In developing sustainable solutions for climate change adaptation, complementary formal and informal governance structures are necessary. At the community level, responsibility for adaptation, mitigation and sustainability planning is vested in regional or municipal bodies. There is, however, recognition of the important role of participatory processes for moving ahead with climate risk management. As one determinant of overall adaptive capacity, leadership can play a key role in both formal and informal decision-making processes. A research project from the Niagara Region, Canada will be used to illustrate the role and function of leadership for community-based climate adaptation, as key informants become engaged as actors in a participatory process and further develop leadership capacity. Particular attention will be paid to how science, policy and local knowledge actors create spaces of power for action.
