Gauteng, South Africa

Gauteng connects South Africa’s national adaptation priorities with provincial planning and municipal delivery. This case study examines how the province responds to the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (NCCAS) and the obligations established by the Climate Change Act, and where funding and institutional capacity fall short of these responsibilities. It forms part of a special collection developed by Regions4 with the support of the European Climate Foundation (ECF), examining how subnational governments engage with national adaptation plans.

We examine Gauteng’s approach to integrating adaptation into water management, infrastructure, human settlements, and disaster risk planning. The Kaalspruit Resilient Catchment Management Plan provides a practical example: developed without dedicated implementation funding, it brought Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni together around shared priorities for flood risk reduction and ecosystem rehabilitation. Municipalities subsequently began mobilising their own resources, with additional support from National Treasury and the World Bank. Across the province, however, short-term funding, small adaptation teams, and uneven integration across departments continue to limit delivery.

The document draws lessons for other regions seeking to implement national adaptation plans: connect legal obligations with operational guidance and resources, use shared planning to coordinate action across municipal boundaries, and improve the predictability and accessibility of adaptation finance. Gauteng’s experience shows how provincial governments can organise cooperation and help mobilise funding, even when their own implementation budgets are limited.