Climate risk management and riskification at the local level – a case study of Stavanger Municipality

The contribution of this article is an examination of the policy fault-lines within a climate risk discourse that make a riskification process possible at the local level. Securitization theory is used to analyze the case, and in particular the parts of securitization theory that address riskification. The case study analyzed in this paper shows that the framing used widens the scope of legitimate actors that takes part in the climate risk management at the local level in comparison to climate change adaptation. New actors such as the industry and business department within the municipality is included. At the same time, the issue becomes one of consequences of potential events and related uncertainties because that is how risk is conceptualized and characterized. The uncertainties are those of what the future climate locally will be, and if the consequences will occur in the climate scenario. The course to reduce uncertainties is to increase knowledge about the local effects of climate change. This is done by bringing in scientific communities to estimate for example future torrential rain patterns and sea level maximum height in different sea states. In addition to knowledge, tools to manage and govern the risk are vital components of the solution. Hence, while the number of actors involved in climate risk handling is widening, the way the issue can be spoken about, and the potential solutions narrow. This indicates a step away from normal governance of an issue where multiple views are acceptable and legitimate.