*2.2.1.3 Gaps related to reporting climate change events*

During data collection, our interactions with the community members, revealed that municipal governments were rather relying on reactive adaptation procedure rather than proactive. The delay in reporting of incidence of hazards have resulted in more costly, more devastating and sometimes unrepairable situations. Due to the devastating consequences often occasioned by late reporting of climate change emergencies, the climate change adaptation challenges are complex, dynamic and contextual, thereby requiring urgent attention by stakeholders.

For adaptation to be beneficial and cost effective, it should not be solely reactionary but rather proactive and anticipatory [57]. Changing climate is no longer in doubt so also is the likelihood of the trend to proceed to the coming century at an unprecedented rate in history, as projected [20, 58] with strong signals to a rising hazards for regions of such countries that are already water-stressed, like Mopani District, Limpopo province [5, 59] and other semi-arid regions of Africa are also projected.

Hence for effective communities adaptation, government at all levels have pivotal roles to play, particularly within the global context of adaptation framework as guided by the current regime. On this basis the chapter highlights the various steps taken by the South African governments (National, Provincial, District and Local Municipalities) with regard to adaptation needs of the citizens, through policies, program and projects interventions.
