Evidence on how people adapt to drought frequency and severity is expanding, yet remains fragmented and insufficiently informative for assessing progress, limits, equity, and key priorities. Previous global syntheses demonstrate that adaptation is occurring but provide limited insight into how, where, for whom, and with what risks. This scoping review addresses these gaps by mapping peer-reviewed evidence on drought adaptation in the 16 countries that make up the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, one of the few regions globally that exhibits an observed downward trend in precipitation while encompassing many countries, making it a valuable case for examining diverse approaches to managing changing risk. We review 141 studies published since 2020, documenting the geographic, sectoral, and thematic distribution of reported drought coping and adaptation strategies. We discuss the spectrum of adaptation strategies utilized in SADC, identify common enablers and...