Urban climate adaptation planning in Windhoek, Namibia : gaps, challenges, and opportunities for nature based solutions

Abstract

Nature based Solutions (NbS) for urban climate adaptation remain underexplored in arid Sub-Saharan African (SSA) cities such as Windhoek, Namibia. This study investigates how national climate adaptation policies translate into local action, identifying gaps, challenges, and opportunities for embedding NbS in urban planning. A qualitative case study combined a review of policy documents with semi-structured stakeholder interviews. Findings reveal that while national policies and the Windhoek Integrated Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (WICCSAP) set ambitious goals, they lack contextually derived measures and practical NbS targets, such as community-driven resilience or integrated locally tailored dryland strategies, or ecosystem-based water management, leaving the city reliant on grey infrastructure and short-term disaster risk responses. This omission exacerbates urban heat islands, flood risks, and constrains socio-ecological resilience. At the same time, both community-driven practices and municipal champions illustrate alternative pathways. Such initiatives signal early steps toward transformative adaptation where long-term systemic shifts in governance and practice are required. Locally grounded initiatives, including permaculture dryland gardens, rainfall monitoring, and the “Brown is Beautiful” campaign, demonstrate how culturally resonant NbS can integrate water conservation, ecological design, and social cohesion in Windhoek’s deprived, arid context. Within the municipality, individual planners and officials also advocate for NbS, seeking to move beyond grey solutions despite institutional barriers. Realising these opportunities requires capacity building, cross-sectoral coordination, and partnerships to institutionalise NbS in urban governance. The study makes two key contributions: first, it identifies the systemic neglect of NbS in Windhoek and Namibia’s climate policy frameworks; second, it highlights both bottom-up innovations and emerging top-down drivers that can bridge the policy implementation gap. Windhoek’s experience could offer transferable lessons for other rapidly urbanising, water-scarce cities across Sub-Saharan Africa.

HIGHLIGHTS • National policies must better reflect local realities to effectively drive climate adaptation. • Integrating climate adaptation with socio-economic goals leads to practical outcomes. • Co-creation workshops help bridge governance gaps and promote shared climate learning. • “Brown is Beautiful” campaigns promote pride in arid landscapes and support adaptation. • Citizen science and cultural outreach improve data access and raise climate awareness.