Ex-Ante Assessment of Procedural Justice in Climate Adaptation

Kaninik Baradi will present at the November Institutional Grammar Research Initiative (IGRI) research seminar.

Abstract: 

This presentation makes a significant contribution to the understanding of procedural justice in climate change adaptation and the application of institutional network analysis. It addresses the critical yet underexplored issue of how decision-making processes in adaptation policies impact vulnerable communities. By focusing on procedural justice principles—such as inclusivity, transparency, accountability, and correctability—this research develops a framework to evaluate the fairness of these policies ex-ante, before implementation, ensuring that marginalized groups are meaningfully involved and protected.

A key innovation of this study is the integration of AI, specifically Large Language Models (LLMs), to automate the labour-intensive process of coding institutional statements in policy documents using the Institutional Grammar (IG) syntax. This AI-supported approach significantly enhances the scalability and efficiency of institutional network analysis, enabling a more comprehensive evaluation of complex policies.

The framework is applied in a case study of a World Bank-funded wastewater infrastructure project in Chennai, India, providing empirical insights into how institutional rules either promote or hinder procedural justice throughout the project’s planning, construction, and operation phases.

The findings reveal significant gaps in procedural fairness, particularly concerning participation, transparency, and accountability for vulnerable communities. This research not only advances the methodology for policy analysis but also provides actionable insights for policymakers to create more equitable and just climate adaptation policies. By pioneering the use of AI in this domain and operationalizing procedural justice principles for ex-ante analysis, the study sets a new standard for ensuring fairness in climate adaptation initiatives.