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Individual or collective adaptation situation?


For private adaptation situations, where firms or community-based organisations adapt in their own interest, organisational and procedural aspects of adaptive capacity are most relevant. For private individuals, say, coastal dwellers or individual farmers, there is usually no need to explicitly assess their own capacity as these individuals are aware of this. For private collective adaptation, organisational capacity analysis is important as groups, communities or organisations of actors do not necessarily have a clear picture of their capacity. Towards this end, organisational self-assessment methods are applicable.

AP interactive decision tree - click any node to select it

For private ASs, where firms or community-based organisations adapt in their own interest, organisational and procedural aspects of adaptive capacity are most relevant. For private individuals, say, coastal dwellers or individual farmers, there is usually no need to explicitly assess their own capacity as these individuals are aware of this. For private collective adaptation, organisational capacity analysis is important as groups, communities or organisations of actors do not necessarily have a clear picture of their capacity. Towards this end, organisational self-assessment methods are applicable.



This section is based on the UNEP PROVIA guidance document


Criteria checklist

1. You want to assess vulnerability.
2. You want to generate knowledge on capacity.
3. The adaptation situation is private.
4. As a next step you are faced with the question whether the adaptation situation is individual or collective.