Trust in LGA and the perceived implementation of climate change adaptation in Monduli and Longido Districts in Tanzania

Abstract

Local Government Authorities (LGAs) are crucial in translating national climate policies into local climate adaptation actions. While research indicates that trust influences support, attitudes, and behaviours regarding climate and environmental policies, few studies treat trust as a multidimensional concept directly linked to the implementation of local climate adaptation. Based on the organizational trust theory and policy implementation theory, this study examines how three aspects of perceived organizational trust, competence, benevolence, and integrity influence the perceived implementation of CCAS. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining survey responses from 351 village development committee members with insights from twenty key informant interviews and six focus group discussions. Data analysis involved PLS- SEM and thematic analysis. Findings indicate that perceived benevolence and perceived integrity positively influence the perceived implementation of CCAS, whereas perceived competence does not. The study concludes that positive evaluations of local CCAS implementation are more strongly associated with perceptions of benevolence and integrity than with perceptions of competence. The study contributes to climate governance and policy implementation research by indicating that trust in LGA operates through multiple dimensions in shaping the perception of local climate adaptation implementation. The study suggests that more positive perceptions of local climate adaptation implementation may be strengthened where LGAs adopt practices that enhance their perceived integrity and benevolence, such as community oversight, participatory budgeting, capacity building and responsiveness to community climate adaptation priorities.