The Politics of Adaptation Governance: Emerging Sub-National Challenges

Session Submission Type: Virtual Full Paper Panel

Session Description

Adaptation has traditionally been framed as a local and territorial phenomenon. The Paris Agreement reflects a fundamental shift in broadening the focus of UN Climate Change from mitigation to inclusion of adaptation. To begin with, the lack of a precise definition of adaptation has created opportunities but also risks, as sub-national governments around the world strive to supplement and fill in gaps in nation-state action.. This panel addresses sub-national adaptation action, starting with a paper which assesses the role that adaptation plays in climate-compatible development at the national and subnational levels. Next, the panel moves to more empirical discussions in two nations and in the international policy space. The case-related papers seek to understand how US cities adapt to increased propensities for natural disasters and which level of government the climate-vulnerable in Bangladesh see as responsible for climate-induced extreme weather and what causes them to consider internal relocation. The last paper broadens to the international level, assessing how cities – across nations - are joining together into associations to address adaptation and raise their bond ratings in the process.

Sub Unit

• Division 39: Science, Technology, and Environmental Politics

Individual Presentations

• Building Resiliency: U.S. Local Governments and Natural Disasters - Carley Weted, American University

• Public Opinion, Levels of Government and Climate Change in Bangladesh - Todd A. Eisenstadt, American University; Matthew Wright, University of British Columbia

• The Municipal Bond Market and Climate Adaptation - Aseem Prakash, University of Washington; Inhwan Ko, University of Washington

• Resilience Imaginaries: Politics of Coastal Engineering and Design in New York - Katinka Wijsman

Chair

• Lauren M. MacLean Indiana University, Bloomington

Discussant

• Karleen West SUNY Geneseo