Information Governance, Institutional Memory, and Evidence-Based Climate Change Adaptation Policies

A Case Study of the City of Semarang

Abstract

Urban climate adaptation requires not only policy planning but also governance capacity in managing information and policy records as the basis for evidence-based decision making. This study examines how information governance and records management influence climate adaptation policy in the Semarang City Government, Indonesia. The analysis focuses on key policy instruments, including the Regional Action Plan for Climate Change Adaptation (RAD-API) and the Regional Development Planning (RPJMD), to understand how adaptation-related information is produced, managed, and used in the policy process. This research employs a qualitative case study approach through document analysis and semi-structured interviews with government officials, planners, and technical experts. The findings reveal that although climate adaptation has been formally integrated into planning documents, information governance practices remain fragmented across institutions. Policy records, technical reports, and risk data are stored in separate systems without standardized management, clear institutional ownership, or long-term preservation mechanisms. This fragmentation creates information silos, weakens institutional memory, and limits the use of past data and policy experiences in decision making. This study argues that information governance and records management are not merely administrative functions but constitute governance capacity that shapes institutional memory, policy learning, and the sustainability of climate adaptation policy. The article contributes to public administration and records management studies by positioning information governance as a foundation for evidence-based policy and long-term urban climate governance.