Shifting from adaptive capacity to transformative capacity: a case study of how Sihanoukville can develop the capacity of urban stakeholders to enable sustainability transformation in sanitation

Abstract

Cities worldwide are reorienting their governance and planning practices to negate the negative impacts of urbanisation and seize the opportunities that urbanisation creates through developing capacities for urban sustainability transformations. There has been limited research to date on how urban stakeholders can develop their transformative capacities, especially in the lower-income settings of rapidly developing Southeast Asian countries. In this region, Sihanoukville, Cambodia, has recently experienced a major urban construction boom and has become a city of strategic planning focus for the Cambodian government. To support these efforts, our case study of Sihanoukville city investigates how Sihanoukville can develop the capacities needed to enable sustainability transformation of its sanitation sector. We found Sihanoukville had adaptive capacity but required strengthening of a range of key urban transformative capacities. Sihanoukville city could focus initially on strengthening reflexive and learning practices, knowledge partnerships and collective sustainability visions and goals.