Beyond technical solutions: governance and legitimacy in climate adaptation in Ethiopia

Community-based adaptation (CBA) is widely promoted as a participatory approach to climate resilience, yet it often assumes that communities operate as cohesive units. Drawing on qualitative research from an Ethiopian village, this paper examines how local power relations shape the implementation and outcomes of a CBA project centred on forest enclosure and land rehabilitation. Based on semi-structured interviews with farmers, local leaders, and government officials, the findings show that adaptation processes unfold within ‘politicised communities’ characterised by unequal access to land, authority, and decision-making power. While project reports emphasised technical success in ecological restoration, local accounts revealed contested resource access, uneven participation, and social non-compliance. The study further demonstrates that adaptation infrastructure durability depends not only on technical design but also on its perceived legitimacy among differently positioned community groups. In this context, indigenous knowledge and environmental narratives were mobilised as governance tools to justify project interventions. The paper argues that effective adaptation requires sustained engagement with local governance systems, stakeholder differentiation, and participatory monitoring beyond initial consultation to ensure both environmental effectiveness and social durability.