The Role of Local Government in Adapting to Climate Change: Lessons from New Zealand

Local government plays an important role in facilitating adaptation to climate change at the community and regional level. Experiences and lessons from New Zealand suggest that the following elements together contribute to an enabling environment for local government: (1) raising community awareness of climate change; (2) engaging and developing the local expertise of professionals and decision-makers by presenting climate change science, scenarios and their uncertainties in locally relevant contexts and through interactive workshops; (3) adoption of a sequential approach to assess risks and identify vulnerabilities in the context of other socioeconomic and location-specific pressures; and (4) support from central government through regulation and guidance material. We outline the measures undertaken in each of those areas and discuss remaining barriers and uncertainties.

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