Process stage 1 Analysing climate vulnerability institutional

Online Training Resource:Analysing Climate Vulnerability

Climate Adaptation

Institutional Climate Vulnerability

This module outlines how institutional capacity affects vulnerability to climate change and will cover how to identify and address weaknesses in institutional capacity in order to reduce vulnerability.

Climate AdaptationOnline Training Resource

Process Stage 1Analysing Climate Vulnerability: Institutional

Deborah Davies, Carlo Aall, Eli Heiberg, 2012

Local institutions shape how residents responded to environmental challenges… Because adaptation to climate change is local, it is critically important to understand better the role of local institutions in shaping adaptation and improving capacities of the most vulnerable social groups.

Organisations where regulations and standards do not reflect climate change, where best practice of adaptation examples are lacking and the support for the senior management is limited is found to be a principal barrier to adaptation to climate change. (Pelling et al, 2008).



How is institutional climate vulnerability an issue?

Pelling M, High C, Dearing J, Smith D, 2008, “Shadow spaces for social learning: A relational understanding of adaptive capacity to climate change within organizations. Environment and planning A, 40(4) 867-84

What is an Institution?

• Organisational resources– Routines and procedures

• Human resources– Capacity and competence

• Economic resources– Amount of money available

• Relational resources– Networks



Institutional Climate Vulnerability

The ability to cope with change and carry out necessary adaptation measures.

• A concept initially developed for assessing the ability of developing countries to make use of foreign aid.

• The concept has gained a widespread use in the context of climate change adaptation; also in rich developed countries.


The Concept of Institutional Climate Vulnerability


Decide which institutional aspects are believed to be of local relevance in relation to working with climate change adaptation.

• Break down national statistics.

• Collect relevant local statistics.

• Conduct a local questionnaire/investigation.

• Conduct qualitative interviews.


How to Assess Institutional Climate Vulnerability


Here are example indicators that could be used to assess municipal/institutional climate vulnerabilities

• The presence of appropriately skilled staff

• The presence of relevant expertise among representatives

• The size of the relevant administrative capacity

• The presence of adequate practices and procedures

• The scope and quality of local risk assessments




Final Key Points

• It is crucial not to underestimate the importance of institutional climate vulnerability.

• Local institutions play a pivotal role in shaping adaptation and improving local capacity is very significant.

• Increasing institutional capacity could be a necessary preparation before adaptation measures can be implemented.

• It is necessary to evaluate regularly and systematically whether the identified capacities are actually the right ones to leverage the changes necessary to deal with climate change.




Process stage 1 Analysing climate vulnerability institutional

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