Klimatanpassning i praktiken. En studie om ansvarsfördelning, samverkan och kapacitet i kommunerna Lerum, Kungsbacka och Mölndal.

Sammanfattning

This bachelor´s thesis examines the work with climate adaptation related to cloudbursts andhigh-water flows in three medium-sized municipalities: Lerum, Kungsbacka, and Mölndal.As climate changes progress, the risk of extreme weather events increases. This placesmunicipalities in an increasingly important position in planning and developing communitiescapable of managing a changing climate. The study aims to deepen the understanding of howmunicipal officials perceive the distribution of responsibility, collaboration, and capacity inclimate adaptation work.The study is based on a qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews withofficials working with strategic planning, water and sewage management, and climateadaptation. The theoretical framework draws on the concept of responsibility distribution,collaboration, and capacity.The results show that organizational conditions differ between the municipalities. Some havededicated functions and more structured approaches to climate adaptation, while others relymore heavily on the engagement of individual employees. A central finding is that thedistribution of responsibility is often perceived as unclear, which risks causing climateadaptation issues to fall between administrative units and not be prioritized. The results alsoindicate that while knowledge-based capacity is high, the work is constrained by unclearpriorities and limited time allocated, and conflicting legislation is highlighted as recurringchallenges. The study also discusses the importance of both internal and external networksfor collaboration and knowledge exchange.In summary, the study shows that climate adaptation requires clear organizational structure,strong prioritization, and integration of climate adaptation into municipalities during regularoperation.