title: Policy Coherence of Climate Adaptation: Analysis of the coherence between heat adaptation measures and other municipal development goals, using the example of large medium-sized cities in Hesse
Creators: name: Bourgoin, Audrey Adeline Frédérique
Publisher: name: UNSPECIFIED
Year: 2025

description: Climate change is intensifying heat waves in urban areas, posing significant risks to public health and necessitating adaptation measures. Cities face this challenge alongside multiple other development issues. Limited resources and possible conflicts between goals further complicate the selection of optimal strategies. Therefore, identifying synergies and trade-offs between climate adaptation measures and other municipal goals is a crucial first step to help practitioners define coherent strategies that leverage synergies, minimize trade-offs, and improve cost-effectiveness, ultimately leading to more effective strategies that address multiple urban challenges simultaneously.
In this study, a comprehensive methodological approach was developed to analyze and improve the coherence between heat adaptation measures and other municipal development goals in a multi-stage process. First, municipal development goals, categorized in ecological, social, economic and interdisciplinary dimensions, as well as heat adaptation measures were defined through literature review and expert interviews. Heat adaptation measures were categorized based on heat risk factors they may affect. Using an iterative Delphi method with qualified municipal experts from large medium-sized cities in Hesse, the study assessed the impacts of heat adaptation measures on the municipal development goals. Results were visualized as colored bars graphs in matrices, concisely conveying both the coherence strength between each measure and goal as well as the strength of expert consensus. The analysis revealed that measures related to urban structure, land use, and vegetation tend to positively impact ecological and social goals as well as economic attractivity. The research also found that contextual factors, policy instruments, and governance groups can influence the relative strength of synergies and conflicts between heat adaptation measures and municipal goals. However, they cannot fundamentally alter these interactions, as the effects of measures on goals are inherent to them. Based on the findings, recommendations were formulated to improve coherence in municipal development and enhance the effectiveness of heat adaptation measures. These included general and target group-specific recommendations for various stakeholders, validated during an expert workshop, as well as specific suggestions for measures implementation. Such strategies could improve decision-making, mitigate conflicts, and leverage synergies across disciplines to make progress in less prioritized domains, leading to greater cost efficiency in achieving all set goals. This comprehensive approach provided a detailed understanding of the complex interactions between heat adaptation measures and broader municipal goals, providing a solid foundation for developing coherent urban development strategies in the context of climate change.
This dissertation contributes to the growing body of knowledge on climate adaptation by providing a framework to evaluate policy coherence that can be adapted to various contexts and scales. It offers practical insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to exploit synergies and accelerate progress in less prioritized areas such as climate adaptation. Overall, this work provides practical approaches to make climate-resilient and sustainable cities a reality.