Publications


“Proximising” climate change reconsidered: A construal level theory perspective

Research article by Suraje Dessai on 15 Apr 2016

Abstract Reducing the psychological distance of climate change has repeatedly been proposed as one strategy to increase individuals’ motivation to respond to climate change. From the perspective of construal level theory, decreasing psychological distance should not itself influence people’s willingness to act but change the processes that underlie individual decision-making. We conducted two experiments in […]





Evidence and perceptions of rainfall change in Malawi: Do maize cultivar choices enhance climate change adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa?

Research article by Chloe Sutcliffe, Andy Dougill, Claire Quinn on 1 Apr 2016

Getting farmers to adopt new cultivars with greater tolerance for coping with climatic extremes and variability is considered as one way of adapting agricultural production to climate change. However, for successful adaptation to occur, an accurate recognition and understanding of the climate signal by key stakeholders (farmers, seed suppliers and agricultural extension services) is an essential […]


Is co-producing science for adaptation decision-making a risk worth taking?

Working paper by Suraje Dessai on 31 Mar 2016

Over the last decade, researchers have repeatedly sought to understand why adaptation planning and decision-making have failed to progress as quickly as once hoped. A major concern is that policy paralysis and inaction have arisen due to practical difficulties of delivering climate science that can actually be used for adaptation decision-making. Non-scientific actors are increasingly […]



You never adapt alone – the role of Multi-Sectoral Partnerships in addressing urban climate risks

Working paper by Swenja Surminski, Hayley Leck on 24 Mar 2016

While multi-sectoral partnerships (MSPs) now form an increasingly popular and important part of the global climate and disaster risk governance landscape, particularly in urban areas, literature offers little critical investigation of this phenomenon. Through the lens of three partnership case studies from London, Rotterdam and Durban this paper investigates the scope for MSPs to enhance […]