Social Capital and Climate Change Adaptation in China. A Systematic Review of Assessment Systems

For decades, scientists have been warning the international community that humans are facing the greatest environmental and social challenge of their history due to the numerous long-term changes in climate. The effectiveness of adaptation policies will be enhanced if social dimension and sustainable development are fully implemented in climate change’s agenda. Although the social dimension is already included in existing climate international agreements and debate, the potential of social capital has been too often underestimated or overlooked. China is the most populated country in the world and is highly vulnerable due to its demographic, economic, and environmental characteristics. This study reviews 15 Chinese papers sampled through the China Academic Journals Full-text Database and published between 2010 and 2018. Results show that Chinese literature about social capital and climate change appears to have achieved a certain breadth, however contents are incomplete and important variables are not always taken into proper consideration. Although recent years have signalled a more holistic approach, the relatively young and limited literature, the theoretical and methodological challenges still limit the use of the full potential of social capital’s interdisciplinary research. The results highlight the need to translate theoretical principles already included in international regulations and norms into practice.