ABSTRACT

Abstract: It is widely recognized that small, low-lying island nations are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This chapter provides a comparative meta-analysis of climate change adaptation in two atoll nations: Kiribati in the Pacic and the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. The analysis focuses on how biophysical constraints coupled with political, cultural, and socioeconomic conditions shape adaptation pathways. Kiribati and the Maldives present, at rst glance, a very similar set of issues and challenges. The two countries, however, are remarkably different in terms of their biophysical setting; political history; and cultural, social, and economic context and, consequently, their respective capacities to adapt to climate change. Despite these inherent differences, there appear to be common pathways or trajectories for adaptation. Nevertheless, important questions remain: Are current adaptation actions leading to more resilient or restrictive futures? What is the preferred adaptation pathway? How effective will the chosen pathway be for reducing vulnerability and building adaptive capacity to longterm climate change? Signicant conceptual and practical challenges must be addressed in order to effectively answer these fundamental questions.