Fostering climate change adaptation through local authority efforts: Insights from the case study of Genoa

In recent years, the adaptation of local communities to climate change has become a key priority for policymakers. Local authorities, especially in urban areas, play a crucial role in implementing adaptation policies to reduce climate-related risks. In this study, we investigated the development of local adaptation processes in the area of Genoa, Italy, owing to its vulnerability and exposure to risks that are expected to worsen in the near future. In particular, we investigated the contribution of the regional, metropolitan, and municipal levels to local adaptation, thus identifying which local authority exerts the maximum effort throughout the planning, implementation, and monitoring phases. The analysis applied the UAST (Urban Adaptation Support Tool) as a methodological framework. The results showed that achievement of a strong connection among institutional levels, especially in terms of knowledge sharing and stakeholder involvement, can significantly enhance adaptation outcomes. Conversely, when an integrated approach among local authorities becomes flawed, the responsibility of implementing adaptation is unevenly distributed among the concerned actors, and municipalities might play a major role. In particular, we identified six main constraining factors that undermine local adaptation processes: i. Lack of mandatory adaptation commitments at the sub-national levels; ii. Mismatched timeframes of governments mandate and adaptation processes; iii. Delayed approval of a plan at the national level; iv. Complexity of the multilevel policy framework; v. Complex variety of available policy tools; vi. Lack of control, steering, and systematization of adaptation measures. Accordingly, we close this study with some policy recommendations intended to foster the efficacy of local adaptation.