Whether they are located in coastal or mountainous areas, or in the global north or the south, cities and towns
throughout the world are vulnerable to climate impacts. To date, most climate change efforts have focused on
national policy within specific sectors (e.g., agriculture, energy, water, health). While sound national and sectoral
policy is important for setting priorities and shaping agendas, it does not account for the need to address urban
concerns and the associated local actions required to prepare cities and citizens for the impacts of climate change.
To promote the economic vitality of countries and protect the well-being of their inhabitants, it is
essential that local governments have the political will and capacity to adapt their cities in ways that account for
the impacts climate change. Evidence from countries throughout the world suggests that some municipalities
are integrating climate adaptation efforts into their existing efforts. In some cases, they are cultivating their
internal capacity by developing dedicated teams to address climate mitigation and adaptation. In many other
instances, climate concerns are integrated into municipal planning on a case by case, issue by issue basis. In still
other instances, climate change is not being addressed nor are provisions being adopted that embrace practices
associated with sustainable development.
The range and scale of activities involved in preparing cities for the impacts of climate change are
unprecedented. To properly ready cities for climate uncertainties, public officials must attend to interdependencies
between the built, natural, and human environments, including the social, economic, political, and cultural
realities of daily life. Sociological research from a range of sub-disciplines offer points of departure for
understanding the dynamics of urban climate adaptation and for assisting municipalities in overcoming some of
the challenges that they will encounter.
For instance, urban sociology provides a means for understanding power and politics in cities. Theories
in this domain inform our understanding of the forces shaping public and private uses of physical space and
decisions about the built environment. They also can shed light on the ways in which relationships between
governments, private interests, and civil society actors and organizations can facilitate or impede adaptation. A
related area of scholarship pertains to public participation. Studies of urban communities offer numerous insights
about designing participatory processes that can build trust and foster commitment among diverse populations.
These insights can be used to inform the design of processes for creating and implementing adaptation programs
and plans.
Drawing from scholarship in environmental sociology, studies of environmental injustice can help us
better understand the inequities associated with climate change and ways that the impacts of climate change
on vulnerable populations – particularly minorities and the urban poor – can best be addressed. Insights from
development sociology will be useful in this context since they can help us identify measures associated with pro-
poor development that can be adopted to ensure that the risks to vulnerable populations are minimized.
Several important questions that sociologists are well-equipped to address about urban climate adaptation
include:
- What explains why some municipalities are engaging in climate adaptation planning and action
and other are not? What are the social and political dynamics shaping climate adaptation decisions
and actions at the municipal level? What resources are required for municipalities to have sufficient
capacity to plan and implement climate adaptation measures?