ANNUAL CONGRESS 2025

Adaptive Governance for Urban Heat Resilience in Xi’an’s Vulnerable Communities

Not scheduled

20m

Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul

Oral Track 05 | ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE

Speaker

Xiaolin Lao (University College Dublin)

Description

Background:
Urban heat exacerbates pre-existing vulnerabilities in Xi’an’s vulnerable communities, characterized by ageing infrastructure, socio-economic inequality, and a concentration of rural-to-urban migrants. These communities frequently face resource shortages, limited awareness, and insufficient institutional support to mitigate heat-related challenges, underscoring the urgent need for equitable and effective adaptation solutions. Addressing these issues requires a shift from reactive responses to proactive governance frameworks that prioritize resilience and climate justice.
Research Gap and Objective:
While urban heat has been extensively studied globally, limited research explores how adaptive governance can address its impacts in resource-constrained, rapidly urbanizing cities like Xi'an. Existing literature often focuses on technical solutions, such as carbon reduction or heat mitigation technologies, without integrating governance perspectives or addressing the systemic barriers to adaptation. Moreover, research rarely examines these challenges at the grassroots level, where vulnerabilities are most pronounced. This study investigates the impacts of urban heat on Xi'an's vulnerable communities, identifies governance barriers to grassroots adaptation, and explores how adaptive governance principles can promote equitable and sustainable community resilience.
Methodology:
From October to December 2023, 31 semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders, including residents' committees, street offices, NGOs, professionals, academics, and government officials. Using purposive and snowball sampling, the interviews explored perceptions of urban heat, adaptation challenges, and opportunities for collaboration. Thematic analysis of the transcribed data was conducted using NVivo software.
Findings:
Urban heat intensifies vulnerabilities in Xi’an’s vulnerable communities due to governance inefficiencies, such as policy rigidity, understaffing, and limited local autonomy. Adaptive governance principles, which balance flexibility (loose coupling) with policy alignment (tight coupling), emerged as a promising framework for addressing these challenges. Collaborative community engagement initiatives, supported by capacity-building efforts and grassroots innovation, were identified as critical mechanisms for fostering societal engagement and enhancing resilience.
Conclusion:
This study advances the theoretical understanding of adaptive governance in urban heat adaptation and offers actionable policy recommendations for addressing heat risks in Xi’an’s vulnerable communities. By emphasizing equitable adaptation, stakeholder collaboration, and locally tailored initiatives, it aims to support the transition of a highly urbanized city like Xi’an toward a more resilient and sustainable urban future.