Adaptation to Climate Change: Professional Networks and Reinforcing Institutional Environments

Sissel Hovik, Jon Naustdalslid, Marit Reitan and Tone Muthanna
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Marit Reitan: Department of Sociology and Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Dragvoll, Building 9, 7491 Trondeim, Norway
Tone Muthanna: NIVA Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349, Oslo, Norway

Environment and Planning C, 2015, vol. 33, issue 1, 104-117

Abstract: The paper studies processes of adaptation to a changing climate in the water supply and wastewater sector in five Norwegian municipalities. Our case illustrates that the combination of characteristics of climate adaptation as a policy issue, institutional characteristics related to the vertical organization of the water sector in Norway, and characteristics of the professional network between local and national levels of governance seem to have been conducive to problem awareness and proactive approaches to problem solving. Our findings contradict the general picture drawn in the literature concluding that adaptation efforts are mainly reactive and internally related to the sector. We identify important mechanisms related to the production of policy solutions in governance networks mediating knowledge between different institutional levels. By these observations, the paper should contribute to the debate about the working of governance networks, and in particular to the knowledge about factors that are conducive to effective network governance.

Keywords: climate change adaptation; water policy; professional networks; network governance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:envirc:v:33:y:2015:i:1:p:104-117

DOI: 10.1068/c1230h

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