Strengthening regional cooperation on climate change adaptation: bottom-up scaling of transboundary cooperation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya
This document examine how local cross-border climate change adaptation initiatives in the Hindu Kush Himalaya can facilitate scaling of cooperation on adaptation in the region. Through interviews with stakeholders working on local cross-border adaptation initiatives in the region, authors analyze the potential for scaling of cooperation between countries. Based on this research authors conclude on the constraints in the scaling of cross-border cooperation on adaptation which include limited formal institutions to facilitate cooperation and differences in political decision-making structures in the countries of the region. Furthermore, identify a series of opportunities to facilitate stronger transboundary cooperation. These include focusing on increasing investments in cross-border adaptation activities and taking mountainous communities’ perspectives into account in the design of cross-border adaptation initiatives. Furthermore, the thesis concludes that building onto existing informal cross-border cooperation at the local level and strengthening formal and informal institutions to facilitate transboundary cooperation on adaptation is a key opportunity to facilitate scaling of cross-border cooperation on adaptation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya.
