Religion and Indigenous Worldviews in Climate Change Adaptation – A Scoping Review

Sammanfattning

This thesis presents a scoping review of academic literature on the intersection of religion, spirituality, and Indigenous worldviews with climate change adaptation. While adaptation research has traditionally emphasised technical, institutional, and financial dimensions, the cultural and spiritual dimensions shaping community responses remain underexplored. To address this gap, the review systematically mapped 44 empirical studies published between 2009 and 2025, identified through searches in Scopus and Web of Science, and complemented by reference screening. The studies reveal that religious and spiritual worldviews act as interpretive lenses through which climate change is understood, and translate into embedded adaptation practices such as rituals, stewardship principles, reciprocity, and collective solidarity. Faith-based organisations and spiritual leaders emerged as important facilitators, legitimising adaptation strategies and mobilising community action. At the same time, certain beliefs, such as fatalistic interpretations of divine will, acted as barriers by reducing perceived human agency. The analysis highlights how colonial legacies, power relations, and structural inequalities shape how these worldviews enable or constrain adaptation. The review demonstrates the utility of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Cultural Theory of Risk for analysing how attitudes, norms, and broader worldviews influence adaptation, while also identifying their limitations in capturing spiritual and Indigenous dimensions. Significant gaps remain, particularly regarding long-term outcomes, integration into policy, and studies in the Global North. The findings emphasise the need for more inclusive and pluralistic approaches to adaptation research and governance that recognise religious and spiritual worldviews as legitimate knowledge systems.