Speaker
Description
The increasing frequency and severity of climate-related disasters highlight the urgent need for inclusive and adaptive governance that prioritizes local engagement. Traditional top-down climate strategies often fail to address community-specific needs, leading to ineffective disaster preparedness and long-term adaptation (Ziervogel et al., 2017). Grassroots climate initiatives frequently remain scattered and lack the coordination and resources necessary for a more significant impact (Lovell, 2024). By leveraging local knowledge, authorities can foster innovation, enhance awareness, and strengthen community participation in disaster risk reduction (Dursun et al., 2020). However, many small- and medium-sized cities in Brazil and the Global South lack the institutional capacity to effectively engage residents in climate governance.
This research examines how local authorities can develop place-based engagement strategies to enhance climate resilience governance in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, a region recently devastated by extreme flooding. The May 2024 floods resulted in fatalities, displacement, and widespread infrastructural damage, underscoring the urgent need for more effective disaster governance (Browning, 2021). The disaster exposed critical gaps in local preparedness, and addressing these gaps requires context-sensitive engagement strategies that integrate local knowledge into resilience planning (Hughes & Hoffmann, 2020). Recognizing this, our research employs a participatory, co-design approach, bringing together local government officials, community organizations, businesses, and researchers from Brazil and the UK (Sheffield et al., 2017).
Our paper presents findings from the ESRC-funded project, “Place-Based Engagement Strategies with Local Communities for Better Climate Resilience Governance in Disaster Situations.” The project develops civic engagement strategies for co-designing climate-resilient policies in Caxias do Sul, addressing urgent climate challenges and strengthening community resilience (Baró et al., 2022). The primary objectives are to increase awareness of climate risks and co-develop effective civic engagement strategies to facilitate community involvement in resilience policymaking (Badolo, 2024). Ultimately, it aims to enhance the capacity of local governments to integrate local voices into climate resilience governance (Cannon & Müller‐Mahn, 2010). This was addressed through four participatory workshops, each focusing on key aspects of climate governance (Malloy et al., 2022). The workshops facilitated the co-development and testing of participatory tools, enabling local authorities and planners to collaboratively shape resilience strategies with residents and stakeholders (Bulkeley et al., 2013). The findings demonstrate that co-designing policies with affected communities leads to more actionable, context-sensitive solutions than conventional top-down governance models (Badolo, 2024).
Our research contributes to the reframing of urban resilience planning as a social and participatory process rather than a purely technocratic endeavor. It highlights the potential of participatory planning in strengthening disaster preparedness and long-term urban resilience while addressing climate vulnerability, emphasizing the need for alternative governance models that prioritize inclusivity, justice, and local agency (Dursun et al., 2020). Additionally, we provide valuable insights for urban planners, policymakers, and researchers interested in developing community-centered climate adaptation policies. By fostering direct collaboration between affected communities and government officials in climate resilience policy, this research offers a scalable and adaptable framework for integrating participatory governance into climate adaptation strategies (Byskov et al., 2019). We advance broader discussions on climate justice, resilience planning, and co-production in policymaking, offering practical pathways for strengthening local capacities in climate governance (Ziervogel et al., 2017).
References
Badolo, M. (2024). Advancing climate resilience in sub-saharan africa.. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/95hzk
Badolo, M. (2024). Climgender, an innovative scientific framework for gender and social inclusion integration in sectoral climate change resilience policies.. https://doi.org/10.14293/pr2199.000688.v1
Baró, F., Camacho, D., Pulgar, C., Ruíz-Mallén, I., & García-Serrano, P. (2022). Nature-based climate solutions in european schools: a pioneering co-designed strategy towards urban resilience., 125-146. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07301-4_6
Browning, E. (2021). City care: historical and contemporary lessons from environmental justice coalition-building. Engage!, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.18060/25581
Bulkeley, H., Carmin, J., Broto, V., Edwards, G., & Fuller, S. (2013). Climate justice and global cities: mapping the emerging discourses. Global Environmental Change, 23(5), 914-925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2013.05.010
Byskov, M., Hyams, K., Satyal, P., Anguelovski, I., Benjamin, L., Blackburn, S., … & Venn, A. (2019). An agenda for ethics and justice in adaptation to climate change. Climate and Development, 13(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2019.1700774
Cannon, T. and Müller‐Mahn, D. (2010). Vulnerability, resilience and development discourses in context of climate change. Natural Hazards, 55(3), 621-635. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-010-9499-4
Dursun, D., Dursun, D., & Güller, C. (2020). Resilience planning and urbanization experience of bayburt. Iğdır Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi, 10(4), 2975-2987. https://doi.org/10.21597/jist.738717
Hughes, S. and Hoffmann, M. (2020). Just urban transitions: toward a research agenda. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Climate Change, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.640
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
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