Global climate adaptation governance in the Amazon through a polycentricity lens

Fronika Claziena Agatha De Wit,Paula Martins De Freitas

doi:10.1590/0034-7329201900207

Fronika Claziena Agatha De Wit, Paula Martins De Freitas

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7329201900207

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Abstract

The 2015 Paris agreement has made adaptation to climate change a global goal and increased the polycentricity of the governance landscape. This study uses insights from polycentric governance theory to analyze the emergence of adaptation governance (AG) in Brazil and its implications for the state of Acre, situated in the Amazon region. By using a qualitative data analysis, including subnational climate policies and semi-structured interviews, we aim to analyze the advantages and challenges of polycentric AG in Acre and provide recommendations for improved AG in the region.

Highlights

Climate change is one of the scientifically defined planetary boundaries to establish a safe operating space on earth, and global climate governance is fundamental to stop development from trespassing these boundaries (Steffen et al 2011)
Global climate governance has been institutionally framed by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (Stripple and Bulkeley 2011)
Global and national solutions to climate adaptation lack an adequate representation of local stakeholders with place-based solutions to adapt to climate change

Summary

Introduction

Climate change is one of the scientifically defined planetary boundaries to establish a safe operating space on earth, and global climate governance is fundamental to stop development from trespassing these boundaries (Steffen et al 2011). Based on equity and justice concerns, the developing countries succeeded in pairing the need for socio-economic development and adaptation alongside emission reduction technology agreements (Okereke 2010) To this effect, Article 7.2 of the Paris Agreement made “enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change” a global goal (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2015) and challenged the framing of adaptation as an exclusive local concern. The 2009 Climate Law mentions the necessity to address the topic of adaptation: article 4.5 highlights the need to “implement means to promote climate adaptation,” and article 5 points to the elaboration of: “means of adaptation to reduce the adverse effects of climate change and the vulnerability of environmental, social and economic systems” (subsection iii); and “the elaboration of integrated climate mitigation and adaptation strategies on the local, regional and national level (subsection iv).” In this case, its core objective is to constrain carbon emissions.

The subnational states that form the Brazilian Amazon are

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