Water plus what? On the politics of addition in the good economy of climate adaptation

Abstract

In this article, I trace the transformation of climate adaptation in Denmark into a good economy. Empirically, I explore a shift in rainwater management from building sewers underground to making cheaper solutions on the surface. Moreover, these solutions are expected not only to handle rainwater but also to “add value,” particularly recreational value. I call this approach the politics of addition, emphasizing that it entails a specific set of principles for doing good while adapting to climate change. Theoretically, I relate this politics of addition to the concept of the good economy. By drawing on the orders of worth perspective, I emphasize how good economies are compromises between multiple versions of the good and that these compromises need to be stabilized through so-called composite objects. Relying mainly on document material supplemented by interviews, I identify several composite objects in climate adaptation, including tools of valuation as well as specific projects. By analyzing these composite objects, I describe how the politics of addition compromises several versions of the good in climate adaptation, eventually promising that adding value will ease “the battle for space” in cities by composing economic, technical, and recreational value into the same facilities.