Change is a constant in the lives of rural people in Africa. People have always had to cope with sudden shocks such as war, rain failures or food price spikes, and with longer-term stresses such as population increases, the degradation of natural resources and long-term decline in their terms of trade. But for most developing countries, climate change adds another layer of complexity to already existing development challenges, such as high levels of poverty and inequality, rapid population growth, underdeveloped markets, poor infrastructure and service provision, and weak governance. This paper seeks to address the issue of adaptive capacity by looking at ways in which interventions can be employed which are suitable to constantly changing circumstances in developing countries, such as Mozambique, Uganda, and Ethiopia.