Furthering the Understanding of the Adaptation Space of Organizations

The report examines climate change adaptation within the water supply and wastewater (WW) sector of the Stockholm region, focusing on four regional organizations: Norrvatten, Roslagsvatten, Käppalaförbundet, and Stockholm Vatten. Using a framework of organizational learning, the study distinguishes between building adaptive capacity and implementing adaptive decisions. Findings indicate that while the sector is actively building adaptive capacity through regional cooperation and research, there is limited evidence of implementing costly adaptive decisions. The 'actual adaptation space' is primarily constrained by 'price sensitive politics', where the high cost of infrastructure changes and the time lag between investment and benefit make it difficult to justify fee increases to municipal politicians. Additionally, uncertainties regarding the timing and magnitude of climate impacts lead some organizations to demand higher levels of factual evidence before committing to large-scale investments.

• Adaptation in the Stockholm WW sector is primarily focused on building adaptive capacity rather than implementing adaptive decisions.
• Economic constraints, specifically 'price sensitive politics', significantly restrict the actual adaptation space, as costs for infrastructure changes are passed to inhabitants through WW charge rates.
• The time lag between current investments and the realization of benefits (often decades) makes it difficult to convince politicians and the public of the necessity of immediate action.
• Uncertainties regarding the scale and timing of climate change effects lead some organizations to resist major infrastructure changes until factual evidence or experienced impacts occur.
• Technical and organizational barriers are not the primary obstacles to adaptation; the sector possesses the necessary technology and coordination capabilities.
• Specific examples of implemented adaptive decisions include raising minimum connection levels to sewage systems for new urban areas and updating water purification technology.
• Regional cooperation is viewed as a key mechanism for building adaptive capacity, exemplified by the Stockholm Water and Sewage Cooperation Council (SWSC).
• The influence of key individuals within an organization can significantly increase its awareness and proactive approach to climate adaptation, as seen in the case of Norrvatten.
• Market pressures to build residential areas in high-value but unsuitable low-lying coastal areas act as a barrier to effective stormwater and sewage planning.
• The report concludes that robust, expensive infrastructure solutions are unlikely to be implemented in the Stockholm WW sector solely due to climate change concerns at present.

APA

Rudberg, P. M. (2010). Furthering the Understanding of the Adaptation Space of Organizations. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-WorkingPaper-Rudberg-AdaptationSpaceOfOrganizations.pdf

Chicago

Rudberg, Peter M. Furthering the Understanding of the Adaptation Space of Organizations. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2010. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-WorkingPaper-Rudberg-AdaptationSpaceOfOrganizations.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rudberg |first1=Peter M. |title=Furthering the Understanding of the Adaptation Space of Organizations |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2010 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-WorkingPaper-Rudberg-AdaptationSpaceOfOrganizations.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rudberg2010furthering, author = {Rudberg, Peter M.}, title = {{Furthering the Understanding of the Adaptation Space of Organizations}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2010}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-WorkingPaper-Rudberg-AdaptationSpaceOfOrganizations.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }