The role of strategic planning and territorial aspects of sustainability and climate adaptation activities

Abstract

The challenges of climate change and the necessary planning/development responses are of special importance. Climate change occurs in the geographical space, resulting in territorially different challenges and requiring diverse responses. Territorially conscious planning of these; territorial monitoring & evaluation (MRE) of their effectiveness are thus fundamental policy tasks. However, the weight of territorial approach in adaptation practice is in question. The article overviews the recent scientific literature on adaptation planning/MRE; introduces the most distinguished territorial levels of adaptation planning and examines the recent approaches in its “spatiality”. The literature concentrates mainly on linkages between strategic planning and adaptation; few studies went further than focusing on a given country’s or region’s settlements, or identifying planning practice-related problems and structural limitations at different territorial levels. The detailed examination of territoriality/spatial aspects in adaptation in European countries have not been explored yet, indicating the need for further research in this field.