Adaptation is sometimes described
as a process of learning in to an unknowable future (Flood, 1999).
Learning how to learn is thus a key commodity for adaptation and the
process of adaptation should act to support those involved to become
better learners and critical thinkers as it is a way of building
capacity for change. But while there is an emphasis on learning as a
good and necessary thing, relatively little effort is put into
understanding what it is that needs to be being learnt, by whom and how
this should happen (Armitage et al, 2007). Concepts, assumptions and
approaches to learning have been applied in ‘vague and
uncritical ways’ (ibid) and there is a need for greater
specificity of learning goals and what it means to be open to learning.
There
are many different ways of characterising what could be learnt. Pasteur
(2004) writing about learning in development organisations identified
the following categories:
- Facts
(knowledge, processes, procedures)
- Skills for
learning (such as active listening, suspension , design of meetings and
workshops to enable learning)
- Evaluation (learning
from experience, success and failure)
- Innovation
(to be creative, designing the future and not just adapting to it)
It
is clear that learning is important for climate adaptation it is often
not done, or not in a structured way. If it done in the absence of a
clear understanding of who, how, when, and what learning is intended
then it is likely to be ‘slow, inconsistent and
unpredictable’, despite the value placed on it (Armitage, et
al 2007).
The tools we use in adaptation
processes are there to help us ask better questions about what is
needed in order to be able to adapt or be resilient to a changing
world. So as well as learning how to use a particular tool we also need
to be learning how to become better learners who can both apply a tool
and gain useful information in doing so and critically reflect on the
process and what is emerging. What is emerging here? Is it what we
expected? Did we achieve our purpose? How is it challenging our
assumptions of what would happen? Is the purpose we set ourselves
sufficient or is there a better way to achieve our vision of being well
adapting? This will build confidence to make choices about the way
forward.
