livelihoods. Social work educators and students will certainly draw inspiration from the stories that are shared in this book. It will further motivate many transdisciplinary professionals to engage with action research as a method of innovation, reflection and practice

Sunil D. Santha is presently working at the Centre for Livelihoods and Social Innovation, School of Social Work, TISS, India. He has associated with natural resource dependent communities for several years. As an expert in Environmental Social Work, supplemented by his interests in Sociology of Knowledge and Systems Thinking, he has keen interests in the field of environmental risks, climate justice and sustainable development. He believes in action research and reflective practice as creative pathways to design participatory models of social innovation and emergent livelihoods.