Original Research

Policy coherence between food security, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in South Africa: A summative content analysis approach

Annegrace Zembe, Livhuwani D. Nemakonde, Paul Chipangura
Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies | Vol 14, No 1 | a1173 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v14i1.1173 | © 2022 Annegrace Zembe, Livhuwani D. Nemakonde, Paul Chipangura | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 01 June 2021 | Published: 22 February 2022

About the author(s)

Annegrace Zembe, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management (African Centre for Disaster Studies), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
Livhuwani D. Nemakonde, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management (African Centre for Disaster Studies), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
Paul Chipangura, Disaster Management, Institute of Development Studies, National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Climate change through extreme weather events threatens food security (FS) and the eradication of poverty. Thus, improving FS will require adapting to the impacts of climate change as well as reducing the risks of disasters. However, the nexus between FS, disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) is not always reflected in policies, resulting in fragmented implementation. The purpose of this article is to evaluate if there is coherence in the policies for FS, DRR and CCA in South Africa. A qualitative research design was applied, and data were collected through a summative content analysis on 34 policy and legislative documents and 24 key informant interviews (KII). The study found that there are still incoherencies between the current main policy and legislative documents that address CCA, DRR and FS. This study recommends a review of old policy and legislative frameworks promulgated in the 1990s to incorporate cross-cutting issues such as DRR, CCA and FS. This will enhance and strengthen synergies and interconnections between the three policy areas.

Keywords

climate change adaptation; disaster risk reduction; food security; policy coherence; legislations

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