Evolutionary or equilibrist? Small businesses resilience to flooding in Scotland

• Authors: Fiona Henderson , Geoff Whittam

Title variants

PL

Ewolucyjna czy równoważona? Rezyliencja małego biznesu względem powodzi w Szkocji

• Languages of publication: EN PL

Abstracts

EN

Flooding is the most significant current climate change-related threat to the Uk, yet its impact upon small businesses is largely unexplored. This paper investigates the resilience of a small business community in Scotland that has evolved over decades of trading in a flood-prone area. The development of their adaptive strategies is explored in the context of White and o’Hare’s (2014) resilience paradox, which argues that a lack of clarity in the definition of resilience has facilitated vagueness in policy which, whilst maintaining an adaptive optimistic rhetoric, has favoured equilibrist protectionism over evolutionary and transformative approaches. This tension between the equilibristic approach inherent within the civil contingencies act (2004) and the adaptive responses which the climate change adaption act (2009) endeavours to promote is considered in light of the experience of the participating small business owners, who perceive their resilience is threatened by a flood protection measure planned by the local authority. This flood protection measure has been developed despite repeated objections by the local community, and this study presents business owners’ feelings that they are not being consulted adequately or their objections heard. The need to engage communities and work together to develop solutions to climate change threats to facilitate community resilience is discussed.

PL

Powodzie należą do najbardziej istotnych zagrożeń współczesnych zmian klimatycznych w Wielkiej Brytanii, natomiast ich wpływ na mały biznes jest w dużej mierze niezbadanym obszarem badan. Artykuł bada rezyliencje społeczności małych firm w Szkocji, która ewoluowała przez dziesięciolecia prowadzenia działalności gospodarczej w strefach zagrożonych powodzią. Rozwój adaptacyjnych strategii małego biznesu jest prowadzony w kontekście paradoksu rezyliencji White’a i o’Hare (2014), którzy wskazuje, ze brak przejrzystości w definicji rezyliencji ułatwia nieprecyzyjność w polityce, która zamiast podtrzymywać optymistyczną adaptacyjną retorykę, faworyzuje protekcjonizm równowagi względem podejść ewolucyjnych i transformatywnych. Tego rodzaju konflikt pomiędzy podejściem równowagi właściwym dla civil contingencies act (2004) oraz adaptacyjnym reagowaniem zgodnym z climate change adaption act (2009) prowadzi do podjęcia rozważań w świetle doświadczeń właścicieli małych firm, którzy postrzegają własną rezyliencje jako zagrożona przez działania związane z ochroną przeciwpowodziową planowaną przez lokalne władze. Tego rodzaju działania przeciwpowodziowe zostały rozwinięte pomimo powtarzanych sprzeciwów ze strony społeczności lokalnej, zaś przedstawione badania prezentują odczucia właścicieli małych firm względem pominięcia w procesie konsultacji ich sprzeciwu. W opracowaniu dyskusji została poddana potrzeba zaangażowania społeczności i wspólnej pracy na rzecz wypracowania rozwiązań względem zagrożeń wynikających ze zmian klimatu na rzecz wzmocnienia rezyliencji społeczności.

Keywords

EN

Small business; flooding; resilience; policy; evolution; equilibrist

PL

mały biznes; powódź; rezyliencja; polityka; podejście ewolucyjne; podejście równowagi

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Opolski
• Journal: Studia Miejskie
• Year: 2016
• Volume: 24
• Pages: 23-41

Dates

published

2016

Contributors

author

Fiona Henderson

• Glasgow Caledonian University

author

Geoff Whittam

• Glasgow Caledonian University

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Identifiers

ISSN

2082-4793