Abstract:
This study examines the effects of governance practices by Tanzania’s
Local Government Authorities (LGAs) on public trust in climate
change adaptation. Trust is essential to the success of climate poli
cies, particularly in vulnerable communities, but it varies across LGAs.
Guided by Good Governance Theory and Organizational Trust
Theory, the study assesses how accountability, responsiveness, trans
parency, and stakeholder participation relate to public trust. The
study adopted a convergent mixed-methods design, combining
quantitative survey data from 351 village committee members with
qualitative insights from 20 key informant interviews and 6 focus
group discussions. Results indicate that accountability, responsive
ness, and stakeholder participation are significantly associated with
trust, whereas transparency is not. Qualitative findings indicate that
transparency was symbolic, while accountability and participation
enhanced fairness, inclusion, and care. The study provides practical
recommendations for strengthening public trust in LGAs by fostering
greater inclusion, responsiveness, and accountability in local climate
change adaptation.
