Why institutional capacity? Climate science is important But
not sufficient Social sciences analysis of decision making is also
key
Slide 5
Gap between policy discourse and what can be accomplished on
the ground Can cities address underlying drivers of GHG emissions,
vulnerability and risk? Who are the actors involved and what are
these responses? What are the attributes and determinants of
institutional capacity? Eugenia
Mortonhttp://www.thedenverchannel.com/ ADAPTE project
Slide 6
Institutional response capacity the pool of resources actors
can use to manage climate change, while attending to other
development needs. Response any action to manage climate &
environmental change, in anticipation or after it has happened.
Actor government, private, NGOs, experts (e.g., scientists), and
the media. Romero-Lankao et al., (2013). Climate change governance
is a set of formal and informal rules rule-making systems
actor-networks at all levels to steer cities towards mitigating and
adapting to climate change
Slide 7
Laws, Rules Networks Information Actor Response Context
Participation Urban Development Pathways Response Capacity Issue of
Concern Institutional capacity, a framework
Slide 8
Relative location along the y-axis is not significant Source:
Romero-Lankao et al., in review) Scope of urban climate change
responses
Slide 9
Coordination across levels and sectors of governance has been
crucial as it Reduces transaction costs Facilitates communication
Enhances access to and learning from resources Climate knowledge,
technologies, best practices Rotterdam & Ho Chi Minh
Slide 10
Rotterdam & Ho Chi Minh Adaptation Partnership
Slide 11
Other institutional determinants of the gap Enablers of Climate
Change Response in 350 cities Source Aylett (2014) First,
leadership, political will, and differentiated access to
resources
Slide 12
Second: path-dependencies following from Large investments in
carbon intensive infrastructure/growth in risk-prone areas
www.denverpost.com Economically entrenched fossil-fuel and risky
technologies Beijing 2014, Romero-Lankao Political reluctance to
regulate lifestyles and behavior
Slide 13
Third, laws and rules Can facilitate urban responses Mediate
relationships between gov. and non gov. actors Define participation
mechanisms September 2013 Flood Boulder city utility staff aware of
the need to upgrade the sewage drainage system Prohibitively high
cost & fear of potential litigation, led to either inaction or
minimal action This increased city-wide vulnerability to the
floods
Slide 14
Sources of Information and Guidance for Climate Planning in 350
cities. Source Aylett (2014). Fourth, information
Slide 15
Narrowing information usability gap Scientific information
necessary but insufficient to trigger responses Gap between
production of science & the production of policy Responses are
often based on Values Clout of powerful interests Habit Models of
Science-Policy Interaction Source: Dilling and Lemos, 2011)
Slide 16
Concluding Remarks Urban climate responses: a pressing issue
With some exceptions, responses tend to be incremental &
fragmented No size fits all, but Longer time planning Coordination
and participation Adaptable arrangements are key for effective
responses Leadership and scientific information are key but not
enough Other institutional factors Interplay between actors with
their values, power, interests Differentiated access to Mandates
Resources Decision making Information
Slide 17
Agra PIRE Summer Training, July 2013 Beijing PIRE Summer
Training, July 2014 Latino Children, Dec 2012
Slide 18
Patricia Romero-Lankao and Joshua Sperling (NCAR), Natalia
Brutto, Jorgelina Hardoy (Argentina), Kate Auty (Australia), Manyu
Chang, Rafael DAlmeida Martins (Brazil), Sarah Burch, Sara Hughes,
Alex Aylett (Canada), Roxana Borquez (Chile), Anja Wejs (Denmark),
Kerstin Krellenberg (Germany), Ryoko Nakano (Japan), Gina Ziervogel
(South Africa), David Simon (UK) Thank you!