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Project title

Addressing the Political-Economic Barriers to Climate Adaptation in Ireland

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Dublin City University (DCU)

Lead Applicant

Darren Clarke

Project Abstract

While all sectors will be impacted by climate change, given Ireland’s maritime climate, water-related sectors are particularly vulnerable to climate change through, for example, increased flood risk, increasing drought risks for agricultural production, additional stresses on communications infrastructure, and negative impacts on water quality and water quantity. This research uses a political economy approach to examine the barriers that impede adaptation with a specific focus on those sectors exposed to water-related risks, specifically flood risk management; water quality and water services infrastructure; agriculture and; communications. Ireland’s climate is changing in line with international trends, with higher temperatures, higher rainfall, rising sea levels and increased ocean warming and acidification. These changes are already costing between €80-800 million annually in terms of adaptation costs. Adaptation and climate resilience are, therefore, needed. However, adaptation as a policy issue is a relatively recent strategy in Ireland. Until 2012, national efforts to deal with climate change were primarily centred on mitigation. Following the identification of potential socioeconomic impacts and national vulnerability to climate change, a national adaptation strategy, the National Adaptation Framework (NAF), was published in 2018, which sets out requirements for sectoral adaptation plans to respond to climate impacts in Ireland. Despite policy progress in recent years, a statutory annual review in 2021 concluded that of the 12 sectoral adaptation plans developed under the NAF, adaptation is still not adequately addressed in national, sectoral or local policies and initiatives. The current pace of adaptation planning and delivery is therefore not progressing at the same rate at which climate change is currently impacting and will continue to impact Ireland, nor is it aligned to commitments laid out in national adaptation policy. In this context, previous studies have highlighted barriers to adaptation as a major challenge to implementing adaptation strategies in an Irish context. However, this has been sector-specific, such as flood risk management or agriculture. One of the ways through which adaptation barriers can be assessed is through political economy analysis. Such analysis can reveal embedded interests, incentives and institutions that support or impede change. It can also help to identify barriers to adaptation and opportunities for policy reform and for effective adaptation implementation. Few studies to-date have examined adaptation barriers from a political economy perspective. Given poor performance of adaptation implementation across most sectors to-date, it is crucial to understand how national and subnational adaptation processes connect with higher organisational scales of governance and interact across sectors to impede progress. As the NAF and sectoral adaptation plans are approaching the end of their first five-year review period, this research will highlight whether current adaptation governance structures support or constrain national, subnational and sectoral adaptation efforts and how sectoral adaptation barriers might be overcome. To our knowledge, no systematic research studies have been conducted which assesses adaptation barriers across multiple sectors in Ireland. Our research, therefore, will address this gap and add significant and essential knowledge to adaptation expertise nationally.

Grant Approved

�95,346.20

Research Hub

Climate Change

Research Theme

n/a

Start Date

20/02/2023

Initial Projected Completion Date

19/02/2024