Factors contributing to climate adaptation lag in practice: Insights from local and territorial government interactions

Abstract

Local governments across the globe are facing worsening climate impacts. In response, many decision-makers have initiated processes of planning for climate change adaptation. However, implementation frequently lags in practice. Scholarship exploring adaptation lag often focuses on the role of governance, specifically as it relates to interactions between various common levels of government (e. g., provincial, state, federal). However, there is a dearth of academic literature that targets the relationship between local and territorial governments, particularly in a northern context. To contribute to the narrowing of this gap, we explore the relationship between local and territorial governments in Canada in an effort to shed light on the ways in which government interactions influence progress on adaptation. Specifically, this qualitative study focuses on three local governments (Dawson City, Haines Junction and Whitehorse) in Yukon, a territory in northwest Canada, to explore how enablers and barriers emerge and influence climate adaptation action. Results demostrate that local government decision-makers (e. g., elected officials and senior managers) are eager to adapt. However, challenges impede implementation of adaptation policies in practice. Application of an evolutionary governance lens reveals that path dependencies associated with an awareness of the need to respond to climate impacts facilitate buy-in for adaptation. In contrast, goal dependencies that prioritize mitigation over adaptation stymie momentum on adaptation. Moreover, interdependencies and complex power dynamics related to the local-territorial relationship create unclear roles, further constraining the implementation of adaptation policies in practice. Recommendations geared towards overcoming these challenges are provided.