How can climate change vulnerability assessments best impact policy and planning? Lessons from Indonesia

In recent years there has been a number of climate change vulnerability assessments (CCVAs) conducted in cities across Indonesia. These have influenced the way that cities understand climate change, and the policies and approaches they adopt. But despite the number and variety of approaches of these assessments, there has been little research into which ones are most successful at raising awareness and informing adaptation planning and policy-making. This research looks at two different models, one that was deployed in the cities of Semarang and Bandar Lampung through the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) programme, and another developed by UNDP and implemented by Yayasan Kota Kita in Manado and Makassar. They vary in duration, funding, emphasis on shared learning, stakeholder involvement, and external support; studying them helps indicate how different processes may have different impacts upon decision-making and policy implementation. The research contributes to efforts to design more effective climate change vulnerability assessment processes, providing recommendations as to how they may successfully engage and raise the awareness of stakeholders, and bring about lasting policy-making and planning outcomes.