Digital governance is increasingly re-shaping governance arrangements with significant implications for equity and justice. This has the potential to increase inclusivity, consideration, and transparency in the policy-making process. On the other hand, digital governance is considered to strengthen the challenges faced in the implementation of traditional governance, such as reconfiguring inclusion and exclusion patterns, inhibiting deliberations, and reducing opportunities for mobilization (Halachmi & Greiling 2013). The implementation of digital governance is also closely related to regional resilience in dealing with climate change, but research and evaluation are still needed on the use of digital governance in climate adaptation efforts. Through this research, the implications of digital governance on climate adaptation will be discussed through an in-depth study of the application of a digital governance participation tool known as e-musrenbang in Surabaya, Indonesia.

Surabaya was the first city in Indonesia to introduce e-musrenbang in 2009, making it an ideal case study. As the second largest city in Indonesia, Surabaya is located at an elevation of 0-3 meters above sea level and is highly vulnerable to coastal flooding (rob), land subsidence and sea level rise, which are likely to be exacerbated by urbanization processes and climate change. This study will focus on Bulak District in the northern part of Surabaya city, where coastal flooding (rob) as high as 10-40 cm occurs four to five times each year and inundates commercial infrastructure, aquaculture, and infrastructure related to other livelihoods.

Aims and Objectives

The overarching research question that this project will address is as follows: How does digital governance influence accountability for climate adaptation?

In addressing this question, the project will first develop a conceptual framework based on the state-of-the-art literature concerning how accountability is conceptualized within digital governance arrangements. Based on this conceptual framework, the role of e-musrenbang in shaping accountability for adaptation to sea-level rise and coastal flooding in the Bulak district of Surabaya will be determined, allowing for detailed policy recommendations.

A further objective of the study is to detail the implications of the case study findings for broader policy/practice outcomes and to contribute to existing expertise concerning the intersections between climate adaptation, accountability, and the increasing use of forms of digital governance.