The adaptive capacity of local water basin authorities to climate change: The Thau lagoon basin in France.

Abstract Climate change exacerbates climate variability, and makes water governance more complex. The French local water management plans (SAGE) developed an integrated approach that relies on a balance between bottom-up and top-down governance. The aim of this article is to question the actual role of the local basin authorities and ask whether they are central in water governance. The Social Network Analysis of the Thau basin shows that the key actors of the SAGE, namely the Rhone-Mediterranean-Corsica Water Agency, the local water agency and the local water commission, are the most powerful actors in the management of the river basin and play a crucial brokerage role in climate change adaptation. Integrated water resource management shifted power from territorial and central authorities to functional and local managers. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Adaptation to climate change is already an issue in Mediterranean coastal lagoons; • Shifts in power are observed due to changes in water governance, but not a direct consequence of WFD implementation; • Functional and local basin authorities have gained power and legitimacy; • Local basin authorities clearly have a brokerage role; • This mix of top-down and bottom-up governance is appropriate to deal with climate change adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]