Traditional top-down, state-centered approaches to risk management have proven inadequate for addressing complex, cross-scale risks, particularly those exacerbated by climate change. Multilevel governance (MLG), characterized by networks of horizontal and vertical collaborations, offers a more effective approach. Mexico City, facing risks like heat waves, droughts, floods, landslides, and earthquakes, serves as a compelling case study to understand how local governments mobilize resources within an MLG system. The research question centers on how local governments in Mexico City mobilize collaborative resources to address multiple risks. The study's importance lies in understanding resource mobilization under conditions of urgency and scarcity, where immediate action is needed rather than waiting for institutional change. This understanding is critical for improving climate change adaptation strategies in rapidly urbanizing cities marked by inequality and interconnected risks. Local governments are at the forefront of climate action, but their effectiveness hinges on sufficient institutional capacity to build consensus, coordinate efforts, and inform strategy, requiring flexibility to integrate top-down and bottom-up actions.

The literature highlights the limitations of state-centric, technocratic approaches to managing risks, particularly in the context of climate change. Multilevel governance (MLG) is presented as a superior framework, promoting cooperation across governmental levels and with civil society. The literature notes challenges faced by local governments, including the "tragedy of urgency," limited climate change awareness, and difficulties in accessing resources. Studies emphasize the importance of MLG in enhancing cooperation, resource efficiency, and policy coherence, while contributing to the decentralization of climate action. The role of local governments in engaging communities and interacting with higher authorities is underscored as crucial for effective climate adaptation. The Mexican federal system's high degree of centralization, however, poses a challenge to effective MLG.

The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining participatory workshops (both in-person and virtual) with social network analysis (SNA). The workshops involved local government officials and aimed to identify collaborative resources, prioritize risks, and characterize resource mobilization for specific actions. The Integrated Risk Management (IRM) framework guided the analysis of actions, categorizing them into risk identification, forecasting and prevention, mitigation, preparedness and relief, and recovery and reconstruction. SNA was used to analyze collaboration networks, examining both horizontal (between local governments) and vertical (between local, subnational, and national governments) interactions. The networks were analyzed for density, degree centralization, and cross-boundary exchange, using Cytoscape. Data analysis also employed MAXQDA 2022 for thematic analysis of workshop data, and a min-max normalization technique for comparing IRM action frequencies across local governments. The study focused on three priority risks: earthquakes, flooding, and wildfires.

The research revealed the critical role of the Civil Protection Department and the Mexico City Ministry of Integrated Risk Management and Civil Protection across all local governments. The prioritized risks included earthquakes, flooding, wildfires, landslides, and those related to social causes. For the three priority risks (earthquakes, flooding, and wildfires), the majority of IRM actions focused on preparedness-relief and prevention-prevention stages. There were differences in the distribution of actions across local governments; for instance, some showed a common pattern of prioritizing preparedness and prevention, while others differed in their approach to addressing specific risks (e.g., flooding mitigation, risk identification). SNA revealed that collaboration networks for earthquakes and flooding were similar in size and composition, primarily involving government agencies responsible for disaster response. The wildfire network exhibited greater diversity, including environmental, mobility, and human rights agencies, reflecting the need for broader resource access under financial constraints. Local governments were the most central nodes in all three networks, indicating strong horizontal collaboration, particularly between those in peripheral areas of Mexico City. Subnational (Mexico City Government) and national government agencies played key roles in supporting disaster response, with the Mexico City government providing crucial financial support. The study found evidence of successful elements of multilevel governance in horizontal collaboration between local governments, particularly for handling crises and interactions with sub-national (Mexico City Government) and national governmental agencies.

The findings demonstrate that horizontal collaboration among local governments, especially those in Mexico City's periphery, is a strength in the multilevel governance system. Collaboration with the subnational government was also significant, illustrating the importance of vertical interaction. The inclusion of various agencies in the wildfire network shows the effectiveness of accessing diverse resources, especially under financial scarcity. The study validates the significance of MLG for effective risk management, but also reveals the need to strengthen the engagement of NGOs and private sectors. The reliance on subnational government and research centers for risk identification highlights a need for strengthening local capacity in this area. The uneven distribution of IRM actions across local governments suggests a need for more tailored approaches and resource allocation to address specific risk profiles.

The study demonstrates the value of MLG in enhancing local government capacity for climate change adaptation in Mexico City. Horizontal and vertical collaboration are crucial for effective risk management, particularly for handling emergencies. The need for increased engagement of NGOs and the private sector, along with strengthening local capacity for risk identification, is emphasized. Future research should explore the perspectives of subnational and non-governmental organizations to better understand the dynamics of collaboration networks and identify ways to enhance their effectiveness.

The study's focus on local government perspectives might limit a comprehensive understanding of the overall MLG system. The reliance on participatory workshops might lead to biased self-reporting. While the SNA offers insights into network structure, it does not fully capture the complexity of power dynamics and resource flows within the network. Further research involving a more comprehensive representation of relevant actors across government levels and sectors is necessary to better understand the functioning of the MLG system in its entirety.