Local Governance Structure and the Level of Implementation of Climate Adaptation Measures in 653 Cities Globally

Sammanfattning: Abstract: Due to limited data availability, previous studies assessing the status of climate adaptation at the municipal level are mostly limited to planned actions, which can at times be symbolic rather than substantive in nature. As a result, the true level of implementation of climate adaptation in cities has been difficult to estimate. This study uses survey data from 653 cities worldwide to firstly attempt to provide a clearer picture of global variations in the level of implementation of adaptation measures in cities, and secondly to investigate whether or not local governance structure might be able to explain these differences. Regional variations in the local-level implementation of climate adaptation were identified, though based on the results of this study’s OLS regression analysis, the cities’ varying constellations of local governance structure do not appear to be a driving factor behind these variations. However, to solidify the basis of this claim, further research incorporating more elements of local governance structure and a larger sample will be necessary as more data becomes available. An unexpected finding of this study was the much stronger correlation found between perceived level of climate risk by local representatives and the level of implementation of adaptation measures in cities, which may prove to be a more appropriate avenue for future research.