Climate adaptation governance - theory, concepts, and praxis in cities and regions. The role of climate and water governance in supporting climate change adaptation processes

The scale and scope of climate change has triggered widespread acknowledgement of the need to adapt to it. Out of recent work attempting to understand, define, and contribute to the family of concepts related to adaptation efforts, considerable contributions and research have emerged. Yet, the field of climate adaptation constantly grapples with complex ideas whose relational interplay is not always clear. Similarly, understanding how applied climate change adaptation efforts unfold through planning processes that are embedded in broader institutional settings can be difficult to apprehend. We present a review of important theory, themes, and terms evident in the literature of spatial planning and climate change adaptation to integrate them and synthesize a conceptual framework illustrating their dynamic interplay. This leads to consideration of how institutions, urban governance, and the practice of planning are involved, and evolving, in shaping climate adaptation efforts. While examining the practice of adaptation planning is useful in framing how core climate change concepts are related, the role of institutional processes in shaping and defining these concepts—and adaptation planning itself—remains complex. Our framework presents a useful tool for approaching and improving an understanding of the interactive relationships of central climate change adaptation concepts, with implications for future work focused on change within the domains of planning and institutions addressing challenges in the climate change era.

Download Full-text

Adaptation confusion? A longitudinal examination of the concept “climate change adaptation” in Norwegian municipal surveys.

Weather Climate and Society ◽

10.1175/wcas-d-21-0024.1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Torbjørn Selseng ◽

Marit Klemetsen ◽

Tone Rusdal

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Local Governments ◽

Large Scale ◽

Climate Adaptation ◽

Building Society ◽

Questions And Answers ◽

Local Government Level ◽

Longitudinal Examination

AbstractIn recent decades, there has been a surge in the scholarship on climate change adaptation (CCA) terminology and diverging interpretations of the term has emerged. Given the crucial role of local governments in building society-wide adaptive capacity, understanding how municipalities understand and interpret CCA, is important. In this study, we analyse twelve large-scale questionnaires from 2007 to 2020 distributed to all Norwegian municipalities. Using a combination of directed and conventional content analysis of the questions and answers, we summarise and map the progress of adaptation work over the 14 years and assess the consistency and the scope of the surveys in light of the current research on climate adaptation. We find diverging views on what adaptation entails, both from the researchers, in the phrasing of questions, and from the respondents. The empirical evidence suggests an overall imbalanced interpretation of CCA, both in terms of the risks and consequences we may face, the climate that needs adapting to, as well as adequate adaptation strategies. We go on to discuss the implications of these findings, highlighting the need for a shared and well-communicated framework for local CCA and a closer monitoring of the actual efforts of the municipalities. If instead left unchecked, this confusion might lead to unsustainable maladaptation at the local government level throughout Norway and beyond.

Download Full-text

Evolution of national climate adaptation agendas in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia: the role of national leadership and international donors

Regional Environmental Change ◽

10.1007/s10113-020-01693-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Joanna Pardoe ◽

Katharine Vincent ◽

Declan Conway ◽

Emma Archer ◽

Andrew J. Dougill ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Climate Adaptation ◽

National Level ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Adaptation Planning ◽

Critical Approach ◽

Wide Range ◽

National Leadership

AbstractIn this paper, we use an inductive approach and longitudinal analysis to explore political influences on the emergence and evolution of climate change adaptation policy and planning at national level, as well as the institutions within which it is embedded, for three countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia). Data collection involved quantitative and qualitative methods applied over a 6-year period from 2012 to 2017. This included a survey of 103 government staff (20 in Malawi, 29 in Tanzania and 54 in Zambia) and 242 interviews (106 in Malawi, 86 in Tanzania and 50 in Zambia) with a wide range of stakeholders, many of whom were interviewed multiple times over the study period, together with content analysis of relevant policy and programme documents. Whilst the climate adaptation agenda emerged in all three countries around 2007–2009, associated with multilateral funding initiatives, the rate and nature of progress has varied—until roughly 2015 when, for different reasons, momentum slowed. We find differences between the countries in terms of specifics of how they operated, but roles of two factors in common emerge in the evolution of the climate change adaptation agendas: national leadership and allied political priorities, and the role of additional funding provided by donors. These influences lead to changes in the policy and institutional frameworks for addressing climate change, as well as in the emphasis placed on climate change adaptation. By examining the different ways through which ideas, power and resources converge and by learning from the specific configurations in the country examples, we identify opportunities to address existing barriers to action and thus present implications that enable more effective adaptation planning in other countries. We show that more socially just and inclusive national climate adaptation planning requires a critical approach to understanding these configurations of power and politics.

Download Full-text

Improving governance in transboundary cooperation in water and climate change adaptation

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2017.156 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 19 (6) ◽

pp. 1014-1029 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jos Timmerman ◽

John Matthews ◽

Sonja Koeppel ◽

Daniel Valensuela ◽

Niels Vlaanderen

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Water Management ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Climate Adaptation ◽

Water Governance ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Transboundary Water ◽

Governance System ◽

Adaptation Measures ◽

Oecd Principles

Abstract Climate change adaptation in water management is a water governance issue. While neither climate change nor water respects national borders, adaptation in water management should be treated as a transboundary water governance issue. However, transboundary water management is, in essence, more complex than national water management because the water management regimes usually differ more between countries than within countries. This paper provides 63 lessons learned from almost a decade of cooperation on transboundary climate adaptation in water management under the UNECE Water Convention and puts these into the context of the OECD principles on water governance. It highlights that good water governance entails a variety of activities that are intertwined and cannot be considered stand-alone elements. The paper also shows that this wide variety of actions is needed to develop a climate change adaptation strategy in water management. Each of the lessons learned can be considered concrete actions connected to one or more of the OECD principles, where a range of actions may be needed to fulfil one principle. The paper concludes that developing climate change adaptation measures needs to improve in parallel the water governance system at transboundary scale.

Download Full-text

Urban climate adaptation and the reshaping of state–society relations: The politics of community knowledge and mobilisation in Indore, India

Urban Studies ◽

10.1177/0042098016686509 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 55 (8) ◽

pp. 1766-1782 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Eric K Chu

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Local Governments ◽

Climate Adaptation ◽

Urban Climate ◽

Political Networks ◽

Infrastructure Provision ◽

Indian City ◽

Urban Futures ◽

Adaptation Processes

Current research on climate change adaptation in cities highlights the role of local governments in facilitating adaptation actions, but rarely assesses whether (and if so, how) local communities organise around emerging climate priorities to affect political change. This paper explores changing state–society relationships through the reconstitution of community collectives and advocacy organisations for advancing climate change adaptation in the Indian city of Indore. The paper shows that communities are indeed recognising the need for adaptation but are, at the same time, integrating adaptation actions with existing strategies for advocating development rights. Communities are also rebuilding alliances between municipal and local institutions for public service and infrastructure provision, which point to the centrality of community politics in urban climate adaptation processes. However, such mobilisations are often dependent on existing political networks and a legacy of advocacy around poverty alleviation needs, which sideline more transformative agendas around inclusiveness, equity, and resilient urban futures.

Download Full-text

The role of information infrastructure for climate change adaptation in the socio-ecological system of the Central Himalaya: availability, utility, and gaps

Socio-Ecological Practice Research ◽

10.1007/s42532-021-00096-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Praveen Kumar ◽

Rajiv Pandey ◽

Christine Fürst ◽

P. K. Joshi

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Climate Adaptation ◽

Information Infrastructure ◽

Ecological System ◽

Primary Data ◽

Central Himalaya ◽

Study Results ◽

Role Of Information

AbstractThe present study intends to understand and disclose the role of information infrastructure in climate change adaptation and its underlying barriers in the communities of socio-ecological system (SES) in the Central Himalaya. The study makes use of primary data in its research methodology which comprises the use of questionnaires, oral interviews, and review of relevant literature. The data were collected using a questionnaire-based survey from 85 households in 11 villages. The study results show that road accessibility and irrigation facilities remarkably influence the educational, professional, and economic conditions of the communities. The research reveals how the flow of information through television, newspapers, village elders, and mobile phones influences perceptions of climate change in a different order. Information infrastructure availability is higher with the communities having access to the road network and irrigation facilities. The study concludes that in SES a good information infrastructure is highly relevant for reducing the current and future vulnerability of SESs to climate change. The study also provides recommendations for the dissemination of information on climate adaptation that suit the needs and demands of the Himalayan SESs and thus could help to close existing information gaps and barriers.

Download Full-text

The Role of Private Environmental Governance in Climate Adaptation

Frontiers in Climate ◽

10.3389/fclim.2021.715368 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Author(s):

Michael P. Vandenbergh ◽

Bruce M. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Environmental Governance ◽

Climate Adaptation ◽

Private Governance ◽

Negative Externalities ◽

Private Organizations ◽

Climate Adaption ◽

Definition Of

This Article examines the role of private environmental governance (PEG) in climate change adaptation. PEG occurs when private organizations perform traditionally governmental functions such as providing public goods and reducing negative externalities. PEG initiatives that target climate change mitigation have expanded rapidly in the last decade and have been the subject of research in multiple fields, but PEG initiatives that target climate change adaptation have received less attention. As a first step, the Article develops a definition of private governance regarding climate adaption, identifies several types of PEG adaptation initiatives, and briefly identifies research gaps.

Download Full-text

Development as Self-Interest

10.1093/oso/9780190851828.003.0001 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Sarah Blodgett Bermeo

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Developing Countries ◽

Foreign Aid ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Trade Agreements ◽

Self Interest ◽

Adaptation And Mitigation

This chapter introduces the role of development as a self-interested policy pursued by industrialized states in an increasingly connected world. As such, it is differentiated from traditional geopolitical accounts of interactions between industrialized and developing states as well as from assertions that the increased focus on development stems from altruistic motivations. The concept of targeted development—pursuing development abroad when and where it serves the interests of the policymaking states—is introduced and defined. The issue areas covered in the book—foreign aid, trade agreements between industrialized and developing countries, and finance for climate change adaptation and mitigation—are introduced. The preference for bilateral, rather than multilateral, action is discussed.

Download Full-text

Understanding institutional barriers in the climate change adaptation planning process of the city of Beirut: vicious cycles and opportunities

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change ◽

10.1007/s11027-021-09961-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (6) ◽

Author(s):

Leonardo Zea-Reyes ◽

Veronica Olivotto ◽

Sylvia I. Bergh

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Planning Process ◽

Climate Adaptation ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Data Bank ◽

Institutional Barriers ◽

Political Interference ◽

Poor Individual ◽

Competing Priorities

AbstractCities around the world are confronted with the need to put in place climate adaptation policies to protect citizens and properties from climate change impacts. This article applies components of the framework developed by Moser and Ekström (2010) onto empirical qualitative data to diagnose institutional barriers to climate change adaptation in the Municipality of Beirut, Lebanon. Our approach reveals the presence of two vicious cycles influencing each other. In the first cycle, the root cause barrier is major political interference generating competing priorities and poor individual interest in climate change. A second vicious cycle is derived from feedbacks caused by the first and leading to the absence of a dedicated department where sector specific climate risk information is gathered and shared with other departments, limited knowledge and scientific understanding, as well as a distorted framing or vision, where climate change is considered unrelated to other issues and is to be dealt with at higher levels of government. The article also highlights the need to analyze interlinkages between barriers in order to suggest how to overcome them. The most common way to overcome barriers according to interviewees is through national and international support followed by the creation of a data bank. These opportunities could be explored by national and international policy-makers to break the deadlock in Beirut.

Download Full-text

Indigenous climate change adaptation: New directions for emerging scholarship

Environment and Planning E Nature and Space ◽

10.1177/25148486211022450 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 251484862110224

Author(s):

Danielle Emma Johnson ◽

Meg Parsons ◽

Karen Fisher

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Indigenous Peoples ◽

Climate Adaptation ◽

Food Sovereignty ◽

Small Body ◽

Indigenous Communities ◽

Cultural Continuity ◽

Power Dynamics ◽

Indigenous Development

Although Indigenous peoples’ perspectives and concerns have not always been accommodated in climate change adaptation research and practice, a burgeoning literature is helping to reframe and decolonise climate adaptation in line with Indigenous peoples’ lived experiences. In this review, we bring together climate adaptation, decolonising and intersectional scholarship to chart the progress that has been made in better analysing and responding to climate change in Indigenous contexts. We identify a wealth of literature helping to decolonise climate adaptation scholarship and praxis by attending to colonial and neo-colonial injustices implicated in Indigenous peoples’ climate vulnerability, taking seriously Indigenous peoples’ relational ontologies, and promoting adaptation that draws on Indigenous capacities and aspirations for self-determination and cultural continuity. Despite calls to interrogate heterogenous experiences of climate change within Indigenous communities, the decolonising climate and adaptation scholarship has made limited advances in this area. We examine the small body of research that takes an intersectional approach to climate adaptation and explores how the multiple subjectivities and identities that Indigenous peoples occupy produce unique vulnerabilities, capacities and encounters with adaptation policy. We suggest the field might be expanded by drawing on related studies from Indigenous development, natural resource management, conservation, feminism, health and food sovereignty. Greater engagement with intersectionality works to drive innovation in decolonising climate adaptation scholarship and practice. It can mitigate the risk of maladaptation, avoid entrenchment of inequitable power dynamics, and ensures that even the most marginal groups within Indigenous communities benefit from adaptation policies and programmes.

Download Full-text