Environmental Diplomacy and Climate Adaptation: Examining Multilateral Commitments and Local Realities in Enugu State

Nigeria's ratification of the Paris Agreement and subsequent submission of updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) signal a formal commitment to multilateral climate governance. Yet the translation of these diplomatic pledges into effective local climate adaptation strategies remains inconsistent, particularly in inland states like Enugu, which face mounting pressures from soil erosion, deforestation, and irregular rainfall patterns. This study investigates the gap between Nigeria's environmental diplomacy commitments and the state of climate adaptation programming in Enugu State between 2021 and 2024. A qualitative research design is employed, incorporating document analysis of Nigeria's NDCs, Enugu State Environmental Management Authority reports, and key informant interviews with environmental officials, community leaders, and non-governmental organization representatives. The theoretical framework is anchored in global governance theory and the concept of policy diffusion. The research finds that while Enugu State has benefited from select multilateral environmental funding streams, notably through the Green Climate Fund, the absence of a coherent state-level climate adaptation plan limits the effectiveness of these interventions. Community respondents report limited awareness of international climate commitments and their relevance to local livelihoods. The study argues that effective environmental diplomacy requires vertical coherence, meaning national diplomatic engagements must be systematically linked to subnational planning and implementation cycles. It recommends institutional coordination mechanisms between federal ministries and state environmental agencies. Keywords: environmental diplomacy, climate adaptation, Paris Agreement, Enugu State, multilateral governance