The national and local politics of climate change adaptation in Zimbabwe

The description and analysis of climate change adaptation programmes in low- and middle-income countries rarely examines the political conditions and contexts in which these take place, or the way in which these activities may themselves shape local and national politics. This paper uses a case study of Zimbabwe to examine how the discourse and practice of climate change has been incorporated in, and has the potential to influence, national politics in a context marked by high levels of contestation. It identifies the ways in which climate change is framed within national political discourses, and describes the structures for governing climate change adaptation and how these are influenced by global priorities and policies. The paper then raises specific questions that are fundamental to understanding the broader political implications of work related to climate change in low-income countries, and argues that these must be engaged with if climate change adaptation is to generate sustainable long-term improvements in livelihoods and well-being for citizens in these contexts.