Just Systems or Justice in Systems? Exploring the Ethical Implications of Systemic Resilience in Local Climate Adaptation

The article examines the ethical implications of systemic resilience in local climate adaptation, noting that resilience is an inherently normative concept that requires reflection on a system’s function, why it should be made resilient, and who it serves. It argues that decisions about community resilience must be informed by justice considerations, including participatory, procedural, distributive, and historical dimensions. Using the Rhine-Erft catchment in Germany as a Real-World Lab, the paper shows how resilience principles including learning, experimentation, connectivity, and dynamism intersect with governance challenges and normative uncertainty. It concludes that co-creative practices and participatory processes are essential for ethical acceptability and practical feasibility.