The Governance of Climate Adaptation in Flood-Prone Delta Cities: Issues on Spatial Planning and Flood Risk Management

Abstract

As coastal cities are increasingly found to be exposed to the risk of flooding and consequential losses due to a changing climate, city governments are faced with tough challenges. These challenges span across three issues. The first relates to spatial planning, in terms of the visions, strategies, plans and programmes required to meet the challenges of land use and development and of territorial management. The second relates to the management of flooding, in terms of responses to storm surges, sea-level rise and land subsidence. The third relates to governance, namely, the ability of governmental and non-governmental actors to collaborate in decision-making. The presenter will examine the delta cities of Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Rotterdam to illustrate how and why their spatial planning, management of floods and governance dynamics are shaping climate adaptation decisions.