Climate change and Ontario forests: Prospects for building institutional adaptive capacity |
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Authors: | H Carolyn Peach Brown |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Geography, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1 |
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Abstract: | Institutions play an important role in the adaptive capacity of a system in responding to climate change. This review paper
characterizes the status of the collective institutional response (government, industry, First Nation, community, civil society)
to climate change in the forest sector of the Canadian province of Ontario, and highlights the presence and nature of inter-institutional
networks as part of the response. Based on a synthesis of the commonalities in the public administration and policy literature
on tackling wicked problems, and the resilience literature, inter-institutional networks, which foster exchange of different
types of knowledge, are an important aspect of enhancing the adaptive capacity of social–ecological systems such as the forest
sector. Based on a content analysis of publicly available documents and insights gained from representatives of government,
community members and non-governmental organizations, mitigation and adaptations strategies are described. At the provincial
level there have been some new innovations in inter-institutional networks, but expansion of the forest stakeholders involved
in such networks would further enhance adaptive capacity. In particular, it is important to network with First Nations and
other forest-dependent communities who have a heightened vulnerability to climate change. The presence of a collaborative
capacity builder could foster the transfer, receipt and integration of knowledge across the networks, and ultimately build
long-term collaborative problem-solving capacity in the Ontario forest sector.
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Keywords: | Climate change Forest sector Canada Ontario Institutions Adaptive capacity |
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