Policy Assessment

Abstract

Adaptation to climate change requires collective action and while this can be self-organised, governance mechanisms and institutions play a very important role in enabling such collective action (Adger 2003). By contrast, a lack of official policies and frameworks may impede adaptation or increase the vulnerability of certain groups (Madzwamuse 2010). This chapter provides an extensive overview of policy frameworks relevant to mitigating water-related risks to human security in the Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve of the Mediterranean (IBRM) situated between Morocco and Spain. It assesses their effectiveness in reducing the Reserve’s vulnerability to climate change i.e. the adaptive capacity of political systems in the Reserve. The chapter covers policies, strategies, laws and governance mechanisms in the areas of climate change adaptation, water resource management, disaster risk reduction, forests and natural systems, agriculture, tourism and human development. Policy frameworks at national level in Morocco and Spain as well as at regional and local level are included. To complement this primarily desk-based overview, insights are brought in from stakeholders and experts on the challenges and opportunities of this policy framework for addressing climate-induced risks to human security in the IBRM.