Diffusion of Climate Change Adaptation Policies Among Local Governments in Sub-Saharan Africa: Conceptual Review

Many studies have confirmed the diffusion of climate change adaptation mainstreaming related policies and innovations across local governments (LGs). However, it is not clear under what conditions these policies get transferred, implemented or subsequently abandoned, especially in developing countries where LGs’ capacity to mainstream adaptation barely exist. Based on retrospective literature analysis, this article adduces theoretical and empirical evidence to analyze the factors likely to influence the mainstreaming of adaptation into local governance in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The outcome of the article is expected to help policy practitioners and academics to comprehend the preconditions that enhance or frustrate the adoption of adaptation policy innovations across LGs in SSA where adaptation remains critical developmental concerns. The preponderance of literature suggests that multiple factors, including those, outside the control of LGs affect their capacity and urgency to adopt adaptation policies. The chapter concludes that it is worthwhile to adopt multiple diffusion perfectives that reflect the complex web of factors conspicuously affecting the transfer of climate policy innovations at the micro level to explain the adoption of adaptation policies. The chapter argues that, by doing so, one is able to portray the nature of climate change policy diffusion in local governance in a more sophisticated, comprehensive and logical manner. The chapter therefore makes useful contributions to the emerging field of climate policy and provides useful lessons for practitioners on the factors that influence the adoption of adaptation policies.