Abstract
The coordination of climate change adaptation is not merely a technical issue but, above all, requires effective governance. Solid governance structures provide the framework for adequate knowledge, funding, and planning security for practical measures. This is particularly challenging in Colombia, where a difficult topography and weak infrastructures result in high demands for technical solutions. Moreover, the country has experienced over five decades of rural violence leading to political, social and economic disparities as well as to an outspoken mistrust between civil society and political leaders. The hence stretched relations between authorities and citizens have negative impacts on the country’s ability to create solid governance structures and adapt successfully—independent of how advanced technical solutions may be. This twofold analysis first elaborates the current state of the art of adaptation governance, outlining the specific challenges and depicting basic elements which have to be addressed when designing an adaptation governance framework. As one of the few papers currently addressing this issue, this analysis pays special attention to the impact of power politics. Second, against the backdrop of this theoretical outline, the wicked case of Colombia is analyzed. Through a qualitative case study design using textual analysis, this chapter focuses on hindering and enabling factors under the conditions of limited state resources. In order to create a holistic understanding, it draws on an interdisciplinary perspective. The analysis concludes with a discussion of the findings. Inferences show that climate change adaptation is highly complex and that technical and societal aspects must both be considered in order to design sustainable solutions. Besides the well-known challenges, a strong research-policy linkage and power dynamics are decisive challenges for the creation of an adaptation governance framework. The case study confirms the importance of these factors.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
- 1.
The concept of governance is highly complex due to which there is no single definition. As the focus of this paper is on adaptation governance, the concept of governance itself is not further elaborated. For further reading on the concept of governance see Benz and Dose (2004), Benz et al. (2007) and Kooiman (2003).
- 2.
For further reading on the concept of wicked problems, see Rittel and Webber (1973).
- 3.
The gap between these two findings represents a gap between theories and empirical findings often found in adaptation governance literature.
- 4.
Institution building is a common measure especially in developing countries, which is stipulated for example within National Adaptation Plans (NAPAs) which are funded by the UNFCCC (Nightingale 2017).
- 5.
Over US$ 7.8 billion according to Hoyos (2013); 11.2 trillion COP, i.e. the equivalent to a 2.2 loss of GDP according to Bustos (2018).
- 6.
The Santos administration was in office from August 2010 to August 2018. It was followed by the Duque administration after two electoral terms.
References
Abeling T, Leopold A (2012) Climate change and security: adapting the discussion to the evidence. Global Governance Institute (GGI), Brussels, Belgium
Adger WN, Dessai S, Goulden M et al (2009) Are there social limits to adaptation to climate change? Clim Change 93:335–354. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-008-9520-z
Amiraslani F, Caiserman A (2018) Multi-stakeholder and multi-level interventions to tackle climate change and land degradation: the case of Iran. Sustainability 10:2000. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10062000
Ampaire EL, Jassogne L, Providence H et al (2017) Institutional challenges to climate change adaptation: a case study on policy action gaps in Uganda. Environ Sci Policy 75:81–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2017.05.013
Ardila G, Andrade G, Benavides J et al (2013) Desarrollo económico y adaptación al cambio climático. Friedrich Ebert Stiftung en Colombia (fescol), Bogotá, Colombia
Benz A, Dose N (eds) (2004) Governance—Regieren in komplexen Regelsystemen: Eine Einführung, 1st edn. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden, Germany
Benz A, Luetz S, Schimank U, Simonis G (eds) (2007) Handbuch Governance: Theoretische Grundlagen und empirische Anwendungsfelder. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden, Germany
Braun D, Giraud O (2008) Politikinstrumente im Kontext von Staat, Markt und Governance. In: Schubert K, Bandelow NC (eds) Lehrbuch der Politikfeldanalyse 2.0. De Gruyter Oldenbourg, Munich, Germany
Bustos MC (2018) What shapes Colombia’s foreign position on climate change? Colombia Int 27–51. https://doi.org/10.7440/colombiaint94.2018.02
Caesar L, Rahmstorf S, Robinson A et al (2018) Observed fingerprint of a weakening Atlantic Ocean overturning circulation. Nature 556:191. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0006-5
Carman R (2013) Multi stakeholder decision making for NAMAs and LEDs. Low emission capacity building programme. UNDP, Maseru, Lesotho
Climate Action Tracker (2018) For the Talanoa dialogue: input from the Climate Action Tracker. New Climate Institute, Ecofys, Climate Analytics, Germany
Comstock M, Santelices I, Vanamali A (2012) Colombia’s national climate change process. Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP), Washington DC, USA
Davoudi S, Crawford J, Mehmood A (eds) (2009) Planning for climate change: strategies for mitigation and adaptation for spatial planners, 1st edn. Routledge, London, Sterling, VA
Duit A, Galaz V (2008) Governance and complexity—emerging issues for governance theory. Governance 21:311–335. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0491.2008.00402.x
Eriksen SH, Nightingale AJ, Eakin H (2015) Reframing adaptation: the political nature of climate change adaptation. Glob Environ Change 35:523–533. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.09.014
Escobar H (2018) Scientists, environmentalists brace for Brazil’s right turn. Science 362:273–274. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.362.6412.273
Falkner R (2016) The Paris Agreement and the new logic of international climate politics. Int Aff 92:1107–1125. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2346.12708
Fröhlich J, Knieling J (2013) Conceptualising climate change governance. In: Knieling J, Leal Filho W (eds) Climate change governance. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany, pp 9–26
GarcÃa JH, Slunge D (2015) Environment and climate change management: perspectives for post-conflict Colombia. Sida’s helpdesk for environment and climate change. Göteborgs Universitet, Chalmers, SLU, Sweden
González Espinosa A (2015) La paradoja del sector minero-energético en el Plan Nacional de Desarrollo 2014–2018: financiador de la paz y generador de tensiones en el territorio. Universidad Externado de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
Grant S, Tamason CC, Jensen PKM (2015) Climatization: a critical perspective of framing disasters as climate change events. Clim Risk Manag 10:27–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2015.09.003
Green Climate Fund (2018) Colombian President calls for enhanced public-private climate action. https://www.greenclimate.fund/-/colombian-president-calls-for-enhanced-public-private-climate-action
Hill M (2013) Climate change and water governance: adaptive capacity in Chile and Switzerland. Springer Netherlands, Netherlands
Hoffman AJ (2011) Talking past each other? Cultural framing of skeptical and convinced logics in the climate change debate. Organ Environ 24:3–33. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026611404336
Houghton K (2012) Climate change in fragile states: adaptation as reinforcement of the fabric of the state. In: Climate change and fragile states: rethinking adaptation. United Nations University, Institute for Environment and Human Security, Bonn, Germany, pp 24–43
Hoyos N, Escobar J, Restrepo JC et al (2013) Impact of the 2010–2011 La Niña phenomenon in Colombia, South America: the human toll of an extreme weather event. Appl Geogr 39:16–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2012.11.018
Huitema D, Adger WN, Berkhout F et al (2016) The governance of adaptation: choices, reasons, and effects. Introduction to the special feature. Ecol Soc 21. https://doi.org/10.5751/es-08797-210337
IDEAM PolÃtica Nacional de Cambio Climático. Instituto de HidrologÃa, MeteorologÃa y Estudios Ambientales, Bogotá, Colombia. https://www.cambioclimatico.gov.co/de/directorio-del-cambio-climatico. Accessed on 9 October 2018
IPCC (2001) Climate change 2001: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability: contribution of working group II to the third assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, New York
IPCC (2007) Climate change 2007: impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of working group II to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, New York
IPCC (2014) Climate change 2014: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. Part A: global and sectoral aspects. Contribution of working group II to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK
IPCC (2018) Global warming of 1.5°C. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Switzerland
Jaramillo M (2014) The coordination of climate finance in Colombia. E3G/GIZ. Overseas Development Institute, London, UK
Javeline D (2014) The most important topic political scientists are not studying: adapting to climate change. Perspect Politics 12(2):420–434
Keohane RO (2015) The global politics of climate change: challenge for political science. PS Political Sci Politics 48:19–26. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1049096514001541
Kooiman J (2003) Governing as governance. Sage, London, UK
Kreft S, Oumar AK, Harmeling S (2011) National adaptation plans. Towards effective guidelines and modalities. Germanwatch and WWF International, Germany, Switzerland
Leal Filho W, Mannke F (2014) Managing the impacts of climate change in Latin America: the need for technology transfer. In: International perspectives on climate change. Springer International, Switzerland, pp 95–106
Madzwamuse M (2010) Climate governance in Africa—adaptation strategies and institutions. Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Unity Press, Cape Town, South Africa
Makondo CC, Thomas DSG (2018) Climate change adaptation: linking indigenous knowledge with western science for effective adaptation. Environ Sci Policy 88:83–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2018.06.014
Morton TA, Rabinovich A, Marshall D, Bretschneider P (2011) The future that may (or may not) come: how framing changes responses to uncertainty in climate change communications. Glob Environ Change 21:103–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2010.09.013
Mubaya CP, Mafongoya P (2017) The role of institutions in managing local level climate change adaptation in semi-arid Zimbabwe. Clim Risk Manag 16:93–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2017.03.003
Nightingale AJ (2017) Power and politics in climate change adaptation efforts: struggles over authority and recognition in the context of political instability. Geoforum 84:11–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2017.05.011
NPD (2014) Impactos Económicos del Cambio Climático en Colombia. Departamento Nacional de Planeación (National Planning Department), CEPAL, BID, IDEAM, Bogotá, Colombia
O’Brien G, O’Keefe P, Meena H et al (2008) Climate adaptation from a poverty perspective. Clim Policy 8:194–201. https://doi.org/10.3763/cpol.2007.0430
OECD (2014) OECD environmental performance reviews: Colombia 2014. OECD Publishing, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Paris, France
Ostrom E (2009) A polycentric approach for coping with climate change. The World Bank, policy research working papers
Pinto AD, Loboguerrero AM, Londoño M et al (2018) Informing climate policy through institutional collaboration: reflections on the preparation of Colombia’s nationally determined contribution. Clim Policy 18:612–626. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2017.1321521
PNACC (2012) Plan Nacional de Adaptación al Cambio Climático. Departamento Nacional de Planeación (National Planning Department), Colombia
Rittel HWJ, Webber MM (1973) Dilemmas in a general theory of planning. Policy Sci 4:155–169
Rojas-Laserna M (2014) Adaptation to climate change in Colombia. Effective institutional arrangements for NAP formulation and implementation. Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development Colombia, Bonn/Germany
Scheffran J, Brzoska M, Brauch HG et al (2012) Climate change, human security and violent conflict: challenges for societal stability. Springer Science & Business Media, Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany
Semana (2011) Climate change and Colombia, Santos’ new deal. https://www.semana.com/international/print-edition/articulo/climate-change-and-colombia-santos-new-deal/238322-3. Accessed 27 Oct 2018
Smith D, Vivekananda J (2012) Climate change, conflict, and fragility: getting the institutions right. In: Scheffran J, Brzoska M, Brauch HG et al (eds) Climate change, human security and violent conflict: challenges for societal stability. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany, pp 77–90
Steffen W, Rockström J, Richardson K et al (2018) Trajectories of the earth system in the anthropocene. PNAS 115:8252–8259. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1810141115
Steinberg PF (2003) Understanding policy change in developing countries: the spheres of influence framework. Glob Environ Politics 3:11–31
Stern NH (2007) The economics of climate change: Stern review on the economics of climate change. Cambridge University Press, New York, USA
Strambo C, Espinosa ACG, Velasco AJP, Atteridge A (2018) Privileged coal: the politics of subsidies for coal production in Colombia. Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Sweden
Termeer CJAM, van Buuren A, Dewulf A et al (2017) Governance arrangements for the adaptation to climate change. In: Storch H von (ed) Oxford research encyclopedia of climate science
UN (2015) Adoption of the Paris Agreement. Conference of the Parties. Twenty-first session, Paris, France
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my appreciation to Prof. Dr. Harald Fuhr, the Potsdam Graduate School, and the reviewers and editors of this book.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Mohr, K. (2020). How to Govern Climate Change Without Being Able to Govern: Adaptation Governance in Colombia. In: Leal Filho, W., Nagy, G., Borga, M., Chávez Muñoz, P., Magnuszewski, A. (eds) Climate Change, Hazards and Adaptation Options. Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37425-9_52
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37425-9_52
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-37424-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-37425-9
eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media StudiesLiterature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)