Strengthening Link between National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), Sector Policies and National Development Plans: Implications for Climate Change Governance

Abstract

Climate change alignment across national climate change adaptation planning frameworks, sector policies and national development plans is a crucial component of climate change governance and supports synergy that contributes greater effectiveness and efficiency in addressing the impacts of climate change. However, studies that assess climate change coherence between national climate change adaptation planning frameworks and policy frameworks have been inadequate. This study intended to understand the extent of climate change coherence across national climate change adaptation planning frameworks, sector policies and national development plans in Tanzania. A mixed research design employing sequential methods was adopted. Both primary and secondary data was used. Primary data were collected through interviews with key policy experts from government ministries and climate change focal point authorities. Secondary data was collected through a content review of sector policies, national development plans and climate change adaptation planning documents. Purposive sampling was used to select key informants and policy documents. Qualitative content analysis was used to assess text data using a scoring matrix to generate descriptive information. The descriptive information was further standardised using percentages for each sector as well as the percentage score for the overall plans. The findings revealed a weak alignment between national development plans and national climate change response strategies that were attributed to weak alignment between sector policies. However, the study found a moderate extent of climate change consideration in national development plans. Consequently, the study recommended strategies to strengthen the alignment between national climate change response strategies, sector policies and national development plans.

Keywords: Climate change governance; National adaptation plans (NAPs); National development plans; Sector policies.