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Paper short abstract

This conceptual paper examines how accountability in rural climate adaptation operates as a mode of authority rather than empowerment, showing how social ties, selective transparency, and mediated communication organise responsibility while constraining influence.

Paper long abstract

This conceptual paper examines how accountability in rural climate adaptation can operate as a mode of authority rather than as a pathway to empowerment. Adaptation initiatives frequently frame accountability in terms of participation, transparency, and community responsibility. However, these arrangements often organise behaviour and expectations in ways that stabilise institutional control. Drawing on debates in adaptation governance, social capital, and transparency scholarship, the paper develops an accountability-as-authority framework to explain how responsibility is produced, distributed, and legitimised within adaptation interventions.

The paper argues that accountability is shaped through social relations, selective information sharing, and mediated communication. Bonding ties within community groups support cooperation and mutual oversight, yet they can also reinforce conformity with priorities set outside the community. Transparency often focuses on technical and operational information while leaving strategic and financial decisions beyond scrutiny. Communication is channelled through intermediaries who filter concerns and shape how participation is expressed and understood. These dynamics create accountability arrangements that rely on community involvement while limiting opportunities for influence or contestation.

By conceptualising accountability as a political process rather than a neutral mechanism, the paper contributes to wider debates on power, participation, and governance in climate adaptation. It highlights how accountability can sustain project outcomes while narrowing the scope of agency available to communities. The paper concludes by reflecting on how adaptation governance might be re-imagined in ways that align responsibility with meaningful influence over decision-making.