Article: Why history matters to planning: Climate change, colonialism & maladaptation
Recently, Sarah Kehler and S. Jeff Birchall from the University of Alberta (Canada), and the Thematic Network on Local-scale Planning, Climate Change and Resilience, published ‘Why history matters to planning: Climate change, colonialism & maladaptation’, with the journal Environmental Science and Policy.
The authors understand that to effectively address climate vulnerability, climate change adaptation planning must first reconcile the historical roots of maladaptive path dependencies and ongoing Indigenous injustice. In order to facilitate a discussion, in this perspective article the authors explore the temporal relationship of spatial planning, the impact of climate change and the urgent need for transformation.
Highlights from the article:
• Maladaptation is increasing vulnerability to climate change
• Historical decisions perpetuate maladaptation through maladaptive path dependencies (MPDs)
• Indigenous worldviews predate MPDs formed during settler colonialism
• Biocultural relationships empower adaptive learning and resilient decision making
• Colonial institutions maintain MPDs by erasing Indigenous Knowledge and Leadership.
The journal article can be accessed for free here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104076
Full citation
Kehler, S., Birchall, SJ. (2025). Why history matters to planning: Climate change, colonialism & maladaptation. Environmental Science & Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104076.