Transformational Adaptation in Least Developed Countries: Does Expanded Stakeholder Participation Make a Difference?

Joseph Holler, Quinn Bernier, J. Timmons Roberts and Stacy-ann Robinson
Additional contact information
Joseph Holler: Department of Geography, Middlebury College, 287 Bicentennial Way, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA
Quinn Bernier: Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Box 1943, Providence, RI 02912, USA
J. Timmons Roberts: Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Box 1943, Providence, RI 02912, USA
Stacy-ann Robinson: Environmental Studies Program, Colby College, Mayflower Hill Drive, Waterville, ME 04901, USA

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-26

Abstract: Did the novel planning arrangements in the National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) enable stakeholders to substantively influence adaptation planning? If so, does the observed influence have potential for more transformational adaptation? We inform these questions by reviewing and coding the first 50 NAPAs, prepared by the world’s poorest nations with support from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). We then apply categorical statistics and qualitative comparative analysis to test for stakeholder influence on the planning process and outcomes. We find little evidence that the composition of stakeholder participation influenced climate vulnerability analysis or adaptation planning in the NAPAs. Although the NAPAs were designed to be participatory and country-driven, they were constrained by limited budgets, prescribed guidelines from the UNFCCC, and the challenges of cultivating effective stakeholder participation. Key aspects of NAPAs even worked against generating transformational adaptation. Chief amongst these, risk exposure and sensitivity were emphasized over adaptive capacity in assessing vulnerability, and cost- effectiveness and synergies with existing development and environmental policies were priorities for selecting adaptation actions. These barriers to effective stakeholder engagement and transformational adaptation are timely reminders for those countries currently in the process of preparing their National Adaptation Plans to the UNFCCC.

Keywords: adaptive capacity; climate change adaptation; governance; justice; Least Developed Countries (LDCs); National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs); planning; scale; stakeholder; transformational adaptation; United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); vulnerability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/4/1657/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/4/1657/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:4:p:1657-:d:324062

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().