Title: The governance of adaptation financing: pursuing legitimacy at multiple levels

Authors: Louis Lebel; Albert Salamanca; Chalisa Kallayanamitra

Addresses: Unit for Social and Environmental Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand ' Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Asia Centre, 15th Floor, Witthyakit Building, 254 Chulalongkorn University, Soi Chula 64, Phyathai Road, Pathumwan Sub-district, Pathumwan District, Bangkok 10330, Thailand ' Unit for Social and Environmental Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to assess how climate change adaptation funds have been legitimised; that is, how they have been justified and made acceptable to different actors. To this end, it analyses the way various actors have sought to promote and challenge the legitimacy often multi-lateral international and national climate change adaptation funds in the Asia-Pacific region. The study shows that adaptation funds draw on multiple sources of legitimacy, including: ethical or justice arguments; participation and deliberation; transparency; accountability; coherence; and effectiveness. Efforts to strengthen one source of legitimacy can have an impact on other sources, with evidence of both synergies and trade-offs. International and national adaptation funds are primarily legitimised to state actors, even though funds and projects are justified in terms of assisting vulnerable groups and communities. International financing has helped legitimise adaptation as an important development and policy objective. An adaptation financing architecture that is more multi-level, if not yet polycentric, has emerged alongside new legitimacy challenges; but at the same time, providing opportunities for improving outcomes on the ground if greater attention is given to access by vulnerable groups and communities.

Keywords: climate change; adaptation financing; adaptation funds; legitimacy; accountability; governance; ethics; justice; participation; deliberation; transparency; coherence; effectiveness.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGW.2017.082181

International Journal of Global Warming, 2017 Vol.11 No.2, pp.226 - 245

Received: 22 Jul 2014
Accepted: 21 Mar 2015
Published online: 12 Feb 2017 *

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