Regulating the adaptation to climate change impacts in the Limpopo Province agricultural sector

Abstract

Climate change poses a significant risk to production in the agricultural sector of Limpopo province and is a serious threat to sustainable development. The Limpopo provincial climate change laws and policies have developed positively to implement adaptation measures. The Limpopo Provincial Government responded by aligning with national legislation and policies to fulfil the international agreement on climate change adaptation. This dissertation aimed to determine the nature of the policies and the legal framework regulating climate change adaptation in the Limpopo province, specifically referring to the agricultural sector. The study entailed a literature review to examine the above issue in primary andsecondary sources. The researcher analysed international law and policy frameworks, national legislation, and provincial legislation and policies relating to climate change adaptation. The objectives of this study were to identify the policies and legal framework that guides adaptation to climate change impacts on the agricultural sector in Limpopo province, to determine the policies and statutes that may be used in Limpopo province to improve and strengthen resilience to climate change impacts on the agricultural sector; and to identify the institutions that could promote the implementation of policies to adapt to climate change. This study was guided by Chapter 6 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, which provides that the provincial executive has the authority to develop and implement legislation and policies, in this case, to regulate the climate change adaptation of the agriculture sector as indicated on Schedule 4 of the Constitution. The study consists of five chapters. Chapter 1 provides the background, problem statement and research methods as the point of departure to outline the aim of the study; Chapter 2 analyses the international and regional climate change policies and legal framework to which South Africa is a party to assist the provincial government to reach the objectives; Chapter 3 provides the existing SA climate change laws and policy framework specific to climate change adaptation plans and strategies; Chapter 4 analyses the Limpopo provincial climate change legislation and policy framework that regulates the adaptation to the climate change impacts on the agriculture sector; and Chapter 5 concludes by recommending that the Limpopo provincial government should develop, draft and implement climate change legislation and policy framework to regulate climate change impacts on the agriculture sector.