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Multi-Level Governance: The Backbone of Urban Resilience

Urban resilience is no longer just about city governments acting alone; it’s about the interplay of local, regional, and national actors—what experts call multi-level governance. In an era of rapid urbanization and escalating climate risks, effective governance across these levels is essential for managing complex urban systems, preventing cascading failures, and ensuring that resilience strategies are both comprehensive and inclusive.

What is Multi-Level Governance?

Multi-level governance (MLG) refers to the distribution and coordination of authority and responsibilities among various levels of government—national, regional, and local—as well as engagement with non-governmental actors. It recognizes that urban challenges, especially those related to climate change and critical infrastructure, transcend administrative boundaries and require collaborative solutions.



Why Does It Matter for Urban Resilience?

Cities are vulnerable to shocks—floods, earthquakes, pandemics—that can have ripple effects across sectors and regions. No single authority can manage these risks alone. MLG enables:

  • Scale matching: Aligning the scale of governance with the scale of the problem, ensuring local issues are addressed locally, while larger risks are managed regionally or nationally.
  • Resource pooling: Combining financial, technical, and human resources for more effective action.
  • Policy alignment: Ensuring that local plans support national goals (e.g., Nationally Determined Contributions for climate action) and vice versa.
  • Adaptive management: Facilitating institutional learning and flexibility to adjust strategies as new risks emerge.

Global Examples

The Netherlands: The Dutch approach to flood management is a classic example. National, provincial, and municipal governments collaborate with water boards—specialized regional authorities—to manage dikes, rivers, and urban drainage systems. This layered governance has prevented catastrophic flooding and enabled adaptive responses to climate change.

England’s Combined Authorities: Legislation in the UK has enabled the creation of combined authorities led by metro mayors. These bodies coordinate transport, regeneration, and resilience across city-regions, pooling resources and aligning strategies with national policies.

Kigali, Rwanda: Through its Water Resilience Action Plan, Kigali demonstrates how city-level leadership, supported by national frameworks, can drive investments in climate adaptation and water management.

Critical Analysis

While MLG offers clear benefits, it also faces challenges:

  • Fragmentation: Overlapping mandates can lead to confusion and inefficiency.
  • Capacity gaps: Local governments may lack resources or expertise to implement national policies.
  • Equity concerns: Without deliberate inclusion, marginalized groups may be left out of decision-making.

Success depends on clear roles, robust communication, and inclusive stakeholder engagement—including NGOs, academia, and the private sector.

Nepal’s Context

Nepal’s federal structure, established in 2015, provides a foundation for MLG. However, coordination between federal, provincial, and municipal governments remains a work in progress. For example, Kathmandu’s air pollution and flood risks require joint action across administrative boundaries, yet policy alignment and resource sharing are often limited.

The Way Forward

  • Strengthen institutional frameworks: Clarify roles and responsibilities at each level.
  • Promote regular dialogue: Foster communication and knowledge sharing among all stakeholders.
  • Invest in capacity building: Equip local governments with the tools and expertise needed for resilience planning.
  • Ensure inclusivity: Engage communities and marginalized groups in decision-making.

Conclusion

Multi-level governance is not a luxury but a necessity for resilient cities. By aligning efforts across scales and sectors, Nepal can build urban systems that are robust, adaptive, and inclusive—ready to face the challenges of a changing climate.

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