The Role of Climate Change Governance in Community Adaptation in Kwazulu-Natal: A Study of uMkhanyakude District Municipality
| dc.contributor.author | Sibiya, Nomfundo Patricia | |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Simatele, Mulala Danny | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-10-21T12:48:39Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-10-21T12:48:39Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description | A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the to the Faculty of Science, School of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024 | |
| dc.description.abstract | It can be argued that, although South Africa has developed good climate change initiatives, policies, and strategies, the implementation of these policies seems to present difficulties, as those for whom they have been developed do not seem to have any knowledge of their effectiveness in helping them build resilience against extreme weather events. Additionally, the findings demonstrate the existence of structures tasked with coordinating climate change matters across all government sectors affected, comprising inter-departmental arrangements, departmental arrangements, other institutions, and stakeholders. The inter-departmental arrangements consist of forums whose purpose is to ensure inter-sectoral coordination of climate change matters. The national Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment assumes leadership and coordination responsibilities in developing and implementing responses to climate change adaptation in South Africa. The findings also revealed that government officials employed at the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment unanimously believe that the institutional arrangement of climate change at the national level effectively drives the climate change agenda. Conversely, government officials at the provincial and local levels exhibit diverse perspectives regarding the effectiveness of the institutional arrangements. Consequently, one can posit that there is inadequate coordination of climate change adaptation horizontally among national government departments and sectors affected by climate change impacts, as well as vertically between national, provincial, and municipal governments. This study divulged various barriers to climate change adaptation in South Africa, including insufficient financial resources, inadequate human capacity at provincial and local levels, limited political resolve at the local level, deficient comprehension of climate change adaptation issues among communities, insufficient coordination across government levels and sectors, absence of legal mandate at the local level, absence of climate change units at the district and local levels, lack of knowledge among certain staff members entrusted with environmental responsibilities at the local level, inadequate climate change plans in place at the local level, and utilisation of outdated climate change information in the Integrated Development Plans (IDPs). This study proposes that policies should be jointly designed and implemented with vulnerable groups, based on local knowledge, and tailored to the specific needs of those most affected by climate change (e.g., women, the impoverished). There is a necessity to establish operational institutions that are dedicated to fulfilling their mandate, supporting communities, and fostering robust partnerships among civil society, the public sector, and the private secto | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | National Research Foundation (NRF) | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | University of the Witwatersrand | |
| dc.description.submitter | MM2024 | |
| dc.faculty | Faculty of Science | |
| dc.identifier | https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2604-6659 | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Sibiya, Nomfundo Patricia. (2024). The Role of Climate Change Governance in Community Adaptation in Kwazulu-Natal: A Study of uMkhanyakude District Municipality [Master’s dissertation PhD thesis, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WireDSpace.https://hdl.handle.net/10539/41789 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10539/41789 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg | |
| dc.rights | © 2024 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. | |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg | |
| dc.school | School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Sciences | |
| dc.subject | Climate change | |
| dc.subject | Adaptation | |
| dc.subject | Governance | |
| dc.subject | Institutions | |
| dc.subject | Community | |
| dc.subject | UCTD | |
| dc.subject.other | SDG-13: Climate action | |
| dc.title | The Role of Climate Change Governance in Community Adaptation in Kwazulu-Natal: A Study of uMkhanyakude District Municipality | |
| dc.type | Thesis |