Avenues of understanding: mapping the intersecting barriers to adaptation in Namibia

Julia Elaine Davies,Dian Spear,Gina Ziervogel,Salma Hegga,Margaret Ndapewa Angula,Irene Kunamwene,Cecil Togarepi

doi:10.1080/17565529.2019.1613952

Julia Elaine Davies, Dian Spear + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2019.1613952

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Abstract

ABSTRACT The existing literature on barriers to adaptation focuses predominantly on the broad, generic factors, such as financial, technological or institutional factors, as examples that might constrain adaptation. Not enough is known, however, about how barriers converge in localities, what drives them and how they interact to affect adaptation processes and outcomes. This paper considers the barriers to adaptation in Namibia through the lens of the ‘adaptation activity space’ – a framework that positions the adapting system in relation to its environment. In doing so, it questions not only what types of barriers are encountered, but what their underlying drivers are and how the relationships among them influence adaptation on the ground. Two intersecting ‘avenues’ within Namibia’s adaptation activity space are explored, namely: (1) the policy-practice partition and (2) the adaptive capacity challenge. Each of these avenues tells a story about the complex nature of barriers and points to the need for greater integration between government spheres, across temporal scales and among actor groups. Such integration is necessary for addressing the barriers to adaptation and for paving the way to a more effective and sustainable adaptation activity space in Namibia.

Highlights

Namibia, a middle-income developing country in south west Africa, has encountered several challenges in its efforts to adapt to climate variability and build the resilience of its systems and people to the impacts of climate change (Spear et al, 2018; Spear & Chappel, 2018; Zeidler, Kandjinga, David, Turpie, & Malema, 2012)
Whilst we do not discount this objective in any way, we argue that the adaptation activity space is an useful concept for analysing barriers to adaptation, as it is within this space that barriers can arise, accumulate and intersect
This study was conducted as part of the Adaptation at Scale in Semi-Arid Regions (ASSAR) research project (2014–2018), which aimed to deepen the understanding of climate vulnerability and adaptation in semi-arid regions of Africa and Asia where millions of people are highly vulnerable to climaterelated risks and impacts (IPCC, 2014)

Summary

Introduction

A middle-income developing country in south west Africa, has encountered several challenges in its efforts to adapt to climate variability and build the resilience of its systems and people to the impacts of climate change (Spear et al, 2018; Spear & Chappel, 2018; Zeidler, Kandjinga, David, Turpie, & Malema, 2012). The exemplars point to the importance of improved communication and collaboration between different spheres of governance (from local to national government levels, across government sectors and in partnership with non-state organizations); better alignment of adaptation interventions across temporal scales (by seeking short-term ‘wins’ that match with and contribute to longer-term strategic visions); and a more pragmatic way of bringing together different actor groups (and their diverse interests, values, identities and knowledge systems) Such an integrated approach can help adaptation practitioners in complex development contexts address the barriers to adaptation in a way that is more meaningful to, and useful for, the intended beneficiaries. Mapping out this space could help adaptation practitioners and decision makers to grasp where and in what form adaptation interventions could be introduced; whilst the identification of patterns over time might help them to anticipate potential barriers or envision possible scenarios of interaction, plan adaptively and avoid situations of ‘stuckness’ in future

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Concluding discussion

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Notes on contributors