ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an introduction to key concepts and frameworks related to adaptation that are crucial for understanding local responses to climate change among Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Vulnerability refers to the likelihood of adverse effects and is determined by a combination of exposure to harm, sensitivity to harm, resilience, and adaptive capacity of systems, institutions, and individuals. Indigenous Peoples and local communities are often identified as “at-risk” and as the most vulnerable populations. However, evidence suggests that Indigenous Peoples and local communities can be both vulnerable and resilient to climate change, as Indigenous and local knowledge, place attachment, traditional institutions, and collective action contribute to their adaptive capacity, thereby proving to be important tools for adaptation. Adaptation feasibility is directly linked to the adaptive capacity of the system in question, which is determined by the persistence of supporting or enabling factors and conditions, compounding factors and conditions, and impeding factors and conditions.
