Multilevel Climate Governance, Anticipatory Adaptation, and the Vulnerability-Readiness Nexus

Adapting to the social, economic, environmental, and health threats resulting from climate change requires successful multilevel governance and improved decision-making processes. In this study, we evaluate explanatory relationships that support climate change adaptation. Based on the existing literature, we develop and apply a mixed-methods approach to examine refined drivers of the vulnerability-readiness nexus. This study examines the context of multilevel governance and the role of anticipatory adaptation in coping with climate risks at the county level in the U.S. Mississippi River Basin between 1990 and 2010. Our focus is on adaptation to climate change within the context of multilevel governance. Our results suggest that anticipatory adaptation and higher levels of regional capacities are particularly effective in adapting to climate change.