Understanding transboundary governance of climate adaptation
Enabling and constraining characteristics of the policy arrangements of the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia for cross border cooperation on climate
adaptation
Kennis voor KlimaatMarjolein van Eerd, Carel Dieperink en Mark Wiering.
Today’s session
• Introduction
• The application of the Policy Arrangement Approach
• Research results
• Concluding remarks and recommendations
• Discussion
Research background
• Climate change effects cross borders
• Climate adaptation: ‘the adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities’.
• Inherently transboundary in character, yet domestic responsibility
• Especially important in river basins
Introduction research
• Various factors influence transboundary governanceo Regime theoryo Negotiation approacho Cognitive approach
• Which factors enable or constrain transboundary governance on climate adaptation in the Rhine river basin?
• Describe and explain transboundary governance on climate adaptation in the Rhine river basin by identifying enabling and constraining policy arrangement characteristics between North Rhine-Westphalia and the Netherlands
• Researchers expectation: congruence between regions results in cross border cooperation, while discrepancies could be constraining
The Policy Arrangement Approach
• Policy Arrangement Approach as analytical research framework
‘temporary stabilization of the content and organization of a particular policy domain’
• Four interrelated dimensions are studied• Emerging Policy Arrangements
Concluding remarks
•Active cooperation, yet mainly in the water management sector
•Various differences that could be constraining- Stimulating differences?
• Also similarities that stimulate cooperation across borders
•Improving cooperation across borders? Increasing congruence between border regions via the discourse dimension
North Rhine-Westphalia
• Multiple actors and sectors on multiple levels concerned with climate adaptation
• Diffusion of financial resources, knowledge generation is high• More resources allocated to climate mitigation
•Various (integrative) climate change policies• Mostly in planning phase or focussing on mitigation
•Discourses:human cause, mitigation versus adaptation, shift from a ‘safety discourse’ to ‘resilience strategy’, balancing of interests
Emerging arrangement of climate adaptation governance
The Netherlands
• Also multiple actors on multiple levels concerned with climate adaptation, however, mainly in the water sector.• Unique role for the Delta Programme
• Large amount of financial and knowledge resources.
• First national adaptation strategy climate adaptation included in water management: Waterwet, Delta Act
• ‘Water accomodation & Room for the River’ ‘climate proof’ ‘Safe Delta’
Dutch water management: clear, fixed arrangementOverall climate adaptation: emerging arrangement