Conclusion
A behavioural science perspective on individual and collective action to climate change is valuable in understanding the anthropogenic drivers of environmental degradation and how to mitigate them while identifying which adaptation strategies can be implemented to build rural resilience.5 Embedded within these processes is a need for collective cultural transformation, which will only become more apparent over time as our health, social systems, and economy continue to endure the growing adverse impacts of anthropogenic climate change. With smaller population sizes and a dominant culture of collectivism, long-term orientation, and strong human-nature relationship, rural communities may serve as guiding points to promote the engagement of pro-environmental behaviours leading to sustainable climate adaptation strategies. Evidently, a complex adaptive systems approach to coping with the impacts of climate change is necessary to protect human health and the well-being of our communities.
We must explore alternative ways of seeing the world, which will inspire novel approaches to supporting adaptation strategies for rural communities and their services in response to a changing environment. In the next chapter, we will discuss theories of transformative resilience to orient our forward-looking climate adaptation practice.
