Shifting Baselines of Climate Change Adaptation

Recent international reports have highlighted shortcomingsin current efforts to adapt to climate change, including theundervaluation of nature-based solutions. One challengefacing the use of nature-based solutions for adaptation isshifting baseline syndrome, which refers to theunconscious, gradual change in the accepted norms for thecondition of the environment across generations and overthe course of individual lives. While SBS has been indiscourses around fisheries science for decades, it has notbeen incorporated into thinking on adaptation. Building onmy master's thesis, in which I proposed a conceptualframework for addressing the social-ecologicalconsequences of SBS for adaptation, my project willinvestigate the adaptation of social-ecological systems inthe Lake District and in Bunloit, Scotland. I will: (i) assessthe prevalence of SBS among key land users and otheradaptation decision-makers; (ii) investigate currentadaptation approaches and determine the extent to whichSBS is influencing adaptation planning; and (iii) work withlocal land users to co-develop adaptation plans whichaccount for longer-term social-ecological change. Co-occurring with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restorationand the UK government's rewilding agenda, this project willprovide valuable insights for researchers, policymakers,and land users themselves on building long-termperspectives into 'nature-based' adaptation efforts.