Abstract
As river basin authorities and national governments develop policies to achieve sustainable development outcomes, conflicting signals between existing policies are undermining cross-thematic integrative modes of policy planning. This raises fundamental questions over how coherent portfolios of policy interventions across vital themes can best be advanced and managed. Taking the Lake Chad Basin (LCB) as an empirical example, we analyse transboundary policies and intervention documents relating to climate adaptation, water governance and conflict management to ascertain the interdependencies at the adaptation-water-peace nexus. Using a Qualitative Document Analysis (QDA) approach and a set of subjective integration scoring criteria, we assess whether and how integration is planned, setting out ways forward for mutually beneficial integration actions. Despite recent progress in addressing lake drying and recognising cross-thematic challenges, most LCB intervention plans continue to adopt standalone basin-scale agendas and seldom consider action plan preparedness based on local-level assessments. Analysis of a few (existing) cross-thematic, well-integrated initiatives indicates that the timings of societal challenges and funding arrangements appear to play a key role in shaping policy strategies, the manner in which climate adaptation, water or security are treated and the level of integration attained. Based on the notion that integration is inherently desirable, we suggest a new ‘policy integration thinking’ that embraces a development landscape logic and balances short-term and long-term development priorities.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 36-44 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Environmental Science and Policy |
| Volume | 79 |
| Early online date | 5 Nov 2017 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2018 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:A range of factors might explain the lack of cross-thematic integration in the initiatives launched before 2015 despite that climate-induced devastations, water shortages and conflicts were increasingly observed during the period 1980–2015. The LCBC, being a regional institution, is governed and funded by the Summit of Heads of State and Government of member nations, as well as the resolutions of the Council of Water/Environmental Ministers ( LCBC, 2016 ). It relies on external expertise, donor agencies and development partners to develop and fund its various initiatives. Governance and funding arrangements from external sources can reduce opportunities for wider local-level consultations and limit opportunities where requirements for integration are needed. For example, the literature reports that local authorities consider that initiatives for which they can claim ownership are lacking – they are often ‘side-lined’ and their views are not always considered in action plans that target the Lake territory (see Okpara et al., 2016b ). This indicates that action plan preparedness based on local level scoping assessments and consultations remains lacking. Constraints – including time and project costs, availability of skilled personnel, people’s demands, the rigour associated with monitoring and evaluation, lack of information, internal organisational structures and preferences/priorities ( Gustafsson, 2016 ) – can encourage cross-thematic incoherence. Time pressure for action plan preparation and completion can limit scope for comprehensive consultation and integration ( Kloos et al., 2013 ). Limited funding can influence the range of targeted policy issues.
Funding Information:
This study was funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council via the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy (ES/K006576/1).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Authors
Keywords
- Climate adaptation planning
- Conflict
- Lake Chad
- Nexus thinking
- Policy integration
- Water governance