Evolution of national climate adaptation agendas in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia: The role of national leadership and international donors

In this paper, the authors explore the role of political influences on the emergence and evolution of climate change adaptation policy and planning at national level in three countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia). For this, an inductive approach and longitudinal analysis is used relying on a survey of 103 government staff (20 in Malawi, 29 in Tanzania and 54 in Zambia) and 242 interviews (106 in Malawi, 86 in Tanzania and 50 in Zambia).

The results show the key roles of two factors in the evolution of the climate change adaptation agendas: national leadership and allied political priorities, and the role of additional funding provided by donors. These influences can lead to changes in the policy and institutional frameworks for addressing climate change, as well as in the emphasis placed on climate change adaptation.