Conducting Surveys on Climate Change Adaptation in Local Authorities

Successful adaptation to climate change depends fundamentally on the efforts of local authorities. Therefore, there is a growing interest in whether, how, and to what extent municipalities and counties are adapting to climate change, and what drives or hinders such action. However, data on local adaptation action, its determinants, and consequences are often not available. Therefore, researchers are increasingly surveying local governments and administrations to collect such data and address these questions. Doing so produces many opportunities, but also specific challenges, that are not well reflected in the literature. Drawing on firsthand experience from eight recent surveys conducted in Germany, this article examines the potential and challenges of using surveys in the study of municipal adaptation to climate change. Challenges often arise from the novelty and cross-cutting nature of climate change adaptation as a local government issue, and from the characteristics of the target group, such as the institutional diversity and the often unclear responsibilities within local authorities. These challenges include identifying and sampling local authorities, identifying and contacting respondents, ensuring data protection, designing questionnaires, increasing response rates, and validating and analyzing the data. Drawing on practical research experience, this paper discusses strategies for overcoming these challenges and offers guidance for conducting surveys on local climate adaptation.