Distributing responsibilities for climate adaptation

Distributing responsibilities for climate adaptation: Examples from the water domain

Doorn, N. (TU Delft Ethics & Philosophy of Technology)
Brackel, A.K.C. (TU Delft Ethics & Philosophy of Technology)
Vermeulen, S. (TU Delft Ethics & Philosophy of Technology)

2021

It is often assumed that climate adaptation policy asks for new responsibility arrangements between central government and citizens, with citizens getting a more prominent role. This prompts the question under which conditions these new responsibility arrangements can be justified as they may raise serious ethical concerns. Without paying due attention to these ethical concerns, climate adaptation policy may be unsuccessful and even be considered illegitimate. This paper aims to address this topic by exploring some examples of climate adaptation responses and their associated ethical challenges. The examples from the water domain differ in terms of their primary beneficiaries and the extent to which they are prone to collective action problems. Discussion of the examples shows that any shift of responsibilities towards citizens should be accompanied by a governmental responsibility to make sure that citizens are indeed able to assume these responsibilities and a responsibility to see to it that the greater involvement of responsibilities does not create disproportional inequalities.

Blameworthiness
Capacity
Citizens
Climate adaptation
Community
Responsibility
Social justice

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:9d4034b2-b0b2-4ea3-a40d-1835d9c4c83f

https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073676

2071-1050

Sustainability, 13 (7)

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2021 N. Doorn, A.K.C. Brackel, S. Vermeulen