Urban climate governance and adaptive capacity: a case study of Kathmandu, Nepal

Adapting to changing climate is a challenge for cities around the world. The adaptive capacity of urban communities to climate change depends on economic, political, social, ecological, and institutional arrangements. The least developing countries struggle to enhance their capacity to adapt because of social inequalities, minimal scientific knowledge, low finance, and inadequate and poorly constructed infrastructures in cities. Much of the climate governance literature focused on cities with established adaptation planning processes. Multilevel governance theories that are linked with concepts of urban adaptation usually assume a well-structured and functioning governance system. However, the reality is often very different in cities of the global south with weak governance systems, limited urban planning capacity, and no formal adaptation planning on the ground. To better support the world's most vulnerable populations' response to climate change, there is a need for in-depth case study research on adaptive climate governance in cities of the global south. Thus, this thesis sought to understand how urban adaptive governance is envisioned, pursued, and limited via a case study interrogation. This study contributes to our understanding of barriers to and enablers of urban adaption within the multilevel governance settings of the rapidly growing cities of least developing countries, exploring key governing actors, policy formulation and sectoral linkages, intervention approaches and strategies. This study reveals issues with the effectiveness of existing climate adaptation funding; limitations in policy frameworks and instruments, including a lack of evidenced informed practice; and poor accountability mechanisms of climate governance at all levels. It also suggests further potential research on multi-sectoral climate governance; a detailed investigation of local climate impacts in urban contexts; and exploring indirect impacts of climate change and strategies for adaptation.