Using Social Network Analysis to Evaluate Health-Related Adaptation Decision-Making in Cambodia

Kathryn J. Bowen, Damon Alexander, Fiona Miller and Va Dany
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Kathryn J. Bowen: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
Damon Alexander: School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC 3010, Australia
Fiona Miller: Department of Resource Management and Geography, University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC 3010, Australia
Va Dany: Department of Environmental Sciences, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Russian Confederation Blv., Phnom Penh, Cambodia

IJERPH, 2014, vol. 11, issue 2, 1-21

Abstract: Climate change adaptation in the health sector requires decisions across sectors, levels of government, and organisations. The networks that link these different institutions, and the relationships among people within these networks, are therefore critical influences on the nature of adaptive responses to climate change in the health sector. This study uses social network research to identify key organisational players engaged in developing health-related adaptation activities in Cambodia. It finds that strong partnerships are reported as developing across sectors and different types of organisations in relation to the health risks from climate change. Government ministries are influential organisations, whereas donors, development banks and non-government organisations do not appear to be as influential in the development of adaptation policy in the health sector. Finally, the study highlights the importance of informal partnerships (or ‘shadow networks’) in the context of climate change adaptation policy and activities. The health governance ‘map’ in relation to health and climate change adaptation that is developed in this paper is a novel way of identifying organisations that are perceived as key agents in the decision-making process, and it holds substantial benefits for both understanding and intervening in a broad range of climate change-related policy problems where collaboration is paramount for successful outcomes.

Keywords: governance; climate change adaptation; global health; Cambodia; social network analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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