Understanding Institutional Adaptive Capacity for Urban Water Transitions

Yvette Bettini, Fjalar J. de Haan, Megan Farrelly, Rebekah Brown

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

In transitions, adaptive capacity is often referred to as a system’s inherent ability to deal with changes.
However, what adaptive capacity exactly entails is poorly understood. Although both resilience and
transitions scholarships use the concept in various ways, there is no consensus on how adaptive capacity
can be assessed beyond static benchmarks, or understanding of how to utilise or strengthen it for
transitioning. This paper proposes a definition of institutional adaptive capacity, framing the concept as a
quality of a system, rather than a quantity. This framing can be used to assess the nature of institutional
adaptive capacity, as an ability to transform or be resilient to change. This framework is applied to
examine the institutional interplay in empirical cases of unmanaged transitions in Australian cities. Perth,
Brisbane and Adelaide are undergoing significant shifts in water infrastructure and management
paradigms in response to prolonged drought. These three cases offer a unique opportunity to examine
potential transitions in real-time. The role of agency is central in this framing of adaptive capacity. Agency
involves the use of informal institutions to question and challenge the formal institutions which uphold
regimes. Within this institutional interplay is an inherent capacity to adapt: incrementally change the
structure of governance systems to function differently. The cross-case comparisons presented here
reveal how actors are utilising informal institutions to challenge the legitimacy of the regime, and develop
new institutional structures. This institutional perspective offers analytical depth to enhance both
research and practice of Transitions Management. This paper contributes to transitions management a
systematic understanding how niche and regime actors can utilise the formal and informal institutions
that make regimes what they are, to bring about transitional change
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationIST 2012 - International Conference on Sustainability Transitions
Subtitle of host publicationGeneral Papers
Publication statusPublished - 2012
Externally publishedYes

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