Knowledge Diversity for Climate Change Adaptation: A Social-Ecological-Technological Systems (SETS) Approach to Mental Models

As the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events continue to increase due to climate change, risk mitigation has become a critical aspect of climate change adaptation in cities. The impacts of extreme weather events in cities are extremely diverse. Consequently,  integrative, systems-based approaches have been praised given their capacity to structure holistic risk assessments, account for both qualitative and quantitative data, and for accounting for the interactions between system components. Given the diversity and complexity of urban systems, interdisciplinary knowledge integration is critical in order to account for varied perspectives related to the impacts of extreme weather events on urban systems. Despite advances made to integrate different strands of knowledge through systems-based approaches, few methods exist to contextualize, analyse and evaluate its diversity. Assessing knowledge diversity exposes varying ways in which stakeholders identify and problematize the impacts of extreme weather events uncovering knowledge gaps and dominant knowledge framings that might hinder risk governance processes.  This study presents a novel methodology that integrates mental models and the social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) framework to assess and compare individual stakeholder perceptions of urban systems under the lens of an extreme weather event. By classifying system components and interactions into social, ecological, and technological domains, mental models enable the visualization of knowledge diversity, as well as the identification of potential gaps and silos in stakeholder understanding. The methodology is applied to New York City as a case study, engaging 20 stakeholders from diverse disciplines and sectors involved in mitigating the impacts of extreme precipitation. Findings reveal significant variability in how stakeholders emphasize SET domains and interactions. This methodology offers a transferable framework for assessing knowledge diversity in urban climate adaptation, emphasizing the importance of reflecting on stakeholder perspectives to identify gaps and synergies. By supporting more holistic and inclusive co-production processes, this approach provides a theoretical and empirical foundation for advanced modelling efforts that are capable of addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by climate change in urban environments.