Explaining the adaptation gap in European cities

Abstract An adaptation gap exists when adaptation efforts fail to meet adaptation needs. Conceptualizing and operationalizing this gap is challenging, but should start with, as we argue, addressing ‘internal adaptation policy consistency’. Through a comprehensive European study of local adaptation planning and its progress, we demonstrate how consistency checks applied to adaptation plans can conceptually and methodologically advance understanding of the adaptation (implementation) gap and, most importantly, how to reduce it.