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Paper short abstract:

The study reviews climate change policies of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) Member States to determine how they integrate environmental justice principles that can address climate-induced loss and damage.

Paper long abstract:

National climate change policies are expected to ensure fair resource distribution, involve marginalised groups in decision-making, and prioritise support for communities disproportionately impacted by climate change. By addressing these inequities, policies can significantly promote climate justice. Guided by international frameworks like the Paris Agreement, governments of States such as Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe have since enacted climate change policies to localise Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13—an effort to redress the climate and ecological crisis. These States collectively govern the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA). This paper therefore reviewed climate change policies of the Member States to determine the extent to which they integrate environmental justice principles. Employing the Policy Triangle Framework, the review examines: (i) the context in which the policy was formulated, (ii) the policy-making process, including agenda setting, (iii) the content or focus of the policy e.g., access to funding and legal mechanisms and (iv) the involvement of actors, including policymakers, interest groups, and other stakeholders. Results revealed that policies inadequately support climate justice. Additionally, certain policies, such as those formulated in 2011, have not undergone a timely review, a factor which limits their relevance. This paper emphasises the need for prompt policy updates to address emerging challenges and calls for the development of an overarching climate action plan for the five States. This is given their shared vulnerabilities to climate-induced loss and damage that is compounding impacts such as human and wildlife conflicts.