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‘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

Becker, Per LU orcid ; Hagelsteen, Magnus LU and Abrahamsson, Marcus LU (2021) In Jamba: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies 13(1).
Abstract
Many African countries face escalating challenges of increasing disaster risk and anticipated impacts of climate change. Although disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) are tightly linked and comprising virtually identical practices in vulnerable countries in Southern Africa, research has identified parallel governance structures across the region. This study applied comparative case study research, based on 27 semi-structured interviews, to investigate the reasons for and effects of such parallel structures for DRR and CCA in Botswana, Mozambique, the Seychelles, Tanzania and Zambia. It revealed overwhelmingly negative effects in terms of unclear mandates and leadership, uncoordinated efforts, duplication of... (More)
Many African countries face escalating challenges of increasing disaster risk and anticipated impacts of climate change. Although disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) are tightly linked and comprising virtually identical practices in vulnerable countries in Southern Africa, research has identified parallel governance structures across the region. This study applied comparative case study research, based on 27 semi-structured interviews, to investigate the reasons for and effects of such parallel structures for DRR and CCA in Botswana, Mozambique, the Seychelles, Tanzania and Zambia. It revealed overwhelmingly negative effects in terms of unclear mandates and leadership, uncoordinated efforts, duplication of efforts, suboptimal use of resources and competition over resources and control. The study identified both external reasons for the parallel structures, in terms of global or international initiatives or incentives, and internal reasons, with regard to the history and quality of the governance structures. Although the identified negative effects are common to a range of complex nexuses, there is a clear distinction with the DRR–CCA nexus comprising virtually indistinguishable practices in Southern Africa. There is, as such, no practical reason for keeping them apart. The parallel structures for DRR and CCA are instead the result of pervasive institutionalisation across the region, driven by coercive, mimetic and normative pressures coming from both within and abroad. Although much point to the difficulties of changing the studied institutional arrangements, these parallel structures for DRR and CCA must be addressed if the populations in Southern Africa are to enjoy safety and sustainable development. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Jamba: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies
volume
13
issue
1
publisher
AOSIS
external identifiers
  • scopus:85108604333
  • pmid:34230847
ISSN
1996-1421
DOI
10.4102/jamba.v13i1.1041
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a8a7b0b3-f5aa-46f7-b5c2-0192d2bf403e
alternative location
http://www.jamba.org.za/index.php/JAMBA/article/view/1041
date added to LUP
2021-06-17 14:00:03
date last changed
2022-04-27 02:31:01
@article{a8a7b0b3-f5aa-46f7-b5c2-0192d2bf403e,
  abstract     = {{Many African countries face escalating challenges of increasing disaster risk and anticipated impacts of climate change. Although disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) are tightly linked and comprising virtually identical practices in vulnerable countries in Southern Africa, research has identified parallel governance structures across the region. This study applied comparative case study research, based on 27 semi-structured interviews, to investigate the reasons for and effects of such parallel structures for DRR and CCA in Botswana, Mozambique, the Seychelles, Tanzania and Zambia. It revealed overwhelmingly negative effects in terms of unclear mandates and leadership, uncoordinated efforts, duplication of efforts, suboptimal use of resources and competition over resources and control. The study identified both external reasons for the parallel structures, in terms of global or international initiatives or incentives, and internal reasons, with regard to the history and quality of the governance structures. Although the identified negative effects are common to a range of complex nexuses, there is a clear distinction with the DRR–CCA nexus comprising virtually indistinguishable practices in Southern Africa. There is, as such, no practical reason for keeping them apart. The parallel structures for DRR and CCA are instead the result of pervasive institutionalisation across the region, driven by coercive, mimetic and normative pressures coming from both within and abroad. Although much point to the difficulties of changing the studied institutional arrangements, these parallel structures for DRR and CCA must be addressed if the populations in Southern Africa are to enjoy safety and sustainable development.}},
  author       = {{Becker, Per and Hagelsteen, Magnus and Abrahamsson, Marcus}},
  issn         = {{1996-1421}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{AOSIS}},
  series       = {{Jamba: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies}},
  title        = {{‘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}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v13i1.1041}},
  doi          = {{10.4102/jamba.v13i1.1041}},
  volume       = {{13}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}