Assessing the Governance Capacity of Cities to Address Challenges of Water, Waste, and Climate Change

• DOI: 10.1007/s11269-017-1677-7
• Publication Date: 2017-05-27T05:46:20Z
• Authors: S. H. A. Koop; L. Koetsier; A. Doornhof; O. Reinstra; C. J. Van Leeuwen; S. Brouwer; C. Dieperink; P. P. J. Driessen
• Keywords: Water infrastructure

The challenges of water, waste, and climate change in cities are overwhelming underpin the importance overcoming governance issues impeding adaptation. These "governance challenges" typically have fragmented scopes, viewpoints, responsibilities. As there many causes leading to this uncertainty disagreement, is no single best approach solve these challenges. In fact, what necessary iterative requires capacity find dynamic long-term solutions that supported by flexible interim targets, so as anticipate emerging barriers changing situations. literature contains a plethora gaps, barriers, capacities, which sometimes overlap, contradictory case-specific, reflect disciplinary scopes. We argue balanced set well-developed conditions needed, obtain enables effective change. Therefore, we aim deeper understanding key determining urban water capacity, developing an integrated empirical-based consistent city comparisons facilitates decision-making. propose framework focusing on five challenges: 1) scarcity, 2) flood risk, 3) wastewater treatment, 4) solid waste treatment 5) heat islands. Nine conditions, each with three indicators, identified empirically assessed using Likert-type scoring method. illustrated case study Amsterdam, Netherlands. conclude our shows great potential improve