Institutional Capacity and Market Accessibility as Determinants of the Effectiveness of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies - The Case of Three Middle Hill Communities in Nepal

Abstract

Political and social scientists have documented that the effects of global climate change will be felt most severely by the poor and marginalized populations of the world, who have a lesser ability to cope to a changing climate. With climate change impacts having the potential to devastate the livelihoods of vulnerable populations there is a need to determine factors that influence adaptive capacity. Since limited resources are available to vulnerable populations, there is a need to identify particular factors that facilitate institutional restructuring, rather than funding short-term projects. By doing this, one can ensure the cost effective use of resources by streamlining operations and cutting redundancies. This research project argues that communities with access to and integration with markets together with strong institutional strength and connectivity can have significant positive impacts on a population’s ability to adapt. This paper examines this argument through three case studies of communities in the Middle Hills of Nepal- by measuring market access, institutional strength and connectivity, and the amount and quality of adaptation practices. The analysis shows that market accessibility has a positive relationship to a number and strength of institutions. Due to the small sample size, the research was unable conclude that a significant relationship exists between market access and the number of adaptation practices. Furthermore, market access was not found to have a positive relationship with the quality of adaptation practices. Finally, the research identified focal institutions, which under different circumstances play different roles by either indirectly or directly facilitating adaptation practices. In light of these conclusions, this research concludes with recommendations directed at the local/community level- for facilitating community and organization- and at the regional/national level- for assessing environmental vulnerability and to bring attention to the need for increasing national resilience for Nepal.