How is society experiencing adapting to climate change? Are there patterns in peoples' experiences of adapting that we could learn from to improve societal adaptation?

A team of scientists from Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), Southern Cross University (SCU), and from the USA (the Southeast Climate Consortium) are hoping to find answers to these questions through an innovative application of recently developed methods for analysing the stories that people tell each other everyday; over a cup of coffee, in a lift or around the dinner table. Do people in different countries or regions have similar or very different experiences of what helps or hinders their ability to adapt? Using Cognitive Edge's SenseMaker® suite in conjunction with well established methods from social psychology and cognitive anthropology we seek to explore patterns in the stories people tell of their adaptation experiences. The information will be used to inform those keen to enhance the adaptive capacity of societies around the world.

This project is being facilitated by Emerging Options Pty Ltd.

For more information, please contact Tim Lynam at the CSIRO or Chris Fletcher at Emerging Options.