Helping citizens share responsibility for democratic climate adaptation

Climate change is not only an environmental or scientific problem; it is fundamentally a social, ethical, and political challenge. Dr Chloe Lucas, an environmental social scientist at the University of Tasmania, approaches this complexity through her pioneering project titled "Helping Citizens Share Responsibility for Democratic Climate Adaptation."' Funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) under the Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) scheme, her research investigates how democratic processes and civic participation can be mobilised to create more equitable and effective climate adaptation strategies. In a time when many climate responses remain top-down and expert-driven, Lucas's work offers a transformative perspective - one that positions ordinary citizens as active agents in shaping their collective future.

At its core, Lucas's research questions how societies can share responsibility for adapting to climate change in ways that are democratic, inclusive, and grounded in lived experience. Traditional climate governance models often presume that the general public lacks the expertise necessary to contribute meaningfully to adaptation planning. Consequently, governments and scientific bodies tend to impose solutions that may overlook local needs, values, and capacities. Lucas turns this assumption on its head. Her approach begins with the conviction that adaptation will fail unless it draws upon the social knowledge, creativity, and moral agency of citizens themselves.

The project employs innovative methodologies, notably 'game-based deliberation and participatory simulations', to explore how people make decisions about climate risk when faced with complex trade-offs. These interactive methods allow participants to embody the roles of citizens, policymakers, and community leaders, experiencing first-hand the tensions between individual interests and collective good. Through structured play, participants negotiate priorities, allocate resources, and confront uncertainty - all within a safe, experimental space. This process transforms abstract policy discussions into tangible, emotionally resonant experiences.

Lucas's use of play and gaming as research tools reflects her belief that "climate adaptation is as much a cultural practice as a scientific one". Play enables creativity and empathy; it lowers the barriers between experts and citizens and encourages people to consider unfamiliar perspectives. Her research findings suggest that through these participatory exercises, individuals begin to see themselves not as passive recipients of government action, but as 'co-creators of social resilience'. This shift in perception - from dependence to shared responsibility - is central to democratic climate governance.

The participatory model also illuminates the political dimensions of adaptation. Climate policies often distribute costs and benefits unevenly, with marginalised groups bearing disproportionate burdens. By engaging diverse participants - across age, gender, socioeconomic status, and geographic location - Lucas's project foregrounds the social justice implications of adaptation. It reveals how historical inequities, economic precarity, and varying levels of trust in institutions shape people's experiences of climate vulnerability. Democratic adaptation, in Lucas's framework, must therefore be both 'inclusive and reflexive' - continually questioning who is heard, who decides, and who benefits.

The Australian context of her study provides a valuable lens through which to understand the interplay of community identity, governance, and environmental change. Australia's climate debates have long been polarised, with adaptation efforts often fragmented between local, state, and federal jurisdictions. Lucas situates her research within this contested terrain, arguing that democratic participation can bridge divides between policy frameworks and everyday experience. Her findings, however, have broad global resonance - particularly for developing nations like Bangladesh, where climate vulnerability is both acute and deeply social.

Bangladesh, one of the most climate-affected countries in the world, faces the challenge of balancing technical adaptation (such as flood control and cyclone preparedness) with community-based resilience. Here, Lucas's approach offers a compelling lesson: adaptation that ignores public participation risks reinforcing inequalities and undermining legitimacy. The idea of 'shared responsibility' resonates strongly in the Bangladeshi context, where grassroots mobilisation, collective action, and local governance structures have historically played key roles in disaster management. Applying a democratic adaptation model could strengthen these processes, giving citizens a more active voice in shaping the policies that affect their survival and well-being.

Lucas's theoretical framework draws heavily on environmental sociology and democratic theory. She conceptualises adaptation as a form of 'collective moral practice' - a way in which societies negotiate their obligations to each other and to future generations. Her work critiques technocratic models that treat climate change as a problem to be managed by experts. Instead, it emphasises 'deliberative democracy' as a tool for co-producing knowledge and legitimacy. In this sense, her research aligns with thinkers like John Dryzek, ElinorOstrom, and Sheila Jasanoff, who advocate for participatory governance in complex environmental systems.

One of the most significant contributions of Lucas's work is her exploration of 'affective and relational dimensions' of adaptation. She argues that people's willingness to share responsibility is not driven solely by rational calculation, but also by emotions - empathy, trust, fear, and hope. By creating spaces where these emotions can be expressed and validated, participatory games help build social cohesion and resilience. This insight challenges the assumption that public engagement should be purely informational. Instead, it recognises that feelings of belonging, fairness, and agency are integral to democratic adaptation.

In policy terms, Lucas's project provides actionable guidance for governments and institutions seeking to deepen public involvement in climate governance. Her findings suggest that participatory mechanisms - when designed with sensitivity to local culture and capacity - can enhance both the 'effectiveness' and 'legitimacy' of adaptation policies. Rather than viewing citizens as obstacles to implementation, policymakers should see them as essential partners in identifying priorities, testing ideas, and monitoring outcomes. This approach fosters a shared sense of ownership that is crucial for long-term sustainability.

Lucas's work also raises critical questions about the nature of democracy itself in an era of ecological crisis. If climate adaptation requires rapid and decisive action, can democratic deliberation keep pace? Lucas responds by arguing that speed and participation need not be mutually exclusive. Well-designed participatory processes can produce consensus faster than top-down models, particularly when citizens feel trusted and empowered. In this way, democratic adaptation becomes not a hindrance but a source of resilience - a system that learns and evolves through dialogue rather than coercion.

From an analytical perspective, 'Helping Citizens Share Responsibility for Democratic Climate Adaptation' represents a synthesis of empirical research and normative theory. It bridges environmental sociology, political science, and social psychology to reveal how democratic institutions and social values interact in times of crisis. The project's methodological innovation - using games as both research and educational tools - also offers a replicable model for other contexts. By making climate decisions visible and experiential, Lucas transforms abstract governance challenges into shared learning processes.

Her broader body of work complements this project by examining how different forms of climate communication shape public understanding. Lucas has written extensively on the sociology of climate change, exploring why individuals respond differently to environmental information and how cultural identity influences perceptions of risk. She argues that trust, narrative, and emotion are often more powerful than data in motivating collective action. This insight reinforces the idea that adaptation must be socially grounded, not merely scientifically informed.

For countries like Bangladesh, where adaptation is both a national priority and a moral imperative, Lucas's research offers a vision of participatory resilience. Community-based adaptation initiatives could draw upon her model to create localised deliberation processes - perhaps through village simulations, citizen assemblies, or participatory planning games - to test decisions about land use, migration, or resource management. By involving people directly in these discussions, adaptation policies could become not only more effective but also more just and durable.

Ultimately, Dr Chloe Lucas's project redefines what it means to adapt to climate change in democratic societies. It calls for a rethinking of responsibility - not as a burden imposed from above, but as a shared commitment negotiated through dialogue, empathy, and collective imagination. Her work demonstrates that the future of climate adaptation lies not in technical solutions alone, but in the cultivation of democratic relationships that enable communities to learn, act, and care together.

In an era where climate politics are increasingly polarised and trust in institutions is fragile, Lucas's research stands as a hopeful reminder that democracy itself can be an instrument of resilience. It teaches that adaptation, when pursued collectively, becomes more than survival; it becomes an expression of solidarity and shared humanity. For Bangladesh - and indeed, for the world - this vision of democratic adaptation offers both an ethical compass and a practical roadmap for confronting the uncertainties of a changing planet.

Dr Matiur Rahman is a researcher and development professional.

matiurrahman588@gmail.com