Transformative adaptation pathways: A multi-level framework for navigating systemic climate change responses

Abstract

Escalating climate risks have intensified calls for transformative adaptation. Yet a persistent theoretical challenge remains: the lack of an integrated framework that explains how transformation unfolds by linking micro-level behavioral dynamics with macro-level structural change. This paper addresses this gap by developing the Transformative Adaptation Pathways (TAP) framework. TAP integrates three theoretical pillars: Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways (DAPP) for temporality and tipping points; the Social-Ecological Systems (SES) framework for structural context; and the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) for a micro-foundation of actor behavior. Its core contribution is the conceptualization of cross-scale feedback mechanisms—power-mediated processes of institutional selection that link macro, meso , and micro levels. It elucidates how these mechanisms, which generate either transformative or regressive feedback, are conditioned by power dynamics, steering the system toward a TAP (addressing the root causes of vulnerability) or trapping it in a Non-TAP (lock-in/maladaptation). Positioned as a conceptual–diagnostic framework, TAP offers practical value by enabling scholars and practitioners to trace pathway evolution, diagnose lock-ins, and identify leverage points for intervention, thereby supporting more resilient and equitable adaptation trajectories. As a concrete output, the paper advances six testable propositions, charting a research agenda for operationalizing the framework's core mechanisms and diagnosing pathway divergence across diverse social-ecological contexts.