Adapting Cities : Ecosystem-based approaches and citizen engagement in municipal climate adaptation in Scania, Sweden
Klimatanpassning av städer : Ekosystembaserade metoder och medborgarengagemang i kommuners klimatanpassning i Skåne, Sverige
Author
Summary, in English
This thesis investigates the role and potential of two approaches – ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) and citizen engagement in adaptation – in reducing risk from adverse climate events at the local level. I do this by using an interdisciplinary and mixed methods approach, which entails reviewing scientific evidence from urban case studies worldwide, and empirically examining adaptation processes in south-Swedish municipalities. In particular, I examine how and on what basis EbA is applied in cities; how and for what reasons Swedish citizens engage in adaptation; and the implications of, and synergies between, the two approaches in local adaptation governance.
The results show that although, in the main, EbA and citizen engagement have not occurred in explicit and deliberate ways, they can support municipal adaptation and address underlying risk drivers. On one hand, there are growing experiences with urban EbA in both the global and Swedish contexts. These are implemented under a variety of terms (e.g., ecosystem services, green infrastructure) and often lack a strategic, long-term climate risk perspective, such as assessment of current and projected future risks and vulnerabilities. On the other hand, citizens’ engagement in adaptation – alone, together, and in interaction with municipalities – has had significant outcomes for local adaptation, but their efforts are poorly supported and/or channelled by municipalities. Citizens’ personal experience of hazards is a strong driver of action; however, factors such as ecological values and identification with place also play a role. At the municipal level, the identified modes of citizen engagement are diverse, comprising collaboration (two-way dialogue), contestation (challenge and confrontation), compliance (enforcing mandatory citizen action) and choice (stimulating voluntary citizen action) – all of which were found to shape local adaptation. In addition, I reveal how responsibility for adaptation is shifting to citizens without any change in laws or policy, which risks hitting hardest against those most at risk. Finally, I also identify synergies between the two approaches, and suggest that EbA may serve as a better entry point for citizen engagement in adaptation than technical measures.
Beyond the empirical insights about municipal adaptation processes in Sweden, this thesis makes three essential contributions: (1) it synthesises and assesses the field of urban EbA and identifies key research gaps; (2) it furthers theory on citizen engagement in local adaptation and presents an analytical framework for citizen–municipality ‘adaptation interactions’; and (3) it contributes to the academic discussion on how transformational, rather than incremental, climate adaptation may look in practice.
Publishing year
2018-05
Language
English
Full text
Document type
Dissertation
Publisher
Lund University
Topic
- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
Keywords
- Climate change adaptation
- disaster risk reduction
- ecosystem-based adaptation
- ecosystem services
- citizen engagement
- participation
- transformation
- Sustainability Science
- hållbarhetsvetenskap
- klimatanpassning
- katastrofriskreducering
- ekosystembaserad klimatanpassning
- ekosystemtjänster
- medborgarengagemang
- deltagande
- transformation
- kommunal planering
Status
Published
Supervisor
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISBN: 978-91-984630-2-6
- ISBN: 978-91-984630-1-9
Defence date
7 June 2018
Defence time
10:15
Defence place
Ostrom, Biskopsgatan 5 (Josephson), Lund
Opponent
- Peter Driessen (Professor)