TY  - JOUR
A1  - Rölfer, Lena
A1  - Abson, David J.
A1  - Costa, María Máñez
A1  - Rosendo, Sergio
A1  - Smith, Timothy F.
A1  - Celliers, Louis
T1  - Leveraging Governance Performance to Enhance Climate Resilience
Y1  - 2022-10-17
VL  - 10
IS  - 10
JF  - Earth's Future
DO  - 10.1029/2022EF003012
PB  - 
N2  - Enhancing the resilience of complex social‐ecological systems (SES) to climate change requires transformative changes. Yet, there are knowledge gaps on how best to achieve transformation. In this study, we present an approach for assessing governance performance in SES and identifying leverage points to ultimately enhance climate resilience. The approach combines three different methods including a capital approach framework, fuzzy cognitive mapping, and a leverage points analysis. Using a coastal case‐study in Algoa Bay, South Africa, the performance of governance processes contributing to different forms of capital is assessed. Subsequently, leverage points ‐ where a small shift may lead to transformative changes in the system as a whole ‐ are identified based on measures of centrality and performance. Results suggest that a range of leverage points can improve governance performance and therefore climate resilience in the case‐study. Leverage points include improving (a) support from the provincial government; (b) priority given to climate change in the integrated development plan; (c) frequency of collaborations; (d) participation in the implementation of climate action plans; (e) allocation of funding to climate change actions; (f) the overall level of preparedness in terms of staff with relevant expertise; (g) public awareness and understanding of climate change. The approach can also be used to analyze and model the relations and interactions between capitals. The study advances methodological and theoretical knowledge on the identification of leverage points for enabling transformations toward climate resilience and broader sustainability goals in SES.
N2  - Plain Language Summary: Climate change has severe impacts on both people and nature. Enhancing the ability to persist and adapt to climate change requires transformative governance of social‐ecological systems. However, more knowledge is required on how to enable such transformations. In this paper, we present an approach to measure the performance of different governance processes, such as decisions and actions for climate change adaptation made by public and governmental organizations. The approach aims to identify key processes, where a small intervention may improve overall performance for climate change adaptation, and therefore transformation. We apply the approach in a real‐world example in Algoa Bay, South Africa. Results suggest that different processes in the case‐study can be changed in order to enhance the ability to persist and adapt to climate change. This includes seven actions: (a) more support from governmental organizations; (b) greater priority given to climate change in relevant policies; (c) increasing the frequency of interactions between organizations; (d) enhancing the participation in the implementation of climate action plans; (e) better allocation of funding to climate change actions; (f) training staff within organizations to enhance their climate expertise; (g) improving public awareness and understanding of climate change.
N2  - Key Points: The study presents an approach for assessing governance performance and identifying leverage points in social‐ecological systems. The approach combines three different methods: a capital approach framework, fuzzy cognitive mapping, and a leverage points analysis. The study advances methodological and theoretical knowledge on how to operationalize transformation toward climate resilience.
UR  - http://resolver.sub.uni-goettingen.de/purl?gldocs-11858/10413
ER  -