Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Namibia

Namibia is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its extreme aridity and reliance on climate-dependent livelihoods, particularly in agriculture. While the government has established a National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) and a National Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (NCCSAP), adaptation is not yet meaningfully integrated into sectoral policies for water, health, and agriculture. Current adaptation projects are limited in number and primarily focus on agriculture and capacity building, with a significant gap in programming for health, tourism, and coastal zones. Adaptation finance is heavily dependent on international donors, with minimal domestic budget allocation.

• Namibia is the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa, with 92% of its land classified as semi-arid, arid, or hyper-arid, and mean annual rainfall typically below 250 mm.
• Temperature trends show an average increase of 1°C to 1.2°C over the last 50 years, and projections suggest temperatures could rise by 4.5°C by 2100.
• The government has identified six priority sectors as particularly vulnerable to climate change: water and wetlands, agriculture, sea level rise/coastal zone/fisheries, tourism, health, and disaster risk management.
• High income inequality, which is the third highest in the world, and a heavy reliance on climate-dependent livelihoods in rural areas are primary drivers of vulnerability.
• While Namibia has a National Climate Change Policy (2010) and a National Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (2014), climate adaptation is not meaningfully integrated into national sectoral policies for water, agriculture, or health.
• Current adaptation programming is limited; of the eight significant projects identified, none focus exclusively on the priority sectors of health, tourism, or sea level rise/coastal zones.
• Adaptation finance is almost entirely dependent on international sources, as the Namibian government has no specific budget allocation for the National Climate Change Policy.
• Namibia received US$110.12 million in bilateral aid with a principal or significant focus on adaptation between 2010 and 2013, with Germany being the major contributor.

APA

Crawford, A., & Terton, A. (2016). Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Namibia. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/idl-55868-namibia.pdf

Chicago

Crawford, Alec, and Anika Terton. Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Namibia. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2016. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/idl-55868-namibia.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Crawford |first1=Alec |last2=Terton |first2=Anika |title=Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Namibia |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2016 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/idl-55868-namibia.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{crawford2016review, author = {Crawford, Alec and Terton, Anika}, title = {{Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Namibia}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2016}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/idl-55868-namibia.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }