Governance and Community Participation in Marine and Coastal EbA in SADC

The report assesses community involvement in marine and coastal EbA within SADC countries, finding that while robust legal frameworks exist, practical implementation is often hindered by a lack of technical capacity, financial resources, and clear mechanisms for engagement. It highlights the importance of autonomous community adaptation, the disproportionate vulnerability of women, and the critical role of NGOs in bridging gaps between governments and local populations.

• SADC countries generally possess strong legal and policy frameworks to support EbA and community involvement, but these are often poorly implemented due to a lack of clear mechanisms for participation, insufficient technical skills among community members, and distrust stemming from past negative experiences with government and NGOs.
• Local communities frequently engage in autonomous adaptation to address immediate climate threats. While some initiatives are successful—such as the mangrove restoration in the Limpopo River estuary in Mozambique, which restored over 120ha by 2021—others can be environmentally harmful in the long term, such as using mangrove forests for rice cultivation in Tanzania's Rufiji Delta during droughts.
• Women are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change due to their social roles and reliance on climate-sensitive activities, such as collecting invertebrates and firewood. While they are heavily involved in the execution of EbA projects, such as mangrove restoration, they are rarely encouraged to take leadership positions due to cultural reasons.
• Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) are essential partners in SADC's energy and climate transition, providing funding for community EbA projects, building local capacity, and translating scientific data for the public, although they often lack formal inclusion in decision-making processes.
• Integrating traditional governance with modern legal systems can improve the effectiveness of coastal management. In Madagascar, the traditional social code known as 'Dina' is used by administrative authorities to engage communities in conflict resolution, resource management, and law enforcement.

APA

MACAMO, C. (2023). Governance and Community Participation in Marine and Coastal EbA in SADC. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SAIIA_OP-348_GovernanceCommunityParticipationEbA.pdf

Chicago

MACAMO, CELIA. Governance and Community Participation in Marine and Coastal EbA in SADC. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2023. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SAIIA_OP-348_GovernanceCommunityParticipationEbA.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=MACAMO |first1=CELIA |title=Governance and Community Participation in Marine and Coastal EbA in SADC |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=May 2023 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SAIIA_OP-348_GovernanceCommunityParticipationEbA.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{macamo2023governance, author = {MACAMO, CELIA}, title = {{Governance and Community Participation in Marine and Coastal EbA in SADC}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SAIIA_OP-348_GovernanceCommunityParticipationEbA.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }