Locally-led adaptation: moving from principles to practice in the water sector

Climate change adaptation is a major global challenge that is key to securing livelihoods and economies in the Global South. Locally-led adaptation (LLA) is gaining momentum as an approach that can integrate local context, address equity concerns, and enhance the efficiency of adaptation efforts.

Locally-led adaptation aims to empower local actors by giving them decision-making authority over climate funds, resulting in solutions better tailored to local conditions. The approach is guided by the LLA principles, endorsed by over 120 organisations globally, that aim to ensure that adaptation approaches are effective, equitable and transparent.

Despite its critical importance in adaptation, only limited knowledge exists on the real-world experiences and outcomes from applying the LLA principles in practice, especially in relation to water which is critical in climate change adaptation. This DIIS Report focuses on locally-led adaptation in the water sector, examining progress and lessons learnt from water adaptation initiatives in East Africa’s drylands.

The report introduces an assessment framework to evaluate how water adaptation projects align with the LLA principles, supplemented with a principle on Nature-based Solutions. The framework is then applied to examine six water adaptation case studies in Kenya and Tanzania.

The report finds a number of positive outcomes from the case studies, indicating that locally-led adaptation has potential to deliver on its promises. A number of issues that require further attention are identified, and the learnings and implications for donors and governments to support the approach are provided.

The report is a collaborative effort by researchers from DIIS, University of Dar Es Salaam and Kenyatta University, with funding from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.