ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a critical examination of how climate change adaptation has been framed by governments in developed countries and other powerful institutions, such as Southern elites, private sector, and international non-governmental organisations. The framing of adaptation remains tied to a system of mostly Northern institutions that cling to power, despite having proved dysfunctional and incapable or unwilling to address the full complexity of the challenge. In rethinking adaptation, the relationship between authority and subjectivity needs to be seen as one where subjectivity serves to legitimise marginalised groups, and where they and gender equality are recognised as priority themes in adaptation–which can, in effect, positively influence the attainment of adaptation goals. De-romanticising indigenous, traditional, and local knowledge is fundamental in making adaptation and development narratives more accurate and in prioritising responses more effectively.
