Climate adaptation approaches and key policy characteristics : cases from South Asia

This paper assesses existing policies in South Asia in view of long-term climate change adaptation and finds they need to focus on shared transboundary resources, instead of national or sub-national scales. It analyzes policy approaches in terms of institutional flexibility, adaptive nature, scalability and reflexivity, and evaluates these characteristics in the climate change adaptation policies of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. A discussion section reflects on key insights. For instance, each country has a different sectoral vulnerability: Nepal's adaptation policy focuses on forestry and soil conservation, while Bangladesh’s focuses on water and flood management