Perceived Adverse Effects of Separating Government Institutions for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Within the Southern African Development Community Member States

Abstract

Integration of disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) is widely recognized as a solution for reducing the risk and impacts of disasters. However, successful integration seems elusive, and the two goals continue to function in isolation and in parallel. This article provides empirical insights into the perceived effects of separating government institutions for DRR and CCA within the Southern African Development Community member states. A mixed method research design was applied to the study. A total of 40 respondents from Botswana, Eswatini (until April 2018 Swaziland), Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe participated in face-to-face interviews or an online survey. Five major effects of separating the organizations for DRR and CCA that impede efforts to reduce disaster risk coherently were identified: duplication of services, polarization of interventions, incoherent policies, competition for the same resources, and territorial contests. Given the continued fragmentation of institutions for DRR and CCA, highlighting these effects is important to emphasize the need for integrated approaches towards the reduction of disaster risk.

‘Too many mice make no lining for their nest’ – Reasons and effects of parallel governmental structures for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in Southern Africa

“…Lack of coordination is almost always identified as a primary Achilles heel of both DRR and CCA (e.g. Artur & Hilhorst 2017;Twigg 2004;Wamsler 2014:167-170), as well as of international development cooperation in general (Baranyi & Desrosiers 2012;Bebbington & Farrigon 1992:55-56), and duplication and inefficient use of resources are common problems (Anderson & Holcombe 2013:308;Nemakonde 2016;Quarantelli 2003:220). The results also include competition between actors, which is also a wellknown problem in situations with many actors (Artur & Hilhorst 2017:7;Handmer & Dovers 2007:132;Mitchell & Van Aalst 2008).…”

“…floods, droughts, wildfires, storms) are associated with the vast majority of disasters triggered by natural phenomena in Southern Africa (Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters [CRED] 2020). Regardless of what can be described as a general but somewhat strained contemporary agreement of significant overlaps between DRR and CCA, both conceptually and practically, research shows that parallel structures have been created for the two in many countries in Southern Africa (Becker et al 2013;Nemakonde 2016;Van Niekerk 2015).…”

“…Ample studies identify parallel structures in the governance of various sectors in countries across Africa. Although there are studies also suggesting positive aspects of parallel structures in some contexts (Animashaun 2009;Kendie & Guri 2007), most conceive parallel structures in relation to negative effects (Kendie & Guri 2007;Lange 2008;Lund 2006;Nemakonde 2016;Stockmayer 2005;Van Niekerk 2015). However, the effects of parallel structures for the overlapping policy areas of DRR and CCA have not yet attracted much attention, Nemakonde et al (2021) being one of few exceptions.…”

“…Although there are studies also suggesting positive aspects of parallel structures in some contexts (Animashaun 2009;Kendie & Guri 2007), most conceive parallel structures in relation to negative effects (Kendie & Guri 2007;Lange 2008;Lund 2006;Nemakonde 2016;Stockmayer 2005;Van Niekerk 2015). However, the effects of parallel structures for the overlapping policy areas of DRR and CCA have not yet attracted much attention, Nemakonde et al (2021) being one of few exceptions. Furthermore, it is also important to grasp the reasons for establishing parallel structures for DRR and CCA (Becker et al 2013), which has also so far not attracted much attention in Southern Africa (Nemakonde 2016).…”

“…However, the effects of parallel structures for the overlapping policy areas of DRR and CCA have not yet attracted much attention, Nemakonde et al (2021) being one of few exceptions. Furthermore, it is also important to grasp the reasons for establishing parallel structures for DRR and CCA (Becker et al 2013), which has also so far not attracted much attention in Southern Africa (Nemakonde 2016). Increased knowledge about the effects of parallel structures would provide insight into eventual necessity of making changes to the institutional set-up.…”