Funding options for climate change adaptation in forestry: a five-country expert survey in Southern Africa

Climate change has a significant impact on forest ecosystems worldwide. In southern Africa, climate change is a critical concern for forest ecosystems due to climate variability and extremes, including droughts and floods, which in some cases have had severe economic and social implications. Other contributing factors to the region’s vulnerability to climate change impacts include poor socioeconomic conditions, increased reliance on natural resources, primarily forests, and an inability to implement adaptive measures effectively. Most countries in the region prioritize climate change adaptation actions in forest management practices. We conducted a five-country, expert-elicited baseline of who funds what in forestry adaptation, disaggregated by funding source, forest ownership class, ecosystem service, adaptation action type, and perceived requirements/monitoring. We employed a hybrid method, combining online interviews and an online survey targeting forestry experts in the region. The study collected survey responses from 42 forestry experts and conducted seven interviews with forestry experts across the selected countries: Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia. Our results revealed that community forests were the highly prioritized category of forest ownership funding for climate change adaptation actions. The primary sources of funds were international donors and government subsidies. Sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation and combating deforestation were the most prioritized adaptation actions. Although most countries prioritize climate change adaptation in forest management practices, the region needs sustainable funding sources to support these efforts. Forestry experts also proposed establishing collective funding sources for regional adaptation activities. Our results suggest donor- and subsidy-heavy portfolios; protected forests and watershed services receive comparatively less attention, indicating coordination and targeting gaps. Our study recommends future research on the appropriate allocation of climate change adaptation funds, their sustainable utilization, and the effects of insufficient funds on forest ecosystem services at the regional level.