'Power-sensitive design principles' for climate change adaptation policy-making in South Asia

摘要

Despite the proliferation of power approaches to study climate change, there is little focus on how to deal with the negative effects of power in climate change adaptation (CCA) policymaking. CCA literature provides little insight into understandings of manifestations of power that can create negative effects, especially in the context of South Asia.This review answers the question: How can CCA policy actors deal with the negative effects of power during the policymaking process? The authors have used a two-layered systematic literature review to identify various manifestations of power that are responsible for negative effects in CCA policymaking in South Asia and to determine power-sensitive design principles (PDPs) to address these manifestations of power. The articles demonstrate a variety of manifestations of power. The authors have categorized various manifestation into three overarching themes: (1) use of the material and ideational resources by policy actors, (2) contextual, social, and historical differences (e.g., class, caste, gender), and (3) design of the CCA policy processes itself reinforces power imbalances among policy actors. They conclude that although the four PDPs are no panacea for dealing with the negative manifestations of power, they are useful considerations when engaged in long-term CCA policy processes.