The role of local institutions in climate change adaptation

Effective local institutions are central to society’s ability to respond to the impacts of climate change. Our capacity to adapt is dependent on a wide range of factors with complex institutional arrangements: production strategies, land and water governance, social support systems, household and gender dynamics, availability of weather and climate information, and interaction with external actors, among others. The interaction between local and national institutions is also an important, and often complex, factor.

In the context of climate change, how can such institutions themselves adapt to be both materially and socially effective? How important is it that such institutions are transparent, democratic, and inclusive? How can national institutions create effective enabling environments for local institutions? In this event, presenters from Oxfam America will share new research, based on field work carried out in Ethiopia and Mali, on the role of local institutions in adaptive processes. Additional perspectives on the role of national institutions will be shared by Heather McGray, Co-Director of the Vulnerability and Adaptation Initiative at the World Resources Institute.