This dissertation investigates how social justice is considered as local governments in the United States develop and implement climate adaptation plans and is composed of an introduction (Chapter 1), three stand-alone manuscripts (Chapters 2-4), and a conclusion (Chapter 5). The introduction gives a brief overview of climate adaptation planning, the intersection of social justice and climate adaptation, and existing research about how social justice is considered as communities prepare for climate change. To conceptualize social justice throughout this dissertation, we adopt the three-dimensional theory that includes recognitional, distributional, and procedural justice. Both Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 focus on adaptation planning through a review of 101 climate adaptation, climate action, and climate resilience plans published between 2010-2021 by US municipalities. In Chapter 2, we used data from this review to understand generally how recognitional, distributional, and procedural justice were considered within these documents. In Chapter 3, we used the same data and demographic data for each community to understand trends over time and other patterns in how each type of justice was considered through a series of regressions. Chapter 4 serves as a follow-up to the adaptation plan review to understand how local governments are considering justice as they move forward and implement adaptation initiatives. We interviewed the plan leads from 25 communities that published a recent climate plan that we reviewed and asked them how their local government has considered social justice as they've implemented adaptation projects, what factors have enabled these considerations, and what challenges they've encountered. The results of these studies show that social justice is increasingly addressed in more recent climate plans, but recognitional and distributional justice are often considered more than procedural justice. Most communities we spoke with are still in the early phases of implementing these plans, and largely centered on how these municipalities have engaged marginalized individuals, with most aspiring towards empowerment but informing or consulting with residents. Our findings revealed that many opportunities remain to advance justice further, especially in how municipalities can meaningfully engage and empower marginalized residents in adaptation initiatives. The conclusion summarizes how social justice is considered in adaptation planning and implementation, as well as what gaps remain. Within this section, I reflect on my experiences as a Ph.D. student at Virginia Tech and my future goals within academia. / Doctor of Philosophy / As local governments prepare for climate change, they are grappling with how to ensure everyone is equipped to adapt, including their most vulnerable residents. Even with increased attention on social justice in climate adaptation efforts, it is unclear how municipalities plan to achieve this. Climate adaptation plans are one resource US municipalities can employ to address justice as they tackle climate change. While research has increasingly focused on climate adaptation planning, there's been little follow-up to suggest communities are moving from planning to implementation. The research included in this dissertation investigates how social justice is considered in climate adaptation, climate action, and climate resilience plans published between 2010-2021 by US municipalities and how justice is addressed when these plans are being implemented. The study considers social justice through the three-dimensional theory of recognitional, distributional, and procedural justice. The results show that social justice is increasingly addressed in more recent climate plans, but recognitional and distributional justice are often considered more than procedural justice. Most municipalities were still in the early phases of implementing these plans, so our discussions with government employees largely centered on how they have engaged marginalized individuals in initiating programs, with most aspiring towards empowerment but informing or consulting with residents. Many opportunities remain to advance justice further, especially in how municipalities can meaningfully engage and empower marginalized residents in adaptation initiatives.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/116456 |
| Date | 11 October 2023 |
| Creators | Brousseau, Jennifer Joyce |
| Contributors | Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Stern, Marc J., Lemaire, Robin Hargroder, Schenk, Todd Edward William, Hull, Robert B. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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