ISER Lunchtime Talk: 'Financing Adaptations to Climate Change in Developing Countries,' Nov. 13

Wednesday, Nov. 13, 12-1 p.m. Diplomacy Building, Fifth Floor, Conference Room

Recent years have seen a dramatic ramping up of both funds and financial institutions to help developing countries adapt to climate change. Along with that increased support for adaptation, there has been an upsurge in discussions among scholars and policymakers about how and what types of adaptation should be funded. Analysts have drawn particular attention to questions about how adaptation to climate change should be linked with the existing policies and practices collectively referred to as "development."

Maureen Biermann, a Ph.D. candidate at Pennsylvania State University, is drawing on critical development theory and political ecology to examine how adaptation and development are being positioned relative to each other at one leading international institution for financing climate-change adaptations: the Adaptation Fund, housed in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Biermann is analyzing qualitative data she collected from documents and interviews at the United Nations and in Tanzania to assess how those with various interests-institutions financing adaptation, recipient countries and communities-see the relationship between adaptation to climate change and development. In clarifying that relationship, her research draws new connections between climate change scholarship, political ecology and critical development theory. Please join us at ISER to hear her share her findings.

The Diplomacy Building is located at 4500 Diplomacy Drive, at the corner of Tudor Road and Tudor Centre Drive. Parking is free. Call (907) 786-7710 if you need directions.

November Archive