Adaptive capacity is critical for understanding the climate resilience of social-ecological systems. A gendered lens is of particular importance as women are simultaneously one of the most vulnerable social groups to climate change and carry a significant adaptation burden. Individuals’ adaptive capacity is partially determined by learning and cognition, specifically one’s ability to process, assess and react to a changing climate. Formal education experience is thought to increase the learning and cognitive aspects of adaptive capacity. This study uses a novel method, Participatory Adaptation Scenario and Mapping Activity (PASMA) to explore the influence formal education may have on the decision-making processes of pastoral women as they adapt to drought in Samburu, Kenya. Our results indicate participants with formal education may be more risk-averse following drought, but initially assess and react to signs of drought similarly to peers without formal education experience. We argue that increased risk perception might be explained by formal education’s influence on the learning component of adaptive capacity. We also contend that formal education may fail to influence the agency of pastoral women as a result of systemic issues, and therefore limiting the potential of formal education to improve adaptive capacity.

Nature-based solutions [NbS] can serve as effective strategies to promote the resilience of both people and ecosystems in the face of climate change. However, these solutions can exacerbate existing social inequities if they fail to adequately consider the complex social contexts in which they are implemented. To better understand the equity implications of NbS, and how to design and deliver such strategies more equitably, this study applies a conceptual framework of 4 equity pathways (distributional, procedural, recognitional, and structural equity) to a flood buyout program case study. We utilized document analysis and semi-structured interviews to conduct an equity analysis of a flood buyout program in a rural community in the Catskills region of New York. While many aspects of the flood buyout program aimed to empower local municipalities and landowners, local residents perceived a lack of decision-making power, negative long-term impacts to community well-being, and tension regarding the current and historical power differentials between these rural communities and New York City. Our results indicate individual equity pathways interact with one another in complex ways. They highlight the importance of comprehensive planning and evaluation of community impacts to better address the systems-level relationships that shape the equity implications of buyout programs.

Frameworks for understanding well-being play an important role in designing and evaluating climate change adaptation intervention and policy. To be effective, frameworks must capture the complexities of the social, ecological, and cultural contexts specific to vulnerable social groups. This study explores the concept of well-being from the perspective of pastoral women in Northern Kenya, a social group highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and a novel participatory group ranking activity. Analysis using the WeD Framework for well-being highlights key components from the perspective of Samburu women and underscores the importance of understanding the interaction between these components. We discuss the theoretical implications of these interactions for future use of the WeD framework and practical implications for the design and evaluation of climate change adaptation intervention and policy.

Biodiversity loss is one of the greatest global challenges and requires substantial investment in building the capacity of conservation professionals to design and implement robust conservation plans. In this study, we surveyed 155 past participants of training in facilitating species conservation planning processes given by the Conservation Planning Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. Based on a recently developed theory of change for the training, we examined how and to what extent the training contributed to the desired outcome of increasing trainees’ capacity for leading the design and facilitation of species conservation planning processes. Our results indicate that recall of training content, self-efficacy (an individual's belief they can complete a specific task or behaviour successfully) and peer network participation had significant impacts on the outcome of applying training content in the workplace. Furthermore, our results suggest that self-efficacy played a highly influential role in trainees' participation in species conservation planning post-training. The implications of this research point to designing conservation training that considers not only the skills and knowledge to be gained by learners but also the strategies that enhance trainees' self-efficacy in applying new skills and knowledge and in establishing peer networks to support trainees in turning training objectives into realities.