From national ambition to local action – Lost in translation? : Local implementation of Namibia's national climate change policy: a case study of the City of Windhoek

Sammanfattning

This thesis explores the relationship between national climate change policies and strategic spatial planning at the municipal level through a case study of Namibia's capital city, Windhoek. Strategic spatial planning is considered an important tool for addressing climate change, together with policies that provide guidance on actions and solutions. However, successful policy implementation is a complex challenge influenced by various factors. Namibia is often praised for having excellent policies, yet the policies are hampered by poor implementation. To address climate change in Namibia, the climate change policies need to be implemented in practice and at the appropriate planning level. The aim and objectives of this thesis are to examine how Namibia’s climate change policies are addressed and implemented through strategic spatial planning in the City of Windhoek. It will do so by answering the two research questions of how Namibia's climate change policy is addressed in local strategic planning in the City of Windhoek, and what the enablers and barriers to doing so are. The methods for data collection consist of document study and semistructured interviews. The document study is conducted in two phases. First, the National Policy on Climate Change for Namibia 2011 is examined, then followed by local strategic planning documents. The interviews provide perspectives, experiences and opinions of municipal officials at the City of Windhoek and academic experts from universities in Namibia. The results of the study are analysed using a theoretical framework based on policy implementation theory, drawing on both top-down and bottom-up approaches, and using five core elements to explain successful implementation. The five core elements, that also structure the analysis, are: policy design, implementing actors, contextual factors, implementation process and policy outcomes. The results and analysis show that the National Policy on Climate Change for Namibia 2011 is the guiding document for addressing climate change, but implementation is hindered by limited resources. The study results in practical recommendations for improvements and theoretical recommendations for future research.