Congratulations to Vivek Prasad, Monique Helfrich and Susan A. Crate, the winners of the International Award for Excellence in the area of Climate Change: Impacts and Responses  for their paper Social Capital as a Source of Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change in Developing Countries

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to explore adaptation to the impacts of global climate change, specifically focusing on adaptation in the agricultural sectors of developing countries. Case studies were conducted using two countries, India and Bangladesh that were considered representative of these developing countries. In our case study analysis, we placed special emphasis on developing an understanding of the dynamics of the relationship between social capital and adaptation in resource dependent communities. Of particular interest are insights related to the relationship between adaptation and social capital, the implications of social capital on the resilience of individuals and their communities, and their flexibility in responding to changing circumstances. Insights from these case studies help to identify areas of future research. Perhaps most importantly, while the existing literature indicates a link between social capital and climate change adaptation, there is a need for additional data to further understand this human-environment interaction.

If you have read the paper you may wish to add a review.

Congratulations to all of the International Award for Excellence finalists:

• Lilly Rose Amirtham, Monsingh David Devadas and Mohana Perumal: Mapping of Micro-Urban Heat Islands and Land Cover Changes: A Case in Chennai City, India
• Ambika Badh, Adnan Akyuz, Gary Vocke and Barbara Mullins: Impact of Climate Change on the Growing Seasons in Select Cities of North Dakota, United States of America
• Jagtar Bhatti, Oleg Chertov and Alexander Komarov: Influence of Climate Change, Fire, Insect and Harvest on Carbon Dynamics for Jack Pine in Central Canada: Simulation Approach with the EFIMOD Model
• Paul Bernard Carney: Education for Inheriting the Earth: A Comprehensive Approach to Education for Sustainable Living from Australia
• John J. McDonnell and Jennifer L. Bartlett: Marketing to Change Public Opinion on Climate Change: A Case Study
• Abdulwasey Mohammed, Paul C. Stoy and Tim J. Malthus: Information Preservation and Change Detection across Spatial Scales in the Assessment of Global CH4 Emission Estimates from Wetlands
• Wayan Suparta, Mohd. Alauddin Mohd. Ali and Baharudin Yatim:  Characterization of Water Vapour Variability Based on GPS Sensing
• Davy Vanham and Wolfgang Rauch: Climate Change and its Influence on Mountain Snow Covers: Implication for Driving Water in the European Alps (to be published in the next issue)