Climate change is inevitable and stresses countries to adapt to the changing climate through physical and institutional changes. As waters have no borders, the thesis argues that horizontal collaboration between municipalities is needed and focuses on the institutional adaptation to climate change in a Danish context. Based on theories concerning the shift from governance to government, network steering and institutions, it is examined what creates networks and how organisations are constrained by regulative, normative and cultural-cognitive institutional mechanisms.
This thesis wishes to examine the current status of horizontal collaboration and the institutional barriers and motivational forces for creating it. This is examined through a multiple case study, where interviews have been conducted with representatives of municipalities and sewer utility companies within The North Denmark Region as well as a representative of the regional authority.
The research shows that the municipalities are not collaborating horizontally at the present time, but that collaboration has been established between municipalities and sewer utility companies, mainly based on regulative and cultural motivations. In terms of institutional barriers and motivational forces, the analysis shows that both regulative, normative and cultural-cognitive barriers and motivational forces exist. These are listed in Table 15.
Based on the findings of the analysis, the discussion argues that imposing horizontal collaboration upon the municipalities through regulations is in contrast with the idea of the Danish planning system and that there is a need for normative and cultural changes within the municipalities. The normative changes should primarily happen at the political level, where attention needs to be given to the complex issue of climate change adaptation. The cultural changes should primarily happen at the administrational level, as the officials adapt climate change adaptation planning to their current culture, rather than adapting their current culture to climate change adaptation. Furthermore, it is recommended that a platform is created, possibly at the regional level, to ensure horizontal collaboration.