Abstract
The case of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) cooperation with the City of Yokohama in Japan was used to examine how transnational city-to-city cooperation can contribute to the implementation of climate change adaptation measures that are tailored to individual circumstances. A questionnaire survey of BMA officials on their capacity to address climate change and the effectiveness of city-to-city cooperation revealed that the responses of officials involved in adaptation and mitigation tended to differ. A focus group discussion with the adaptation staff was conducted to explore the reasons for these differences. Adaptation staff raised issues, such as the need for context-based actions, and revealed that transnational cooperation with cities in different contexts is more difficult than domestic cooperation. In transnational city-to-city cooperation, it is important to understand each other’s unique situation, identify common needs and challenges, and clarify the goal of adaptation cooperation. In addition, the central government should be involved in promoting adaptation in city-to-city cooperation. It may also be useful to use local universities and experts who can serve as intermediaries to facilitate dialogue between cities, share each city’s knowledge and experience in the context of the other, and communicate the implications of scientific findings in each situation.
