Engineering Vulnerability: In Pursuit of Climate Adaptation

Sarah E. Vaughn's Engineering Vulnerability explores climate adaptation in the context of settler colonialism and global climate change initiatives, focusing on Guyana's response to the 2005 catastrophic flooding. Vaughn argues that climate adaptation has implications for understanding the past and ongoing human settlement of a place, and exposes the generative openings and gaps in racial thinking for theorizing climate action and environmental justice.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 29 April 2022
Publisher: Duke University Press

In her groundbreaking book Engineering Vulnerability, Sarah E. Vaughn delves into the intricate interplay between climate adaptation and ongoing processes of settler colonialism, as well as the global climate change initiatives aimed at mitigating the impact of climate change on the world's most vulnerable populations. Vaughn's case study focuses on Guyana, which was severely affected by catastrophic flooding in 2005, revealing the complexities and challenges of climate adaptation in a country with a history of racial inequality. Through an analysis of engineering projects undertaken in Guyana in the aftermath of the floods, Vaughn sheds light on the contingencies involved in climate adaptation and how they shape the expectations of the Guyanese people regarding racial (in)equality. By examining the coproduction of race and vulnerability, Vaughn offers a profound understanding of why climate adaptation has significant implications for our understanding of the past and the ongoing human settlement of a place. This understanding becomes particularly evident in the disputes between experts and ordinary citizens over resources, as well as in their attention to the ethical practice of technoscience over time. Vaughn's approach to climate adaptation challenges traditional racial thinking and opens up new avenues for theorizing climate action, environmental justice, and the future of life on a warming planet. Her book has received critical acclaim, including the Duke University Press Scholars of Color First Book Award, recognizing its groundbreaking contributions to the field of environmental studies.

Weight: 538g
Dimension: 159 x 236 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478015482