A Guide to Collaborative Multi-level Governance for Climate Resilient Development

Finding solutions to the complex and multi-dimensional sustainability challenges faced by African cities, which are made significantly worse by climate change, requires a multi-level governance (MLG) approach (Otto-Zimmermann, 2011). Multi-level governance harnesses the cross-scale and cross-discipline relationships necessary for inclusive governance and decision-making that builds local level climate resilience. A Whole-of-Government approach is needed whereby ministries, public administrations and public agencies align their efforts in order to achieve maximum effectiveness. Collaborative governance can improve municipal planning and, in turn, increase the resilience of cities to the impacts of climate change and numerous social and developmental challenges.

This guide is based on findings derived from the Improved Municipal Planning in African CiTies for a climate resilient urban future – IMPACT – project, analysed with ICLEI Africa and IMPACT partners’ extensive experience in urban climate resilience field, as well as the literature.

The IMPACT project aimed to explore multi-level collaboration mechanisms and their ability to enable climate resilient development in African cities, and uncover what the barriers and opportunities are to the implementation and maintenance of these collaboration mechanisms.