Feasibility assessment of climate change adaptation options across Africa: an evidence-based review

Abstract

Considering the feasibility and effectiveness of adaptation options is essential for guiding responses to climate change that reduce risk. Here, we assessed the feasibility of adaptation options for the African context. Using the Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative, a stocktake of adaptation-related responses to climate change from the peer-reviewed literature in 2013–2020, we found 827 records of adaptation actions in Africa. We categorised and evaluated 24 adaptation options and for each option, six dimensions of feasibility were considered: economic, environmental, social, institutional, technological, and evidence of effectiveness. Over half (51%) of all adaptation actions were reported in the food sector where sustainable water management (SWM) was the most reported option. The fewest actions were reported for cities (5%). The majority of actions (53%) were recorded in just six countries: Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and South Africa. Encouragingly, effectiveness was assessed as medium or high for 95% of adaptation options. However, no options had high feasibility on any other dimension. Technological and institutional factors present major barriers to implementation. Crop management, SWM, sustainable agricultural practices, agroforestry, livelihood diversification, ecosystem governance and planning, health governance and planning, infrastructure and built environment, all had moderate feasibility across three or more dimensions. Human migration has low feasibility but high potential for risk reduction. Major knowledge gaps exist for environmental feasibility, for assessing adaptation limits at increasing levels of climate hazard, for economic trade-offs and synergies, and for Central and Northern Africa. Our results highlight sectors where enablers for adaptation can be increased. Future assessments can apply the method established here to extend findings to other national and local levels.

The role of indigenous knowledge and local knowledge in water sector adaptation to climate change in Africa: A structured assessment

“…Overall, there is high evidence of water adaptation responses implemented in east, west and southern African regions and little evidence in north and central Africa. These results are consistent with the adaptation feasibility assessment ofWilliams et al (2021). Communities are using IK and LK to inform decisions in uencing the implementation of the adaptation responses.…”

“…Understanding which adaptation actions are being implemented, how, and the effectiveness of speci c responses for reducing risk is crucial for adaptation planning (Owen, 2020;Berrang-Ford et al, 2021b;Williams et al, 2021). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) de nes climate adaptation in human systems as the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects, to moderate harm or exploit bene cial opportunities (IPCC, 2018).…”

The role of indigenous knowledge and local knowledge in water sector adaptation to climate change in Africa: a structured assessment

“…The GAMI dataset has been used to provide global, regional, and sectoral reviews of adaptation feasibility (Williams et al 2021), policy tools to support climate adaptation (Ulibarri et al 2021), responses to climaterelated water scarcity (Leal Filho et al 2022), equity in adaptation (Araos et al 2021), health effects of adaptation (Scheelbeek et al 2021), constraints and limits to adaptation (Thomas et al 2021), adaptation to extreme heat (Turek-Hankins et al 2021), adaptation in conflict affected areas (Sitati et al 2021), and a systematic global stocktake of evidence of human adaptation to climate change (Berrang-Ford et al 2021b). Our assessment here focuses on water sector responses within the five hundred and seventy (570) articles on the region of Africa.…”

“…Understanding which adaptation actions are being implemented, how, and the effectiveness of specific responses for reducing risk is crucial for adaptation planning (Owen 2020;Berrang-Ford et al 2021b;Williams et al 2021). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines climate adaptation in human systems as "the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects, in order to moderate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities" (IPCC 2018a, p 542).…”

Urban climate-health governance: Charting the role of public health in large global city adaptation plans

“…The small number of cities from Asia is of particular concern given its large and growing urban population and the stark vulnerability to climate-related hazards of many geographic locations in the region [59]. Of concern also is low representation of cities from Africa, where a recent review found only 5% of adaptation actions had taken place in cities [60]. Intriguingly, in this study we found that adaptation plans of cities in the low-or middle-income group reported a higher average number of health-associated activity areas compared with those in high-income countries (4.2 vs. 3.4 activity areas per city), a higher average number of activity areas with public health agency engagement (2.5 vs. 1.9 activity areas per city), and a larger share of public health engagement in adaptation plan activities generally (83% vs. 69%).…”