Climate Change Impacts in the Atlantic Basin and Coordinated Adaptation Responses

Scientific paper,  nº. 16

The need for ambitious implementation of strategies and measures for climate adaptation has become clear, however, at a global level, it is uncertain if or whether the issue is best confronted by centralised or fragmented structures of adaptation governance. This paper, an output of the EU ATLANTIC FUTURE project, investigates the dynamic network of transnational climate adaptation institutions currently working in the Atlantic Basin region. From a broad pool of adaptation institutions present in the Atlantic, eight case studies were selected and investigated, together representing an array of regions, forms of cooperation, actors, and thematic issues. Through case study analysis, this paper considers whether the work undertaken by these institutions is uniquely ‘Atlantic’ in nature – that is, if and how they are driven, facilitated, or bounded by the specific actors, climate impacts, or characteristics of the region – or whether they are more global in nature. Secondly, we examine how these institutions fit within the larger picture of fragmented global climate adaptation governance. In doing so, we find indications that the Atlantic hosts and fosters a diverse and active array of institutions, but that these are largely focused on the production and exchange of scientific knowledge and capacity building, rather than on the implementation of concrete measures. Although the fragmented governance structure currently in place has produced much valuable work, increased centralisation could be beneficial for ensuring better coordination and implementation of adaptation activities at the ground level.