Climate Adaptation in Practice : Strategies and Barriers for the Implementation of Climate Adaptation at the Local Level in Norrtälje and Umeå

The climate is in a state of perpetual flux and we, the public, are constantly reminded of this fact via the latest environmental reports which are wholeheartedly discussed in the media. Communities experience 50-year-rainfalls more frequently than ever, leading to recurring flooding of streets and homes. And yet, progress on adapting to this ever-changing climate has been slow. When discussing climate adaptation, a widely accepted fact is that there exists an intrinsic inertia in the Swedish planning system which largely stems from a governmental path dependance, a general lack of willingness to focus on adaptation measures in favor of societal and economic growth, and inadequate knowledge and communication of climate-related issues within the governing body. The aim of this study is to identify what kind of climate adaption measures are implemented in two Swedish municipalities, and to ascertain whether there is any merit to the use of the term adaptive barriers, which supposedly hinder the implementation of other climate adaptation measures. With respect to climate adaptation, theories regarding contextual vulnerability and adaptive capacity, among others, will be applied to the Swedish planning system with a focus on municipal planning documents via a qualitative research approach. To answer questions regarding barriers to adaptation within the municipal organization, and to strengthen the validity of the study, two semi-structured interviews with relevant authorities on climate adaptation have been conducted. This study finds that there has been some progress in later years regarding the implementation of climate adaptation measures in municipal planning, but that organizational barriers still fundamentally impede efficient implementation of some adaptation measures