This thesis examines the impact of government action and inaction in the context of climate change adaptation on people’s wellbeing and perceptions of fairness. Whilst it acknowledges the spectrum of government action and inaction for comparative purposes, the central focus of this thesis is on planned relocation. The thesis addresses three well-identified knowledge gaps.

First, evaluations of planned relocation commonly focus on the risks and benefits of government intervention, often overlooking the consequences of not intervening. This study, therefore, accounts for uneven government action and inaction, looking across the range of outcomes by developing a categorisation of Planned Relocation, Adaptation In-Situ, and Lack of Adaptation. Second, planned relocation has traditionally been evaluated in terms of impacts on people’s income and livelihoods, human rights, or place attachments. This study presents a distinctive analysis of government action and inaction by assessing affected individuals’ wellbeing and perceptions of fairness. Wellbeing, as used here, is multidimensional, encompassing material, subjective, and relational dimensions. Perceptions of fairness, as used, here account for distributive and procedural dimensions. Third, there is limited evidence on how perceptions of fairness of outcomes and decision-making processes affect an individual’s sense of wellbeing. This study, therefore, investigates the relationships between distributive and procedural aspects of fairness and subjective wellbeing. Overall, this study contributes to the fields of environmental justice and climate change adaptation by shedding light on the complex impacts of government action and inaction on wellbeing and perceptions of fairness among socially marginalised communities.

This study examines government action and inaction in the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta in India. It focuses on localities on Sagar Island that are facing coastal erosion and flooding and where local populations recognise the need for government intervention but where there have been uneven government responses. A combination of inductive and deductive approaches is used to identify theoretically valid yet locally relevant aspects of wellbeing and fairness. Data are derived from mixed methods, used both for the purpose of development and expansion. The data includes narrative interviews (n=14) that aim to identify valued aspects of wellbeing and fairness, as well as surveys (n=222) and semi-structured interviews (n=14) that aim to measure the wellbeing and perceptions of fairness in Relocated, Adapted In-Situ, and Non-Adapted sub-populations.

The results reveal that, on average, most Relocated respondents own agricultural land, which is a key factor in evaluations of material wellbeing among the three unevenly adapted sub-populations that traditionally relied on subsistence agriculture. Livelihoods reconstruction and diversification are central to self-assessments of material and subjective wellbeing, and perceptions of distributive fairness. Relocated respondents report the highest levels of subjective wellbeing across most life satisfaction dimensions and dual social attachments to the original and new settlement. The Relocated, Adapted In-Situ, and Non-Adapted respondents form their perceptions of fairness in relation to the distribution of beneficial and adverse outcomes, employing the criteria of equity, equality, and need inconsistently. Perceptions of procedural fairness vary, but overall expectations of government action are low. Perceptions of fairness have not been found to influence respondents’ subjective wellbeing.

This study resonates with previous studies on planned relocation that place the issue of livelihoods as a key factor for successful adaptation. It demonstrates that when planned relocation improves material circumstances, the outcomes of the intervention are accepted and perceived as legitimate. Outcome satisfaction is the main criterion influencing the formation of perceptions of fairness. Pessimistic expectations of government intent and capacity combined with greater-than-expected government action are found to positively influence perceptions of fairness even in the absence of a participatory approach. This finding is distinctive from many studies that place participatory decision-making processes as central to the formation of perceptions of fairness. Considering the growing demand for planned relocation in response to climate change, these findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of marginalised communities’ expectations of adaptation.