Document Abstract
Published:
2010
Adaptation to climate change and desertification: Perspectives from national policy and autonomous practice in Malawi
Getting the right synergy: Managing climate change and desertification in Malawi
This paper explores the ways in which the interlinked challenges of climate change and desertification are managed in Malawi.
The authors examine the synergy and conflict between local autonomous adaptation strategies and national adaptation policies, which are in accordance with international commitments to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Malawi’s National Action Programmes (NAPs), that cover desertification issues, and the National Adaptation Programmes for Action (NAPA) still fall short of defining specific roles for the local government in supporting adaptation strategies, specifically in urban areas, which, it is argued, is indicative of a weak vertical synergy.
The article assesses the extent of support offered across various levels of administration in order to address climate change and desertification issues, along with support given to autonomous adaptation at the community level.
The article concludes that policy on desertification and climate change is poorly mainstreamed towards development processes, and suggests that national policy should facilitate local adaptation strategies to enhance resilience at a community level.
The authors examine the synergy and conflict between local autonomous adaptation strategies and national adaptation policies, which are in accordance with international commitments to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Malawi’s National Action Programmes (NAPs), that cover desertification issues, and the National Adaptation Programmes for Action (NAPA) still fall short of defining specific roles for the local government in supporting adaptation strategies, specifically in urban areas, which, it is argued, is indicative of a weak vertical synergy.
The article assesses the extent of support offered across various levels of administration in order to address climate change and desertification issues, along with support given to autonomous adaptation at the community level.
The article concludes that policy on desertification and climate change is poorly mainstreamed towards development processes, and suggests that national policy should facilitate local adaptation strategies to enhance resilience at a community level.
Topics
Glossary
What we mean by...
- desertification (Desertifikation, Versteppung)
- Desertification is the degradation of formerly productive land. There are multiple causes and it proceeds at varying rates in different climates. Globally, desertification affects the livelihoods of millions of people who rely on what formerly productive ecosystems provided.
- Source: Reegle
- global climate
- No reegle definition available.
- Source: Reegle
- climate change (Globale Erwärmung)
- Climate change is a lasting change in weather patterns over long periods of time. It can be a natural phenomena and and has occurred on Earth even before people inhabited it. Quite different is a current situation that is also referred to as climate change, anthropogenic climate change, or global warming. This change in weather patterns appears to be happening much faster and is linked to human activity contributing to the greenhouse effect.
- Source: Reegle
