Institutional traps and vulnerability to changes in climate and flood regimes in Thailand

Vulnerabilities to floods in Thailand are changing as a result of many factors. Formal and informal institutions help shape exposure, sensitivity and capacities to respond of individuals, social groups and social-ecological systems. In this paper we draw on several case studies of flood events and f...

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Main Authors: Lebel L., Manuta J.B., Garden P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: 2014
Online Access:http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-79952037989&partnerID=40&md5=d7db4997f3577308478182c1ae60392a
http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/handle/6653943832/7424
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Institution: Chiang Mai University
Language: English
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spelling th-cmuir.6653943832-74242014-08-30T04:08:59Z Institutional traps and vulnerability to changes in climate and flood regimes in Thailand Lebel L. Manuta J.B. Garden P. Vulnerabilities to floods in Thailand are changing as a result of many factors. Formal and informal institutions help shape exposure, sensitivity and capacities to respond of individuals, social groups and social-ecological systems. In this paper we draw on several case studies of flood events and flood-affected communities to first assess how current practices reflect various laws, procedures, programs and policies for managing floods and disasters and then explore the implications for dealing with additional challenges posed by climate change. Our analysis identifies several institutional traps which need to be overcome if vulnerability is to be reduced, namely capture of agendas by technical elites, single-level or centralized concentration of capacities, organizational fragmentation and overemphasis on reactive crisis management. Possible responses are to expand public participation in managing risks, build adaptive capacities at multiple levels and link them, integrate flood disaster management and climate change adaptation into development planning, prioritize risk reduction for socially vulnerable groups and strengthen links between knowledge and practice. Responses like these could help reduce vulnerabilities under current climate and flood regimes, while also improving capacities to handle the future which every way that unfolds. © 2010 Springer-Verlag. 2014-08-30T04:08:59Z 2014-08-30T04:08:59Z 2011 Article 14363798 10.1007/s10113-010-0118-4 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-79952037989&partnerID=40&md5=d7db4997f3577308478182c1ae60392a http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/handle/6653943832/7424 English
institution Chiang Mai University
building Chiang Mai University Library
country Thailand
collection CMU Intellectual Repository
language English
description Vulnerabilities to floods in Thailand are changing as a result of many factors. Formal and informal institutions help shape exposure, sensitivity and capacities to respond of individuals, social groups and social-ecological systems. In this paper we draw on several case studies of flood events and flood-affected communities to first assess how current practices reflect various laws, procedures, programs and policies for managing floods and disasters and then explore the implications for dealing with additional challenges posed by climate change. Our analysis identifies several institutional traps which need to be overcome if vulnerability is to be reduced, namely capture of agendas by technical elites, single-level or centralized concentration of capacities, organizational fragmentation and overemphasis on reactive crisis management. Possible responses are to expand public participation in managing risks, build adaptive capacities at multiple levels and link them, integrate flood disaster management and climate change adaptation into development planning, prioritize risk reduction for socially vulnerable groups and strengthen links between knowledge and practice. Responses like these could help reduce vulnerabilities under current climate and flood regimes, while also improving capacities to handle the future which every way that unfolds. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.
format Article
author Lebel L.
Manuta J.B.
Garden P.
spellingShingle Lebel L.
Manuta J.B.
Garden P.
Institutional traps and vulnerability to changes in climate and flood regimes in Thailand
author_facet Lebel L.
Manuta J.B.
Garden P.
author_sort Lebel L.
title Institutional traps and vulnerability to changes in climate and flood regimes in Thailand
title_short Institutional traps and vulnerability to changes in climate and flood regimes in Thailand
title_full Institutional traps and vulnerability to changes in climate and flood regimes in Thailand
title_fullStr Institutional traps and vulnerability to changes in climate and flood regimes in Thailand
title_full_unstemmed Institutional traps and vulnerability to changes in climate and flood regimes in Thailand
title_sort institutional traps and vulnerability to changes in climate and flood regimes in thailand
publishDate 2014
url http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-79952037989&partnerID=40&md5=d7db4997f3577308478182c1ae60392a
http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/handle/6653943832/7424
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