Mapping the Need for Inter-Municipal Climate Adaptation - Barriers and Enablers in the Gothenburg Metropolitan Area

Abstract

Climate change is increasingly affecting our societies. Sea level is rising, heatwaves are becoming more frequent and precipitation more intense. These are just some of the events our societies have to manage, making climate adaptation an essen tial area of work. Municipalities play an important role in this process, and since climate-related events do not follow administrative boundaries, climate adaptation efforts could benefit from inter-municipal collaboration. This study investigates mu nicipalities’ perceived need of inter-municipal collaboration in situations in order to achieve effective measures. It also identifies barriers and enablers related both to such collaboration and to the municipalities’ internal climate adaptation work. The findings of the study may contribute to the initiation and development of inter municipal collaboration aimed at addressing regional climate adaptation challenges. Empirical data has been collected through semi-structured interviews with officials from nine of the municipalities in the Gothenburg metropolitan area participating in the climate adaptation network run by the municipal association Göteborgsregionen (GR). Interviews with two officials from the County Administrative Board of Västra Götaland and the Delegation for Göta älv were also conducted. Drainage basins that extend across multiple municipalities were identified as the primary context in which there is a perceived need for inter-municipal collaboration. In these areas, a more holistic perspective is required to implement effective measures and to ensure that actions taken upstream do not negatively affect downstream areas. Identified barriers to such collaboration include the absence of established models for this type of cooperation, limited access to expertise such as geotechnical knowledge, and the high costs associated with climate adaptation measures. The complexity of climate change and its impacts also constitutes a challenge, highlighting the need for collab oration involving a broad range of expertise and stakeholders. The municipalities’ internal climate adaptation work also affects the perceived need of inter-municipal collaboration and the possibility of it. Several institutional and organizational bar riers, as well as political prioritization and the availability of resources, affect the municipalities’ internal climate adaptation work. This study proposes that resilience within collaborative structures and the involvement of diverse actors should be con sidered key factors when designing inter-municipal collaboration.