A Systematic Review of Climate Change Mitigation Policies in Southern Africa

There is clear evidence that climate change is happening and requires immediate attention, especially in developing countries where consequences are likely to be dire. In Southern Africa, slow onset and rapid and sudden climate change-induced events continue to bring unprecedented challenges. Such events include increases in heatwaves, sea-level rise, ocean acidification, floods, wildfires, frost, hailstorms, pests, diseases, and droughts. While there is a call for developed countries to take the lead in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fulfil their financial and technical obligation, developing countries also must demonstrate their contributions. Therefore, this chapter adopts a qualitative systematic literature review approach to synthesize the climate change mitigation policy landscape focusing on challenges and opportunities in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The objective is to identify and assess these policies, providing insights into their implementation barriers and recommendations within the context of each country. Results demonstrate that climate change mitigation interventions remain weak, while policy frameworks remain high on a political agenda. The policy implementation gap is marred by fragmented policies, limited resources, lack of expertise, and heavy reliance on consultancy when formulating policies. Therefore, the study proposes a framework to enhance the implementation climate change mitigating policies.