This chapter examines the opportunities and barriers for successful adaptation to climate change in decentralisation processes. Using a study of two municipalities in Burkina Faso, it stresses the importance of knowledge and institutional flexibility in overcoming resource dependency. The varying degrees of space generated by the decentralisation process in the two municipalities demonstrates the importance of individual understanding and decision-making in determining successful adaptation.
There has been growing recognition amongst scholars of the importance of governance issues in the success or failure of adaptation efforts. Institutions affecting the governance of natural resources operate at the local, national and global levels. Decentralisation processes present opportunities to integrate adaptation into development policies, but they also raise challenges.
The decentralisation process in Burkina Faso began in the early 1990s, when urban municipalities were established and made responsible for local development and environment. The region examined in this chapter has experienced higher immigration of herders caused by droughts, leading to higher risk of conflicts between herders and farmers. There has also been a neglect of the importance of forests for sustainable resource management, leading to a reduced availability of forest ecosystem goods and services (FEGS). The forestry administration has not been able to regulate the use of these goods and services effectively. Limited connectedness among the various FEGS actors is a major problem.
Local actors suggested a number of proposals to tackle these issues. These included development projects in capacity-building, individual behaviour change, and more participation by civil society in planning and implementing adaptive responses. Interviewees from local government departments felt that more participatory decision-making would improve natural resource management. Most actors emphasised the role of knowledge for successful adaptation. They preferred information policy options and education tools over coercion instruments.
Formal governance systems determine the overall space for the system’s adaptive capacity and set the limits for successful adaptation. However:
- The extent to which this space is used depends on individual decision-makers and their individual understandings.
- Lack of knowledge and experience can act as a significant barrier to adaptation.
- Lack of connectivity between national and local levels can lead to isolated political processes and a reduction of adaptive capacity at the local level.
Successful adaptation is strongly driven by structural conditions, which underpin the management of FEGS and the behaviour of actors involved in decision-making. Adaptive capacity can also be limited by two key aspects of governance – individual understandings and institutional flexibility in governance structures, which are ensured by strong direct connections to local realities. These variables are underpinned by knowledge. Decentralisation is by no means a guarantee for successful adaptation. In order for decentralisation to be effective, it must be accompanied by capacity-building, knowledge transfer, the genuine participation of local actors and the establishment of sound community structures.
