The overall objective of KnowHow is to improve the capacities of participant institutions and researchers in producing, translating and effectively delivering scientific knowledge to decision makers, with an emphasis on local governments on the coastal zone as key actors in adaptation to global environmental change, particularly climate change. Its specific objectives are: 1) Promote exchange of expertise and experience between partners in modes of research oriented towards the needs of decision makers in the domain of environmental governance. These include all spheres of government from national to local with a specific focus on municipal government; 2) Develop and test a methodological approach to assess local governments’ knowledge needs for coastal adaptation to climate change which is transposable between Europe and Africa; 3) Improve existing capacity of partners to conceptualise and communicate research and research uncertainties in ways that enhance its usability, comprehension and impact; 4) Develop a joint stakeholder-oriented transdisciplinary research proposal for a next FP call that will contribute to more effective management of coastal zones in a changing climate. KnowHow involves one organisation from South Africa (S&T Agreement Country), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); and three European Partners: the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of Nova University of Lisbon (FCSH), Portugal; the Climate Service Centre (CSC) of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Germany; Delft University of Technology (TUDelft), Netherlands; and University of Bergen, Norway (UiB).