Institutional Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation for Mountain Guides in the Canadian Rockies

Recent revisions by Parks Canada to the National Park Guided Business Licence (NPGBL) program were, in part, a response to challenges that threatened the organization's Charter and Mandate (eg high visitation and congestion). However, findings from this study demonstrate that the revisions have also yielded unintended consequences for mountain guides, including those working in the rapidly changing Canadian Rockies. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines semistructured interviews (n = 30), policy analysis, and key informant interviews (n = 7), we analyzed the origins of revisions to the NPGBL that impact adaptive capacity, their effects on mountain guides' adaptation actions, and potential strategies to overcome these institutional barriers. Findings revealed that two thirds of guides interviewed (67%, n = 20) believe the NPGBL's revised regulatory framework, application process, and implementation mechanisms have inadvertently reduced guides' adaptability while increasing the administrative burden of operating in national parks. Our results suggest that this has reduced the efficacy, efficiency, and equity of adaptation efforts among guides. We found that these barriers can be addressed by fostering horizontal and vertical social capital, which can facilitate the inclusion of local knowledge holders, such as mountain guides, in decision-making processes to yield mutually beneficial outcomes. These findings offer relevant insights for land managers and guiding organizations in Canada and other mountain regions globally where guiding professions are increasingly impacted by the dual pressures of climatic and institutional changes.