The role of social identities for collective adaptation capacities– general considerations and lessons from Jakarta, Indonesia

Cities worldwide increasingly host populations which are highly exposed and vulnerable to the effects of climate change and hence need to adapt, whilst featuring high degrees of socio-cultural diversity. Differences in local vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities are increasingly acknowledged, however, they are mostly explained by drawing on individual social categories such as age, gender, or health status. Given that residents’ capacities to adapt are largely bound in their ability to work together, a stronger focus on social interaction and collaboration is needed, taking into account urban diversity. Using the example of Jakarta, the highly at-risk capital of Indonesia, we apply a qualitative content analysis of semi-structured interviews with key informants to examine the diversity of collective adaptation capacities among sub-groups within allegedly homogenous groups. Using a mix of deductive and inductive coding, we find that in the case of Jakarta, three social identities with differing adaptive capacities are highly relevant in the context of long-term collective adaptation to flooding. First, kinship and close neighborhood are characterized by very tight networks with limited capacities. Second, institutionalized local neighborhood groups with strict social norms and traditions. Third, cross-neighborhood, civil society supported groups have far-reaching capacities thanks to bridging and linking ties. The results extend current knowledge on collective adaptation capacities among hitherto ill-perceived and supposedly homogenous groups of “the most vulnerable”. Findings therefore can be valuable for improving adaptation policies and programs, particularly in the field of supported adaptation.