Abstract
Urbanizing deltas worldwide are the centre of socio-economic development. At the same time, they are highly vulnerable to increasing flood risks caused by climate change that threaten the low-lying land and sensitive environment. The challenge is even more crucial in the Global South, where urban expansion and development needs are given priority. The essential question is how to balance natural dynamics and urban development needs in the deltaic urban areas through innovative policies. China and Argentina are both rapidly developing countries in the Global South, facing enormous challenges especially in delta and coastal cities. This research focuses on the governance challenges from the inter-disciplinary perspective of spatial planning and water management under the framework of climate change adaptation. By reviewing and comparing the cities of Guangzhou and Hong Kong in China’s Pearl River Delta and the city of Buenos Aires at the Parana Delta in Argentina, the research delves into the similarities and differences between these delta cities in terms of policy innovation and planning strategies regarding climate change adaptation. The findings are expected to show how governance and planning systems play different roles in spatial strategies to cope with similar flood risks and need for development in delta cities. As a result of the comparison, the research aims to present a set of recommendations of integrated scopes for addressing the problematic.
