Transformational Leadership as a Catalyst for Climate Change Mitigation and Sustainable Development: A Systematic Review of Governmental Practices in Coastal KwaZulu-Natal
Nonye Chukwuma
*
Durban University of Technology (DUT), South Africa.
Robert Walter Dumisani Zondo
Durban University of Technology (DUT), South Africa.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Climate change has caused significant ecosystem degradation, seriously threatening environmental stability globally. This study focuses on the coastal region of KZN in South Africa, exploring the practice of transformational leadership of government in mitigating these devastating effects of extreme weather conditions of heat, droughts and floods. This paper aims to critically review the leadership's actionable roles in managing climate change in KwaZulu-Natal, providing relevant context to the current development and challenges highlighted by the governmental strategies in addressing climate change. The coastal region of KwaZulu-Natal is endowed with natural resources, but faces a myriad of challenges which hinders sustainability development. One critical factor contributing to these challenges is the insufficient presence of effective transformational leadership in the governmental structure, thereby resulting in a lack of accountability and inadequate strategic planning, limiting the progress of sustainable development programs. By means of systematic reviews, the study collects secondary data by collating studies on climate change and leadership management policies addressing climate change for sustainable development. Based on the transformational leadership theory, the study further explores how the varying constructs of transformational leadership could be practically applicable to the underlying government policies in addressing the trajectories of sustainable development.
Keywords: Climate change, transformational leadership, government policies, leadership management, sustainability development, government strategies