Research Collection Doctoral Thesis The Governance of Climate Change Adaption in Switzerland Issues, Actors, and Processes at the National and Cantonal Level and in Land-use relevant Policies Author(s): Widmer, Alexander M. Publication Date: 2014 Permanent Link: https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-a-010255093 Rights / License: In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted This page was generated automatically upon download from the ETH Zurich Research Collection. For more information please consult the Terms of use. ETH Library DISS ETH NO. 22144 THE GOVERNANCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN SWITZERLAND: ISSUES, ACTORS, AND PROCESSES AT THE NATIONAL AND CANTONAL LEVEL AND IN LAND-USE RELEVANT POLICIES A thesis submitted to attain the degree of DOCTOR OF SCIENCES of ETH ZURICH (Dr. sc. ETH Zurich) presented by ALEXANDER MARTIN WIDMER lic. phil., Universität Zürich born on 08.02.1978 citizen of Lausanne VD & Sumiswald BE accepted on the recommendation of Prof. Dr. Stefanie Engel Prof. Dr. Karl Hogl Dr. Christian Hirschi 2014 CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................ page iv LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................... v ZUSAMMENFASSUNG........................................................................................................................... vii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................. x 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 CHALLENGES AND APPROACHES TO CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION POLICY ......... 1 1.2 KEY ISSUES OF THIS THESIS ........................................................................................................ 2 1.3 GUIDING RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............................................................................................... 4 1.4 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ............................................................................................................... 5 1.4.1 Integrating climate change adaptation policy in Switzerland ....................................................... 5 1.4.2 Issue attention and modes of governance: climate change adaptation in Swiss alpine regions ... 6 1.4.3 What drives incremental policy change? A longitudinal analysis of Swiss forest policy 2000–2012 ............................................................................................................................................. 7 1.4.4 Combining policy network and model-based scenario analyses: an assessment of future ecosystem services in Swiss mountain regions ..................................................................................... 8 1.5 CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................. 9 1.6 LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE SCOPE OF RESEARCH .............................................................. 11 LITERATURE CITED............................................................................................................................ 12 2. INTEGRATING CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION POLICY IN SWITZERLAND ............. 17 2.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 18 2.2 CONCEPTS OF AND APPROACHES TO CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION POLICY INTEGRATION ...................................................................................................................................... 19 2.2.1 Different concepts of CAPI ........................................................................................................ 20 2.2.2 Different approaches to CAPI .................................................................................................... 22 2.2.3 Framework for the analysis of CAPI .......................................................................................... 23 2.3 DATA AND METHOD .................................................................................................................... 26 2.3.1 Selected policy sectors and documents ...................................................................................... 26 2.3.2 Operationalization of CAPI ........................................................................................................ 28 2.4 CASE ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................ 32 2.4.1 CAPI in the Swiss NAS .............................................................................................................. 32 2.4.2 CAPI in the sectoral strategies ................................................................................................... 35 2.5 DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................................... 39 2.6 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................. 41 LITERATURE CITED............................................................................................................................ 43 i 3. ISSUE ATTENTION AND MODES OF GOVERNANCE: CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN SWISS ALPINE REGIONS .................................................................................... 49 3.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 50 3.2 THEORY ........................................................................................................................................... 51 3.2.1 Problem perception and agenda-setting ...................................................................................... 51 3.2.2 Predominant modes of governance ............................................................................................ 52 3.3 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS......................................................................................... 55 3.4 RESULTS .......................................................................................................................................... 57 3.4.1 Issue attention and regional adaptation measures....................................................................... 57 3.4.2 Modes of governance and policy instruments in the three regions ............................................ 59 3.4.3 Adaptation measures in relevant policy sectors ......................................................................... 63 3.5 DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................................... 67 3.6 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................. 69 LITERATURE CITED............................................................................................................................ 71 4. WHAT DRIVES INCREMENTAL POLICY CHANGE? A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF SWISS FOREST POLICY 2000–2012 .............................................................................................. 77 4.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 78 4.2 THEORY ........................................................................................................................................... 80 4.3 DATA AND METHODS .................................................................................................................. 82 4.4 CASE ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................ 84 4.5 DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................................... 91 4.6 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................. 93 LITERATURE CITED............................................................................................................................ 94 APPENDIX ............................................................................................................................................. 99 5. COMBINING POLICY NETWORK AND MODEL-BASED SCENARIO ANALYSIS: AN ASSESSMENT OF FUTURE ECOSYSTEM GOODS AND SERVICES IN SWISS MOUNTAIN REGIONS ......................................................................................................................... 107 5.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 108 5.2 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND METHODS ...................................................................... 109 5.2.1 Model-based assessment of the provision of mountain ecosystem goods and services ........... 110 5.2.2 Policy network analysis ............................................................................................................ 113 5.3 RESULTS .......................................................................................................................................