Key words: Inter-Municipal Cooperation, Urbanisation, Metropolitan governance, Environmental outcomes

"Inter-Municipal Cooperation and Environmental Outcomes Impact, drivers, and incentives"

The literature shows that inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) is essential to address collective action problems. Previous studies have extensively discussed the relationship between IMC and economic outcomes, but the relationship between IMC and environmental outcomes is understudied. In five chapters (introductory chapter, three empirical chapters and a concluding chapter), this thesis contributes to the literature by broadly addressing the question “How does IMC impact environmental outcomes, and under which conditions can it emerge in metropolitan areas?” In answering the question, varied methodological approaches (regression analysis, qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) and game theory) are used.

Three core research and policy contributions emerge. First, while cities are unilaterally taking on the climate change mantle, the findings indicate that it is worthwhile for scholars and practitioners to continue advocating a coupling of local thinking with global and national scales of action in order to secure a reduction in negative environmental outcomes. Secondly, the thesis highlights that accounting for contextually defined incentives such as finances in the African context and other political realities remains critical to IMC success. Lastly, this thesis suggests that, although not easy, both personal and collective gains in ensuring IMC around environmental challenges can be realised.

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