Climate Change Governance and Adaptation: Case Studies from South Asia

Climate change adaptation in South Asia is redefining the roles of different actors in the governance processes. The existing governance lack capacity, knowledge, and leadership skills to manage the uncertainties and challenges posed by climate change. This book aims to explain how the governance of climate change adaptation and mitigation is being shaped in the region and how climate change is impacting upon the governance of natural resources. Although the focus is on South Asia, the editors draw a wide range of contributions from northern and southern communities and across various agro-ecological contexts.

Climate Change Governance and Adaptation: Case Studies from South Asia sees the changing climate not only as an environmental problem but as a societal challenge and discusses the governance challenges from an interdisciplinary social science perspective across different levels: local, state, and national. Discusses also the challenges and opportunities for increasing the resilience of the society through effective governance around climate change. A top down approach to govern climate change adaptation may not yield desired outcomes; instead the book emphasizes the need to integrate issues of equity, into climate governance and polices. The lessons learned from different cases across South Asia help readers have a better and deeper understanding of the relationships between governance and climate change.

Given the diversity of themes covered, this book will appeal not only to researchers and practitioners in the climate change community, but also to those with a broader interest in governance processes.

Anamika Barua is an Associate Professor at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Guwahati, India. She has a PhD in ecological economics from the University of Leeds, UK. Her work focuses on understanding how political, social and economic factors shapes environmental decisions and change, particularly related to water. For the last ten years she has been involved in academic and consultancy project related to water issues in South Asia. Her research interests include – economics of climate change, ecological footprints, virtual water flow through trade and water governance including transboundary water governance. She has published her recent research in journals such as Regional Environmental Change, Water Resources Research, International Journal for Water Resources Development and Water Policy.

Vishal Narain is a Professor at Public Policy and Governance department, Management Development Institute, India. He holds a PhD from Wageningen University, the Netherlands. His teaching and research interests are in the inter-disciplinary analyses of public policy processes and institutions, water governance, vulnerability and adaptation to environmental change and periurban issues. His research has been published in several international peer-reviewed journals like Water Policy, Water International, Environment and Urbanization, Local Environment: the International Journal of Justice and Sustainability and Mountain research and Development. He has recently co-edited ‘Globalization of Water Governance in South Asia (Routledge)’. He was lead author for a chapter on human vulnerability to environmental change for GEO- (Global Environment outlook)- 4, the flagship publication of UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme.

Sumit Vij is a PhD Researcher at Public Administration and Policy Group in Wageningen University. His research interests are climate governance, power and politics, policy paradigms, transboundary water governance and politics and peri-urban development. Sumit holds a Master’s degree in Sustainable Development Practices from TERI University, and studied Development Management at TDA. He completed Bachelors in Chemistry from University of Delhi. His experience also includes his service record at the National Dairy Development Board, Ministry of Agriculture, India. He has recently published articles in journals such as Environment Science and Policy, Climate Policy, International Journal for Water Resources Development, Land Use Policy, and Geoforum.