ABSTRACT
Even the most progressive local communities in the United States are only in the beginning stages of adapting to climate change (Adger et al. 2007; NRC 2010; Ford et al. 2011). This is confirmed by the in-depth case studies in one of the most progressive regions in the country – the San Francisco Bay region in California – that we report on here. Most communities are not far enough along to evaluate the outcomes of their adaptation strategies. Rather, at such an early stage in the adaptation process, merely advancing or continuing the process can be used as a proxy for success. Our case studies show that there are many barriers that can thwart efforts to adapt, but that institution- and governance-related ones are the dominant type: many communities are getting held up before they implement strategies. One dimension of success in this situation is advancing through the process of adaptation and overcoming obstacles along the way.
