Territorial Approaches for New Governance. Applied Research

This study examines the efforts to develop a climate change adaptation strategy at the level of the Baltic Sea “macro-region”. This is a territorial governance issue that spans several administrative levels – from the local to the macro-regional and implies the coordination of a range of sectoral interests involving, among others, integrated coastal zone management, spatial planning, civil preparedness, tourism and water management. Many of the principles related to climate change adaptation bring up essential aspects of fairness, effectiveness and environmental sustainability. The process of formulation the strategy is only in the initial stages so the issue is both topical and timely. Nonetheless several local, regional and national governance processes leading up to and even forming the development of the strategy have already been implemented. These form the basis for this initial process-tracing study. Thus this study traces territorial governance from the local and regional level adaptation initiatives but firmly nestled within the broader “macro-regional” strategy (EUSBSR) level.