ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews four industrialized countries with varying degrees of national engagement in adaptation policy and draws on a multilevel case study using policy and interview data at national, regional and local levels. As water-related hazards were in particular focused within these developments on adaptation, the study has a particular relevance for the water governance field. The chapter advances a coherent framework for the functions and abilities at different levels, and targets its research at local, regional and national level actors in four countries: the United Kingdom (UK), Finland, Sweden and Italy. It highlights the importance of organizational structure of different countries, and how that affects the development of adaptation policy. The chapter shows how different governance systems enable and constrain adaptation at different scales, demonstrating that a multilevel framework is a prerequisite for understanding the emergence of adaptation even in cases where this manifests as national adaptation policies.
