How can we adapt together? Assessing how legal frameworks address collaboration between the urban water sector and spatial planning

Dados Bibliográficos

ID21697057
AutoresVítor Vinagre (0000-0003-2883-8908, a Department of Environment and Planning, Campus Universitário de Santiago, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal), Teresa Fidélis (0000-0002-6594-2571, b Research Unit on Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies (GOVCOPP), Department of Environment and Planning, Campus Universitário de Santiago, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal), Ana María San Luis, Ana Luís (0000-0001-8650-4514, c AdP Valor, Rua Visconde de Seabra, 3, 1700-421 Lisboa, Portugal)
Ano2025
Volume27
Fascículo2
Páginas223-240
Data de publicação2025-02-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoWater Policy (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1366-7017 • E-ISSN: 1996-9759
EditoraIWA Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.2166/wp.2025.228
OpenAlexW4406856506
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas24

Climate change presents novel challenges for water management, both in the context of water excess and scarcity, and it is expected to afflict the world in the coming years. The necessity of strong collaboration between urban water management and spatial planning to facilitate adaptation to climate change has been underlined in the literature. Considering the potential of the legislative context to foster this collaboration, this article examines how the objectives and measures for collaboration are foreseen in a set of legal documents. The article focuses on the Portuguese legal context. As a southern European country, Portugal is situated in one region most susceptible to climate change impacts, including water scarcity and flooding. A systematic document analysis was conducted to examine how collaboration is formally foreseen in a set of legislation, plans, programs, and water management-related contracts. The findings reveal that although plans and programs include recommendations for collaboration, this inclusion is much poorer in regulations where the establishment of the necessary steps remains weak. Contractual arrangements between water sector grantors and concessionaires have shown to be even poorer at fostering such collaboration. Further studies applied to other countries could shed light on this challenge

Business · Civil engineering · Environmental planning · Environmental resource management · Geography · Process management · Regional science · Spatial planning · Urban planning · Water sector · Water supply · Coastal and Marine Management · Engineering · Environmental Science · Environmental Engineering