Unpacking the theory-practice gap in climate adaptation

Climate change adaptation (CCA) is an urgent global challenge that requires transdisciplinary efforts to deliver effective, aligned, useful, and sustainable outcomes. Current approaches and tools have been slow to translate into robust action, however, leading to a widening gap between adaptation theory and actual on the ground implementation. This theory-practice gap is a fundamental factor that is causing significant challenges to adaptation, yet it has seldom been directly defined or addressed. A better understanding of how this gap emerges, what drives it, and how it could be solved contributes to improving the way both adaptation theory and practice develop. This study critically examines the existence of this gap through a novel framework via a series of workshops with experts engaged in adaptation science, planning and implementation. The findings show that there are multiple gaps that interact with each other, generating a complex and challenging process of adaptation. There are diverse drivers such as motivation and values, knowledge, capacity, language, and funding, that shape the gap. Overall, we show that the gap can be tackled by integrating multiple solutions utilising the diverse sources of knowledge compiled in the framework. Possible solutions include improving knowledge creation and accessibility, enabling collaboration and communication between stakeholders, developing skills and capacity, improving context or circumstances, and introducing new roles and tools. These findings will be useful for scientists, practitioners and policymakers who are interested in developing more integrated theory-practice solutions for robust and effective climate adaptation.