scholarly journals Evaluation of the livelihood vulnerability of pastoral households in Northern China to natural disasters and climate change

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenqiang Ding ◽  
Weibo Ren ◽  
Ping Li ◽  
Xiangyang Hou ◽  
Xiaolong Sun ◽  
...  

This study was carried out to evaluate the vulnerability of the herders in the grassland areas of Northern China. The results showed that, as a consequence of less capital accumulation, the herders in this area were vulnerable as a whole, and that gender, grassland area, livestock numbers and net incomes have significant effects on the vulnerability of grazer households. The families with female householders tended to be more vulnerable and they were characterised as owning less grassland, smaller houses, fewer or no vehicles, fewer young livestock and numbers of livestock slaughtered annually, whereas the families with low vulnerability had a higher net income. Geographically, household vulnerability showed a decreasing trend from west to east in Northern China at the county or region scale, which was positively correlated with grassland productivity. Social resources played a less important role than natural resources in decreasing the herders’ vulnerability. Educational level of the household members and the household labour capacity played important roles in reducing vulnerability. Increasing the enrolment rate and the education background in grassland regions may decrease the vulnerability of the herders. It is argued that the use of vulnerability indices can be helpful to increase the herders’ adaptation to climate change and to improve the sustainability of rural pastoral regions.

2015 ◽  
Vol 01 (03) ◽  
pp. 1550009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mac Kirby ◽  
Jeff Connor ◽  
Mobin-ud Din Ahmad ◽  
Lei Gao ◽  
Mohammed Mainuddin

In an earlier paper (Kirby et al. 2014a), we showed that climate change and a new policy which reallocates water to the environment will impact both the flow of water and the income derived from irrigation in the Murray–Darling Basin. Here, we extend the analysis to consider irrigator and environmental water management strategies to adapt to these new circumstances. Using an integrated hydrology-economics model, we examine a range of strategies and their impact on flows and the gross income of irrigation. We show that the adaptation strategies provide a range of flow and economic outcomes in the Basin. Several strategies offer significant scope to enhance flows without large adverse impacts on the gross income of irrigation overall. Some environmental water management strategies enhance flows in the Murray part of the basin even under the drying influence of a projected median climate change. Irrigator strategies that include carryover of water in storage from one year to the next provide for lesser year to year variability in gross income and may be regarded as more advantageous in providing security against droughts. Flows and the gross income of low value irrigation industries strategies are sensitive to climate change, irrespective of adaptation strategy. Should a projected dry extreme climate change be realized, no strategy can prevent a large reduction in flows and also in gross income, particularly of low value irrigation industries. Nevertheless, environmental water management strategies mitigate the impact on flows, and in some cases may also help mitigate the impacts on gross income. High value irrigation industries are less affected (in terms of gross income, though net income will reduce because of rising water prices) by projected climate change, consistent with observation in the recent long term drought.


Author(s):  
Michael Nkuba ◽  
Raban Chanda ◽  
Gagoitseope Mmopelwa ◽  
Edward Kato ◽  
Margaret Najjingo Mangheni ◽  
...  

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the effect of using indigenous forecasts (IFs) and scientific forecasts (SFs) on pastoralists’ adaptation methods in Rwenzori region, Western Uganda. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using a household survey from 270 pastoralists and focus group discussions. The multivariate probit model was used in the analysis. Findings The results revealed that pastoralists using of IF only more likely to be non-farm enterprises and livestock sales as adaptation strategies. Pastoralists using both SF and IF were more likely to practise livestock migration. Research limitations/implications Other factors found to be important included land ownership, land tenure, gender, education level, non-farm and productive assets, climate-related risks and agricultural extension access. Practical implications Increasing the number of weather stations in pastoral areas would increase the predictive accuracy of scientific climate information, which results in better adaptive capacity of pastoralists. Active participation of pastoral households in national meteorological dissemination processes should be explored. Social implications A two-prong approach that supports both mobile and sedentary pastoralism should be adopted in rangeland development policies. Originality/value This study has shown the relevance of IFs in climate change adaptation methods of pastoralists. It has also shown that IFs compliment SFs in climate change adaptation in pastoralism.


Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Elia ◽  
Stephen Mutula ◽  
Christine Stilwell

This study was part of broader PhD research which investigated how access to, and use of, information enhances adaptation to climate change and variability in the agricultural sector in semi-arid Central Tanzania. The research was carried out in two villages using Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theory and model to assess the dissemination of this information and its use by farmers in their adaptation of their farming practices to climate change and variability. This predominantly qualitative study employed a post-positivist paradigm. Some elements of a quantitative approach were also deployed in the data collection and analysis. The principal data collection methods were interviews and focus group discussions. The study population comprised farmers, agricultural extension officers and the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa project manager. Qualitative data were subjected to content analysis whereas quantitative data were analysed to generate mostly descriptive statistics using SPSS.  Key findings of the study show that farmers perceive a problem in the dissemination and use of climate information for agricultural development. They found access to agricultural inputs to be expensive, unreliable and untimely. To mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and variability on farming effectively, the study recommends the repackaging of current and accurate information on climate change and variability, farmer education and training, and collaboration between researchers, meteorology experts, and extension officers and farmers. Moreover, a clear policy framework for disseminating information related to climate change and variability is required.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dibakar Mahanta ◽  
Jaideep Kumar Bisht ◽  
Lakshmi Kant ◽  
Arunava Pattanayak

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