Practitioners' Views on Useful Knowledge for Climate Change Adaptation Projects

In countries like Bolivia and Colombia, increased pressures on freshwater supplies are putting millions at risk, and effective adaptation strategies will be critical to mitigating the worst impacts in these regions. Transdisciplinary knowledge production frameworks can account for the interactions of natural and human‐made environments, and provide a potential solution for those in developing regions. Recent scholarship has reconciled common perceptions of transdisciplinary knowledge within the literature; however, little is known about how practitioners define transdisciplinary knowledge, and whether this type of knowledge production is favored. Using the Q‐methodology, this study examines the role of transdisciplinary knowledge among 22 practitioners from non‐governmental organizations working on climate change adaptation projects in Bolivia and Colombia. Four statistically different perspectives emerged: 1) Engaged Multi‐Dimensional Problem‐Solver, 2) User‐Focused Advocate, 3) Ivory Tower Producer, and 4) Development Traditionalist. These results and recommendations for using a transdisciplinary knowledge production framework to address climate change adaptation in developing regions will be discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment