Since 2008 the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) have been providing scaled-up climate finance to support transformational change for low carbon and climate-resilient development, including the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR). The PPCR involves a two-phase programmatic approach with grant funding to assist national governments in developing Strategic National Programs for Climate Resilience, which integrate climate resilience into development planning across sectors and stakeholder groups. In view of recent and projected climate change and the related challenges that Bolivia is facing in the water sector, this study has refined a robust methodological framework to assess adaptive capacity in the Bolivian water governance system. Under the framework of this study, an exploration of how governance systems have managed and responded to past extreme events has allowed us to examine whether governance practices have hindered or enabled adaptive capacity.
The assessment revealed a positively evolving water governance system in Bolivia, starting with the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation into planning instruments in 2011. Particularly over the past five years (2014–2019), with the support of programs such as the PPCR, the state has put additional emphasis on the role of information systems, monitoring and early warning, technical and institutional capacities, and engagement with key stakeholders, in part responding to some of the weaknesses exposed during the recent drought and flood crises. However, despite this progress, there remain core barriers to building adaptive capacity, and the evidence is predominantly mixed as to whether or not transformative processes are currently being facilitated.
The report found recommendations promoting interventions focusing on the following:
- Addressing challenges in preparatory and contingency planning for extreme events
- Addressing challenges in long-term planning and climate change integration
- Addressing challenges in governance across sectors
- Addressing challenges in hydrometeorological and climate services
- Addressing challenges in learning and innovation
- Addressing challenges in building knowledge, awareness, and engagement on the ground
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