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Adaptation to climate change is increasingly recognized as necessary for societal resilience. Yet, adaptation is neither straightforward nor inherently positive in today’s complex, unequal and rapidly changing world, which characterized the Anthropocene. This thesis investigates the interplay between climate information and (mal)adaptation in socio-ecological-technical systems (SETSs), with a particular focus on drought risk management in Europe. Through five interlinked studies, this research examines how climate services are used, misused, or underutilized in climate change adaptation, and how their design, accessibility, and usability influence maladaptive outcomes.

Papers I and II analyse the European response to the 2022 drought, uncovering both the growing awareness of drought risk and the limitations of preparedness and institutional coordination. Findings highlight persistent fragmentation and reliance on short-term operational responses. The two papers also include a call for a European Drought Directive to enshrine systemic drought risk management into European governance. Paper III conceptualizes climate services through a system thinking lens, revealing how design and delivery may unintentionally reinforce path dependencies and systemic inequalities across a series of case studies. Paper IV develops a system dynamics model to explore trade-offs in adaptation pathways. It shows how short-term climate services may offer rapid economic gains but can heighten the risk of long-term system collapse. Conversely, long-term services foster resilience but demand delayed gratification and slower wealth generation. Paper V interrogates the format-function gap in climate service design, emphasizing how entrenched expectations and techno-scientific norms may stifle context-specific and transformative approaches.

Across these studies, the thesis argues that maladaptation is not simply the result of poor decisions, but often emerges from well-intentioned but narrowly framed interventions, shaped by institutional constraints, political priorities, and epistemic norms. Climate information is therefore not a neutral addition, it plays a key role in driving adaptive and maladaptive processes. The thesis contributes to the development of more inclusive, reflexive, and transformative climate services. It advocates for a pluralistic vision of adaptation that embraces complexity, acknowledges trade-offs, and centres the diverse needs and values of affected communities.