Planning for Climate Adaptation – Adaptive Capacity and Conditions for Change in Sweden 

Social science studies regarding “how, when, why and under what conditions” adaptation occur, what and whose knowledge and institutional/organisational arrangements are required as well as what influence the success or failure of different adaptation strategies is currently needed. The aim of the project is to analyse processes for climate adaptation, planning and risk-management related to climate extremes and future climate change at the local level in Sweden. Particular emphasis is put on increasing knowledge of conditions for adaptive capacity related to the following research questions: 

• What are the main drivers for change: how, why and by who are measures and activities for climate adaptation initiated?
• How do the interaction between different actors, existing power relations and the distribution of responsibilities influence adaptation and accountability of decisions?
• How do institutional and organisational arrangements and barriers influence adaptation?
• What role does institutional capacity-building and social learning play for climate adaptation?
• How do conflicts of interest in planning and decision-making affect adaptation processes?
• How does different experts and knowledge claims influence adaptation and what happens in the meeting between different experts and their knowledge claims?
• How are uncertainties in knowledge and lack of knowledge handled in concrete decision-making and planning for adaptation?

The project is based on case-study methodology, where three case-studies are undertaken, based on a combination of qualitative interviews and text analysis: 1. Flooding in Falun/Dam-security in Dalälven, 2. Coastal Erosion in Ystad and 3. Integrating climate change considerations in physical planning in forerunner municipalities.

Duration: 2007-2010

Funded by: Formas

Project leader and researcher: Sofie Storbjörk, Centre for Climate Science and Policy Research/Department of Water and Environmental Studies, Linköping University.

Outcomes:

The project was initiated in 2007 and has resulted in a theoretical overview targeting the institutional dimension of adaptive capacity and climate change policy integration. Two case-studies have been conducted in 2008, focusing on coastal erosion in Ystad and flooding in Dalälven. In 2009 a chapter on the technical fixes in climate adaptation was published in a book on technology and social change. Three international papers have been submitted, the first on barriers for institutional capacity-building in Ystad, the second on organisational learning and climate adaptation in Ystad and Falun, and the third on Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Ystad. A Swedish synthesis-paper is also published in a CKS report on local municipality dialogues. Results have been orally presented at e.g. Vadstena Forum, the GECHS synthesis-conference, NESS, a Nordic network meeting on climate vulnerability and adaptation and an international workshop on sustainable development and spatial planning. During May 2010 interviews are done with planners in forerunner municipalities.

Publications:

Sofie Storbjörk and Johan Hedrén (submitted), “Building Institutional Capacity for Sustainable adaptation?”. Invited to a special issue on Sustainable adaptation in Climate and Development, edited by Eriksen, S.E. and Brown, K., January 2010.

Sofie Storbjörk and Johan Hedrén (submitted), “Stuck in the twilight-zone or moving towards sustainable climate adaptation? Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Coastby”, in O’Brien, K., Sygna, L. and Wolf, J. (Eds), The Changing Environment for Human Security: New Agendas for Research, Policy, and Action, November 2009.

Sofie Storbjörk (submitted), “It takes more to get a ship to change course. Challenges for organisational learning and local climate adaptation in Sweden”, Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, August 2009.

Sofie Storbjörk (2010), ”Att tänka efter före? Om klimat­anpassningens kommunala utmaningar”, in Tora Friberg and Sabrina Thelander (Eds), Samtal pågår… Inlägg från forskare till politiker och tjänstemän i kommuner. CKS 2010:1.

Sofie Storbjörk (2009), “Perspektiv på klimatanpassningens tekniska fix”, in Per Gyberg and Jonas Hallström (Eds), Världens gång – teknikens utveckling. Studentlitteratur: Lund.

Sofie Storbjörk (2009), ”Klimatanpassning och den fysiska planeringens utmaningar”. Paper presented at Vadstena forum för samhällsbyggande Klimatets krav på samhället – nu och i framtiden, 1-3 June 2009 Vadstena.

Sofie Storbjörk (2007), “Capacity for change? A theoretical overview of conditions for adaptive capacity”, Paper presented at the 13^th Annual International Sustainable Development Research Conference, June 10-12 2007, Västerås, Sweden. Track 12: Climate Change: Urban Governance and Everyday Life.