Climate change adaptation and emergency management: The influence of uneven devolution on community resilience

Climate change is driving more frequent and intense emergency events, and the impact is being felt most at the community level. Devolution is an increasingly common governance approach in climate change adaptation (CCA) and emergency management (EM), shifting responsibility to address climate-related challenges from higher to local-level governments. However, this process is often uneven, leaving local governments with inconsistent authority and resources. As a result, accountability becomes fragmented, and critical policy areas such as CCA and EM become neglected. Through a series of key actor interviews with elected officials and technical experts, we outline the consequences of uneven devolution on community resilience during the atmospheric river event of 2021 in British Columbia, Canada. This case illustrates how the uneven devolution of authority and resources reduces resilience, potentially increasing the impact of risks to communities. Local governments, lacking adequate resources, were unable to implement essential CCA and EM measures, while application-based funding mechanisms allowed higher levels of government to retain significant control over “devolved” programs. The findings highlight the need for more equitable resource allocation and accountability frameworks to enhance resilience and reduce vulnerabilities in the face of escalating climate risks.