Multi-level learning in the governance of adaptation to climate change: the case of Bolivia’s water sector

ABSTRACT

The efforts of Bolivia’s water sector to adapt to climate change include the mainstreaming of adaptation in water policy instruments and broad capacity building processes supported by climate funds and international cooperation. These sector-wide adaptation experiences in the country present important learning challenges across different governance levels. This paper analyzes multi-level learning in the governance of adaptation taking place in the water sector in Bolivia, by focusing on changes in the cognitive, normative and relational domains of learning. The analysis is guided by three questions: (i) Which institutional arrangements enable multi-level learning in the governance of adaptation in Bolivia’s water sector? (ii) What are the cognitive, normative and relational dimensions of learning in these arrangements? (iii) What are the implications of multi-level learning for shaping desired outcomes in the governance of adaptation? The case contributes to understanding multi-level learning processes in the governance of adaptation, including the role of national and international climate change policy instruments in these. In addition, the study provides methodological insights for assessing multi-level learning.

KEYWORDS:

• Bolivia
• climate change
• multi-level learning
• governance of adaptation
• water sector planning

Acknowledgments

JGI acknowledges collaboration with different organizations and projects that served to gain a more complete understanding of the challenges, policies and the stakeholder dynamic of the Bolivian water sector, including a long term collaboration with the Integrated Water Management project of the Swiss Development Cooperation, implemented by Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation; and involvement in project activities of the Pilot Project for Climate Resilience (PPCR) with the Ministry of Environment and Water of Bolivia, in particular the evaluation of PPCR contribution to adaptive capacity in the water sector, conducted by the Interamerican Development Bank (IADB) and the University of Geneva in the year 2018, which served to gain additional insight about adaptation concerns and institutional processes in the water sector. The authors also acknowledge the contribution of two anonymous reviewers who provided insightful comments on this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Javier Gonzales-Iwanciw

Javier Gonzales-Iwanciw is a research associate at the Institute of Science and Social Research - Universidad Nur in Bolivia and a PhD candidate at the Public Administration and Policy Group of Wageningen UR. His research focuses on various aspects of adaptation to climate change and the SDGs, adaptation planning, multi-level governance and learning.

Sylvia Karlsson-Vinkhuyzen

Sylvia Karlsson-Vinkhuyzen is Associate Professor with the Public Administration and Policy Group of Wageningen University, the Netherlands. In her research she seeks to understand the key determinants of what makes global public governance processes and international norms exert influence and build legitimacy, including through various multilevel accountability mechanisms. She works, and publishes, primarily on global climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development governance.

Art Dewulf

Art Dewulf obtained a PhD in Organisational Psychology (Leuven, 2006) and is Personal Professor of “Sensemaking and decision-making in policy processes” at the Public Administration and Policy group (Wageningen University). He studies complex problems of natural resource governance with a focus on interactive processes of sensemaking and decision-making in water and climate governance.