Towards Endogenous Disasters and Climate Adaptation Policy Making in Indonesia

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand the role ofexogenous drivers that seeks to foster endogenous resilience and climateadaptation policy and practice in developing countries. It particularlyexamines the role of Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network as anexogenous driver that sought to sustain urban climate adaptation and resilienceagenda in a secondary city in Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach: The research combines fieldworks and desktop research.Primary data collection includes participant observation, unstructuredinterviews with city stakeholders and project managers, semi-structuredinterviews with local communities and literature reviews. This research alsoused an ethnographic field research approach.

Findings: Exogenous drivers have temporarily fostered climate changeadaptation at city level, but the question remains is how can internationalactors effectively create a meaningful transformation toward urban resiliencein developing countries like Indonesia. Exogenous drivers can play significantroles as a catalyst for urban adaptation planning, including undertakingvulnerability assessment and city resilience strategy and implementingadaptation actions, and facilitates risk management. Further processes formainstreaming climate adaptation and disaster reduction depend on how receptiveand responsive local actors to co-facilitate and co-lead urban resiliencebuildings and development.

Originality/value: There is still lack of documented knowledge on localinstitutional change and policy making processes. This research showschallenges and opportunities in institutionalising urban climate adaptation andrisk management agenda. It further shows that genesis of endogenous adaptationcannot be separated from the exogenous climate adaptation processes as well asinternal dynamic of urban governance in developing world.