The governance of climate change adaptation: are networks to blame for the implementation deficit?

Although governance is often cited as a challenge for implementing climate change adaptation policies, existing scholarship has not adequately explored the relationship between modes of adaptation governance and the implementation of adaptation objectives. This paper analyzes adaptation governance in two Canadian provinces, with a focus on three key elements: actor roles, actor relations, and policy instruments. Drawing on a comprehensive document analysis and 81 interviews, we argue that network governance has been fruitful in coordinating policy ideas and motivating actors across sectors and scales, but has also served as a barrier to effective implementation of adaptation policies. We conclude that incorporating features of other governance modes, including more direct steering from the state, is required to resolve this implementation deficit.