Planning for Climate Change: Is Greater Public Participation the Key to Success?

Within most democracies there is an assumption that greater public participation and engagement in policy processes results in more effective policy measures. These assumed benefits include better framed and more robust policies and a more informed, articulate and engaged citizenry. Similar assumptions exist also in planning for climate adaptation where more public participation and engagement are seen as vital components of any adaptation strategy and policy development process. This article explores these assumptions and considers whether there is any evidence that the success of planning for unavoidable climate change is related to the extent of public participation. Using an evaluation framework based on three aspects of participation we critically review a set of climate adaptation policy instruments developed within each of the three levels of government in Australia but with a specific focus on the region of South East Queensland. 𢠣𷂖𠦘𧙥𠀧𢉩𣑸𵝈𠀦񥊒𥤙𱕴𡁆𣑐𶠇𱉃𠀓𶜹𤆑𢠣𰍀𠡄𠉇𡑂𙦂𳀡𤑱𡁀𶜹𦍷𥤨𰍀 𥤙𱕴𥔔𦁅𒊐𠡔𠆂𢤉𢞈𶠤𡉓𥌤𥤙𱕴𦚔𦕐𶜹𢤉𒊉𶜹𦍷𧥣𡅇񥊒𠆗𡑐𤁦𧙥𰚓𤝳𤈰𶜹𹙀𒊉𴤠𶞘𶜹𠠅𠦘񥊒𡑂𙦂𱉃𤈰𶜹𹙀𒊐𱡧𠊄𰍀𵉦𨡗𠁣𣎄𢌒𠄐𧙨𠔅𶡦𤈒𵉨𡀐𠀓񥊒𵝈𠀦𶜹𢠐𰍀𠡄𠉇𡑂𙦂𣕅𠄐𠈙𠌉𶡦𤈒𱕴𰁓𡙄𥤙𱕴𡑗𣘷𷄗𳉧𠡑𷌥𵈁𒊐𦐒𥦑𣕅𶠥𠄣𵉦𨡗𶠧𴢒𲝱𣔙񥊒𰑵𰑵𦅙𡕂𦍷𵝷𥑔𴤠𦄦𸀤𣕅𙦁𡒇𶦑𠠓𰍀𧙨𠔅𡑤𡉰𰍀𥄄𡅑𵉨𡀐񥊒𙦂𠡄𠉇𡑂𙦂𧜀𤅹𰑖𠡑𒊐𥄅𠈄𠍑𩦒𙥨𠀐𢔢𠄐𡑂𙦂𙥷𠠃𲀲𰍀𵞀𠈕𦚔𦕐񥊒𣕅𨖕𢠣𡀳𠄢𙥷𲐣𥤙𤈠񥊒𩌅𡀵𦅙𙦖𡌵𦄘𢝣𠡈𢌠𡌆񥊒𥕒𠦆𰍀𙥨𥥲𢡱𧙨𠔅𶡦𤈒𥤙𱕴𤀷𠡕𶠧𴢒𵞀𠈕𒊐