Barriers and Drivers of Planning for Climate Change Adaptation across Three Levels of Government in Canada

Oulahen, Greg; Klein, Yaheli; Mortsch, Linda; O’Connell, Erin; Harford, Deborah

doi:10.1080/14649357.2018.1481993

Cited by 40 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Many researchers point out the cross-scale constraints on local governments caused by the absence of a whole-of-government approach and lack of leadership at the state and federal levels to adaptation planning (Measham et al, 2011;Mukheibir et al, 2013). Lack of leadership, guidance, and consistency of policy from higher levels of government; restrictive policies; shifting ideologies; and lack of funding constrain local level adaptation globally, including in Germany and the UK (Lorenz et al, 2016;Porter et al, 2015), Norway (Amundsen et al, 2010;Naess et al, 2005), New Zealand (Lawrence et al, 2013), Latin America (Lehmann et al, 2013), and Canada (Oulahen et al, 2018). The responsibility for adaptation to coastal climate change impacts has largely been shifted to local governments without the necessary resources.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gurran et al's (2013, p. 108) audit of climate adaptation in coastal Australia concluded that local governments are constrained by 'the lack of a clear and consistent national level framework for integrated coastal planning and management, inadequate state and territorial policy and legislation, and significant resource constraints'. Case studies from around the world suggest that local adaptation can be constrained by broader governance arrangements and policy (Lawrence et al, 2013;Oulahen et al, 2018;Torabi et al, 2017a), requiring a more streamlined higher-level focus. Other researchers have supported the need for local governments to be given more guidance (Vasey-Ellis, 2009).…”

Section: Climate Adaptation In Australiamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Planning for a different kind of sea change: lessons from Australia for sea level rise and coastal flooding

2020

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Climate change increases hazards for coastal cities where a large proportion of the world's population lives. Adaptation to its impacts ought to be a key focus for planning and policymaking in highly vulnerable countries like Australia. This responsibility, however, has been largely left to local councils with mixed results. This leaves substantial parts of the population at risk where adaptation plans are lacking. Even worse, since the impacts of climate change do not respect jurisdictional boundaries, there is a spill-over risk where good adaptation planning by one council may be undermined by the lack of action in an adjacent council. These risks can be reduced if state and federal governments provide more consistent support and guidance. This paper takes an integrated approach in comparing the relevant legislation, policies, plans, and strategies related to coastal management across the national and state/territory jurisdictions in Australia. The findings indicate that there are major differences, with some states (South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia, and Queensland) having more detailed policies and plans for addressing sea level rise and coastal flooding. The findings have implications beyond Australia, particularly for those countries with more devolved or federal systems of government, and provide key lessons for adaptation to climate change. Key policy insights. In the absence of national guidance and leadership, climate adaptation responses will remain uneven across jurisdictions placing more of the population at risk and undermining what adaptation plans there are.. National, state, and territory policies or plans are more effective if they are consistent over time, but they are undermined by reversals when governments change between political parties that have widely varying views on climate change.. Effective long-term adaptation policymaking and planning therefore require a bipartisan commitment and consistent political will across the major political parties to prioritize the problem and commit significant public resources to a response.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Climate Adaptation In Australiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Planning for a different kind of sea change: lessons from Australia for sea level rise and coastal flooding

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Before and after questions using a seven-point Likert scale measured changes for participants pre-and post-meeting. These questions sought to specifically enquire about barriers to adaptation noted in the previous literature such as a lack of public awareness, a lack of or difficulty understanding climate information, a lack of leadership, and limited coordination and competing priorities (Biesbroek et al, 2013;Measham et al, 2011;Oulahen et al, 2018;Uittenbroek, 2016).…”

Section: Survey Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Globally, numerous barriers to climate adaptation have been identified. These largely relate to a lack of resources (including funding and capacity), lack of public awareness, a lack of or difficulty understanding climate information, a lack of leadership, and limited coordination and competing priorities (Biesbroek et al, 2013;Measham et al, 2011;Oulahen et al, 2018;Uittenbroek, 2016). Although this process could not solve funding shortages, it sought to clearly respond to the other four barriers mentioned above.…”

Section: Academic Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This paper seeks to fill gaps in the academic understanding around climate and health-adaptation planning in non-agricultural-based rural, coastal communities, specifically focusing on barriers to adaptive capacity such as a lack of public awareness, a lack of or difficulty understanding climate information, a lack of leadership, and limited coordination and competing priorities (Biesbroek et al, 2013;Measham et al, 2011;Oulahen et al, 2018;Uittenbroek, 2016). The planning process used attempts to overcome commonly cited barriers to adaptation planning, and the post-process participant surveying sought to quantify that impact.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rural climate resilience through built-environment interventions: modified deliberation with analysis as a tool to address barriers to adaptive capacity

Arnold

Cangelosi

Beyea

et al. 2020

Regional Studies, Regional Science

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Closing the equity deficit: Sustainability justice in municipal climate action planning in Waterloo region

Dobai

Riemer

2023

American J of Comm Psychol

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There is growing recognition that often well‐intended climate action solutions perpetuate and exacerbate manifestations of colonialism and racism due to the lack of equity and justice considerations in designing and implementing these solutions. There is limited research exploring why the integration of these considerations are lacking in municipal climate action planning. This exploratory descriptive qualitative study explored how municipal actors perceive and understand equity and justice in municipal climate action planning as a step toward addressing this issue. Semistructured interviews were conducted with seven members of the core management group from ClimateAction Waterloo region, and a template analysis of the interview data resulted in six themes. Findings suggested that those involved in municipal climate action planning understand and perceive justice and equity considerations as important to their work, however, translating this understanding to practice is a challenge due to structural (governmental and societal) and capacity (limited time, funding, resources, and knowledge) barriers. By better understanding how key actors consider justice and equity, we identify shifting colonial mental models as a potential pathway for transformative change given the central role of these actors.

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Barriers and Drivers of Planning for Climate Change Adaptation across Three Levels of Government in Canada

Cited by 40 publications

References 19 publications

Planning for a different kind of sea change: lessons from Australia for sea level rise and coastal flooding

Planning for a different kind of sea change: lessons from Australia for sea level rise and coastal flooding

Rural climate resilience through built-environment interventions: modified deliberation with analysis as a tool to address barriers to adaptive capacity

Closing the equity deficit: Sustainability justice in municipal climate action planning in Waterloo region

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