Policy engagement as 'empowered representation': democratic mediation through a participatory research project on climate resilience.

This Evidence & Policy article, led by Laurence Piper and Gill Black, analyses the policy engagement component of a recent study on climate resilience in three Cape Town communities at high risk of environmental disaster. Policy engagement happened in a context of political marginalization characterised by low trust, and little meaningful communication between these vulnerable communities and local government. The engagement process created new ‘invented’ spaces for the representation of differential community and government perspectives. Community self-representation was facilitated with mentorship from NGO the Sustainable Livelihoods Foundation who supported concerned residents to share their experiences through digital stories, community maps and photography. These invented spaces created rare opportunities for affected community members to advocate for interventions they had collectively formulated via in-depth participatory research.                       

The co-designed engagement events were largely constructive and deliberative as opposed to polarising and confrontational. Drawing on the theoretical framework of ‘political mediation’, the policy engagement process is exemplified as a positive instance of democratic mediation through ‘empowered representation’, albeit with some important limitations and valuable lessons.  

Acknowledgement

This work was carried out under the wider project: 'Water and Fire: Enhancing capacity and reducing risk through 15 'Best Bets' for transformative adaptation with vulnerable residents on the Cape Flats' funded by UKRI GCRF.