Abstract
Over the past decade, climate change has posed significant challenges in Southern Africa, which are often characterised by vulnerabilities due to socio-economic factors, limited resources, and high dependence on climate-sensitive sectors. The affected sectors include agriculture, water resources, forestry, fisheries and health. This paper examines innovative climate adaptation and mitigation approaches being used in the Southern Africa region. A systematic literature review was conducted using key search terms including “innovative approaches” (resilient practices, transformative solutions, interventions), “climate adaptation” (climate resilience, adaptive response), and “climate mitigation” (mitigation strategies, sustainable practices). Databases such as Scopus and Web of Science were searched alongside grey literature sources. Inclusion criteria focused on peer-reviewed studies and technical reports published between 2005 and 2025 that demonstrated context-specific innovations within Southern Africa. The review used thematic coding and comparative analysis to identify patterns and unique case studies across diverse geographic and socio-economic settings. The review revealed diverse, transformative and locally embedded adaptation and mitigation strategies across Southern African countries. Notable innovations include climate-smart agriculture techniques tailored to semi-arid regions, community-based early warning systems that integrate indigenous and digital knowledge, and integrated water resource management promoting transboundary cooperation. These strategies are consistently characterised by multi-stakeholder participation, a strong emphasis on local knowledge systems, and adaptive technologies contextualised to varying environmental and socio-economic conditions. The findings underscore the critical role of bottom-up innovations in enhancing resilience and shaping inclusive climate policies tailored to local socio-economic and environmental conditions.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Unseen Unsustainability: Addressing Hidden Risks to Long-Term Wellbeing for All
KEYWORDS
CLIMATECHANGE, CLIMATEADAPTATION, CLIMATEMITIGATION, INNOVATIVEAPPROACHES
