Chapter 15 - Challenges in main streaming climate resilience in land-use planning: A case study in Malaysian local government

Abstract

Cities have to consider exerting substantial impact on climate change adaptation and transformation initiatives. As essential social and economic drivers, cities are characterized by aspects including economies, dynamism, gripping histories, and self-awareness. Another significant aspect that should be knitted within cities is resilience to survive the stress-driven climate change. Ultimately, monetary and planning decisions are devised at a local level, while the services offered by local government are dictated by the climate change. Hence, it is imperative for the city local government, which serves as both city planner and urban manager, to effectively implement climate resilience adaptation during planning process in its attempt to adapt to the escalating frequency of shocks and stresses. Having said that, this study sought to comprehend and determine the intricacies faced by the Malaysian city local government in adapting to climate change with respect to land-use planning. More importantly, this study identified the integral changes that must be adhered to in land-use planning for climate resilience adaptation facilitation. The mixed-method approach was employed for the data collection process in this study. Four sessions of focus group discussion (FGD) were held with officers from the planning department of both local and federal governments, as well as representatives from the civil societies and subject matter experts. Additionally, two interview sessions were conducted with policy makers. The outcomes outlined four primary challenges that adversely affected climate resilience adaptation, which are (1) the setup of an effective transdisciplinary planning team, (2) reliability and collation of both spatial and nonspatial data, (3) implementation of a climate-proof land-use planning approach, and (4) effective leadership for sustainable development. These results serve as a stepping-stone in paving the path toward more effective city local government endeavors. Apart from highlighting the priority of land use for the upcoming decades, the findings can be applied as a yardstick in determining the progress of local government that reflects economic dynamism and sustainability of visionary cities with high resilience.