scholarly journals Gender and Resilience to Climate Variability in Pastoralists Livelihoods System: Two Case Studies in Kenya

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 218
Author(s):  
Nancy Omolo ◽  
Paramu Mafongoya ◽  
Oscar Ngesa
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
Adaptive Capacity ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Western Kenya ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
The Impact ◽  
North Western

Recurrent droughts due to climate change has led to vulnerability of the pastoralist communities, leading to loss of assets and food insecurity. Climate change will have different impacts on women and men’s livelihoods. Building resilience at individual, household and community level will largely depend on the suitability of interventions to the local context, particularly in relation to the social dynamics and power relations that create differences in vulnerability. Most of the research have focused on national and regional studies. The impact of climate change will not be uniformly distributed in countries within Africa or within the same country. This specific research focuses on two diverse ecological zones at the local level in the same County of Turkana in north western Kenya: agro-pastoral zone and primary pastoral zone. This paper aims to evaluate women and men’s adaptive capacity to climate variability in Turkana, north-western Kenya. It is evident that increasing resilience can be realised by reducing vulnerabilities and increasing adaptive capacity. The results revealed that agro-pastoralists are more resilient to climate change than primary pastoralists. Male headed household are more resilient than female headed households. Access to basic services is contributing more in the resilience score than assets, gender of house hold head and age. Generally, few families in this region have very high resilience score.

scholarly journals Climate Variability and Rural Livelihood Security: Impacts and Implications

2021 ◽  
pp. 423-436
Author(s):  
Kehinde Olayinka Popoola ◽  
Anne Jerneck ◽  
Sunday Adesola Ajayi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Old People ◽  
Physical Strength ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
Livelihood Security ◽  
Planning Decisions ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn a typical Nigerian village, the majority of the population comprises old people who are mostly economically unproductive due to reduced or loss of physical strength brought about by ageing and ill health. Many of these rural old people still work, and do so outside the formal sector, and are particularly susceptible to the effects of climate variability and change. Few studies have reported on climate change and the rural aged and there is a research gap as regards rural elderly peoples’ perception of climate variability impact on them. Since little is known about their perception of climate variability impacts and implications on the rural aged especially in relation to their livelihood activities in Sub-Saharan Africa, this chapter therefore examined the impact of climate variability on the livelihood security of the rural aged in different ecological zones of Nigeria.Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used for data collection. Qualitative data were obtained through interviews with four aged and four aged women selected purposively in each rural community and analyzed using Content Analysis Method. Quantitative data were obtained through structured questionnaire administered to an aged male and an aged female population available in selected houses (the aged are people 60 years and over in age) in selected rural communities in selected ecological zones of Nigeria. Where there was no combination of the two (aged men and aged women), either of the two was also sufficient.It was discovered that the ageds’ experiences of climate variability impact relate to the prevailing climate variability characteristic of each ecological zones. The impact on their livelihood in these zones is seen in terms of livestock death, lack of pastures for herds, scarcity of water, pest invasion, delayed planting crop failure, need for irrigation, water logging, drowning of small animals, human and animal illness. This means that planning decisions related to climate change issues should take cognizance of the views of the aged populations especially of those residing in rural areas as they are the most affected by the impact.

scholarly journals MEASURING THE DETERMINANTS OF ADAPTIVE CAPACITY TO UNDERSTAND THE VULNERABILITY RISK AMONG THE RIVERBANK EROSION AFFECTED HOUSEHOLDS IN BANGLADESH: A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING (SEM) APPROACH

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1323-1336
Author(s):  
Israt Zahan ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Adaptive Capacity ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Riverbank Erosion ◽  
The Impact

Bangladesh is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. In particular, its riverine dwellers face continuous riverbank erosion, frequent flooding, and other adverse effects of climate change which makes the life of people more vulnerable. In order to assess adaptive capacity, understanding of how different households comprehend climate change is crucial. This paper aims to measure the determinants of adaptive capacityto understand the vulnerability risk among the riverbank erosion affected households. An integrated model was proposed with the constructs derived from Awareness-Ability-Action (AAA) and Socioeconomic-Sociopolitical and Institutional-Socioecological (SSS) model. A structured questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 300 participants who were affected by natural disaster specifically river erosion. The proposed research model was tested using the partial least-squares (PLS) method, a statistical analysis technique based upon structural equation modeling (SEM).The results show that the loss of farming land and all levels of riparian households impacted severely by riverbank erosion and forced into a low livelihood status, strong adaptive capacity would reduce vulnerability risk in the affected areas, community-level vulnerability measurement enhances communities understandings, build capacity, make aware, and allow them to identify appropriate locally adaptation strategies, and local level adaptation strategies may reduce the impact of such hazards on all sorts of vulnerability risk among rural households. The nature of this study may restrict its generalizability to other research settings. Future research may be necessary to validate the findings by applying this model in the vulnerability context in other developing countries. This research method and results would generate new insights with respect to planning the sustainable development goal and provide a reference for decision-making.

Analysis of smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to climate change and variability in south Wollo, north east highlands of Ethiopia: An agro-ecological system-based approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yimer Mohammed ◽  
Kindie Tesfaye ◽  
Menfese Tadesse ◽  
Fantaw Yimer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Adaptive Capacity ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Scale Level ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
Micro Scale ◽  
Climate Change And Variability ◽  
North East ◽  
Agro Ecological Zones

Abstract Background: Climate change and variability has been significantly affecting the Ethiopian agricultural production and thereby smallholder farmers livelihoods. The level of vulnerability varied across agro-ecological zones (AEZs). Identification of difference in the level of vulnerability of a system is important in selecting appropriate and effective adaption options to climate change. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the level of vulnerability of agricultural communities to climate change and variability at micro-scale level in five agro-ecological zones (AEZs) of south Wollo, north east highlands of Ethiopia. Data was collected from a representative of 502 sample households from five AEZs through multi stage random sampling methods. Focus group discussion and key informant interviews were also carried out to supplement and substantiate the quantitative data. The indicator based approach was used to empirically calculate vulnerability. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to give weight for indicators and generate index of vulnerability contributing factors. Results: The results showed that each of the vulnerability contributing factors (exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity) varied across the AEZs. M3, SM2 and SM3 are the most exposed AEZs but having a relatively better adaptive capacity whereas M1, M2 and M3 are the most sensitive AEZs with relatively low adaptive capacity to climate variability and change. Overall, SM2 is the most vulnerable AEZ which exhibited high sensitivity and low adaptive capacity followed by M1. Conclusions: The study explored sources and levels of vulnerability to each agro-ecology. Since the study is conducted at micro-scale level, it helps decision makers and development partners to have context-specific understanding of the impact of climate change and variability and design appropriate adaptation measures to address the specific situations.

scholarly journals Aspects Concerning the Impact of Climate Aridization on Forest Ecosystems (Case Study)

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-75
Author(s):  
Nedealcov Maria ◽  
Donica Ala ◽  
Brașoveanu Valeriu ◽  
Grigoraș Nicolae ◽  
Deomidova Cristina
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Aridity Index ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Climate Aridization ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Assessment activity and surveillance of the forests health, held at the global, regional and local level, has continuously developed, culminating in the current period with interdisciplinary and extensive scientific researches, that evaluate the effects of the main factors on forest ecosystems state, in particular, air pollution and climate change. Scientific researches have shown that among trees ecophysiological processes, forest life processes and meteorological parameters there are direct dependences, particularly in the case of trees supply with water during the growing period (May-July), with major influences for critical months (July and August), which have a decisive impact on growth, vitality and production of organic matter in forests. Dry years, from the beginning of the third millennium can lead to a decrease of mesophilic forests area (beech, sessile oak and penduculate oak), which will tend to retreat towards the center of the area (central Europe) in favor of thermophilic forests with pubescent oak. It was determined that a most significant negative impact of climate aridization will feel the forest ecosystems from Southern and central regions of country (conditioned by the mean air temperature (July-August), monthly rainfall (May-August), evapotranspiration and geographic latitude), and less - the Northern part of the country (Forestry Aridity Index calculated for 3 experimental stations revealed variations of this index between 7.8 - 8.3 - in the Central part of country, and 8.4 - 8.6 - for Southern part of country). At the same time the impact of climate change will determine the spatial and temporal dynamics of pests and pathogenic species. The phenomenon of climate aridization was expressed also through the impact of the Microsphaera alphitoides disease, intensity of “mildew” attack being based on the climatic conditions of the study region. Obtained data, for confirmation, were correlated with indications of bioindicators, present in the study region.

scholarly journals Climate and hydrological variability: the catchment filtering role

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 379-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Andrés-Doménech ◽  
R. García-Bartual ◽  
A. Montanari ◽  
J. B. Marco
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
Peak Flow ◽  
Flood Frequency ◽  
Annual Maximum ◽  
Return Periods ◽  
Rainfall Runoff ◽  
Maximum Peak ◽  
Hydrological Variability ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Measuring the impact of climate change on flood frequency is a complex and controversial task. Identifying hydrological changes is difficult given the factors, other than climate variability, which lead to significant variations in runoff series. The catchment filtering role is often overlooked and thus may hinder the correct identification of climate variability signatures on hydrological processes. Does climate variability necessarily imply hydrological variability? This research aims to analytically derive the flood frequency distribution based on realistic hypotheses about the rainfall process and the rainfall–runoff transformation. The annual maximum peak flow probability distribution is analytically derived to quantify the filtering effect of the rainfall–runoff process on climate change. A sensitivity analysis is performed according to typical semi-arid Mediterranean climatic and hydrological conditions, assuming a simple but common scheme for the rainfall–runoff transformation in small-size ungauged catchments, i.e. the CN-SCS model. Variability in annual maximum peak flows and its statistical significance are analysed when changes in the climatic input are introduced. Results show that depending on changes in the annual number of rainfall events, the catchment filtering role is particularly significant, especially when the event rainfall volume distribution is not strongly skewed. Results largely depend on the return period: for large return periods, peak flow variability is significantly affected by the climatic input, while for lower return periods, infiltration processes smooth out the impact of climate change.

scholarly journals Insights on Urban and Periurban Adaptation Strategies Based on Stakeholders’ Perceptions on Hard and Soft Responses to Climate Change

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Martinez-Juarez ◽  
Aline Chiabai ◽  
Cristina Suárez ◽  
Sonia Quiroga
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Basque Country ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Adapting to expected impacts of climate change is a task shared by multiple institutions and individuals, but much of this work falls over local and regional authorities, which has made them experts over the issue. At the same time, adaptation to climate change has been a research interest in different academic fields; while private companies provide research and development efforts on the issue. Views from perspectives may contain common ground and discrepancies, but benefits from the discussion may differ among these three sectors. This study shows the application of collaborative approaches to analyze impacts and adaptation measures at a local level. A stakeholder workshop was held in the city of Bilbao to discuss impacts of climate change and adaptation in the local context of the Basque Country. The contributions were proposed on three axes: impacts from climate change, good practices proposed or already in action, and costs and benefits derived from those strategies. Participants were asked to rank a series of measures and practices extracted from their previous inputs. These measures were analyzed after applying bootstrapping techniques, according to the perceived costs and benefits assigned to each of the grouped measures and practices. Participants estimated that groups containing green adaptation measures and those that had potentially positive impacts over climate change mitigation were the most efficient measures, as reduced costs combined with high benefits could lead to win–win adaptation strategies, while grey infrastructures were seen as providing high benefits at high costs.

scholarly journals A Spatially Explicit Approach for Targeting Resource-Poor Smallholders to Improve Their Participation in Agribusiness: A Case of Nyando and Vihiga County in Western Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 612
Author(s):  
Mwehe Mathenge ◽  
Ben G. J. S. Sonneveld ◽  
Jacqueline E. W. Broerse
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Western Kenya ◽  
Household Decision ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
Resource Poor

The majority of smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa face myriad challenges to participating in agribusiness markets. However, how the spatially explicit factors interact to influence household decision choices at the local level is not well understood. This paper’s objective is to identify, map, and analyze spatial dependency and heterogeneity in factors that impede poor smallholders from participating in agribusiness markets. Using the researcher-administered survey questionnaires, we collected geo-referenced data from 392 households in Western Kenya. We used three spatial geostatistics methods in Geographic Information System to analyze data—Global Moran’s I, Cluster and Outliers Analysis, and geographically weighted regression. Results show that factors impeding smallholder farmers exhibited local spatial autocorrelation that was linked to the local context. We identified distinct local spatial clusters (hot spots and cold spots clusters) that were spatially and statistically significant. Results affirm that spatially explicit factors play a crucial role in influencing the farming decisions of smallholder households. The paper has demonstrated that geospatial analysis using geographically disaggregated data and methods could help in the identification of resource-poor households and neighborhoods. To improve poor smallholders’ participation in agribusiness, we recommend policymakers to design spatially targeted interventions that are embedded in the local context and informed by locally expressed needs.

scholarly journals Compound Vulnerabilities: The Intersection of Climate Variability and HIV/AIDS in Northwestern Tanzania

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie Githinji ◽  
Todd A. Crane
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Lake Victoria ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Climate Change And Variability ◽  
Northwestern Tanzania ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Agricultural Yields ◽  
Hiv Aids

Abstract Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in Nsisha, a rural village located close to the shores of Lake Victoria in northwestern Tanzania, this article analyzes how climate change and variability intersect with other stressors that affect rural livelihoods, particularly HIV/AIDS. The analysis integrates theories of vulnerability from both climate and HIV/AIDS literatures to show how these intersecting stressors compound livelihood vulnerability in complex ways. Climate change and variability are linked to declining agricultural yields and an increase in food and nutrition insecurity and poor health in this region. This situation heightens poverty and susceptibility to HIV/AIDS, compromising people’s abilities to cope and adapt. Because of social dynamics, single mothers and their children are particularly affected by these compound vulnerabilities. Climate change and variability are significant contributing vulnerability factors that sustain and exacerbate asymmetrical poverty, food and nutrition insecurity, and HIV/AIDS. By describing the links between vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and climate variability, findings highlight the importance of holistic and localized approaches to adaptation, instead of trying to isolate single issues. Prioritization of multidisciplinary research focusing on the socially differentiated and gendered distribution of vulnerability specifically in regard to poverty, food and nutrition insecurity, and HIV/AIDS is recommended as a means to enrich the understanding of climate change vulnerability. Adaptation strategies should address how climatic shifts interact with generalized poverty, food and nutrition insecurity, health, and gendered vulnerability in areas most affected.

Gender Influence on Access to and Control of Resources for Coping to Climate Variability. A Case of Mbita Fisher Community, Homa Bay County, Kenya

2020 ◽  
pp. 8-18
Author(s):  
Robert David Lubalo Onyango ◽  
Christopher Oludhe ◽  
Doris Amwata
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Lake Victoria ◽  
Fish Distribution ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
P Value ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

Global warming effects have far reaching impacts of livelihoods of many rural communities including fishers. It is in record that fishing accounts for world’s 36 million fishers nearly 1.5 billion consumers who rely on fish for their dietary animal protein. Past studies have concentrated on fisher communities and climate variability in marine waters and oceans; mainly investigating the impact of climate variability on fish distribution and production. Limited focus has addressed the interaction between impacts of climate change on the fishing activities on inland and fresh waters such as in Lake Victoria and the fishers coping and adapting with changes and variability of climate. The discussions in this article focused on Lake Victoria shore location of Mbita where the livelihood of local community is largely fishing. The objectives were to: Determine the influence of gender on access and control of fisher resources for climate adaptation in Mbita sub-county; Document the current coping strategies and constraints to Climate variability/change in Mbita sub-county. The study used a constructivist epistemology and the mixed methods research design to help it achieve its findings. Yamane’s formula (1964) is used to get the sample size of 388 respondents out of a population of 13191. Primary data was collected through use of  questionnaires, interview schedules for KII and FGDs. Secondary data collection was collected through document reviews of relevant past studies reports and working papers on  (temperature/rainfall data) of Mbita for the last 30 years data to get the trend of these elements and to determine climate variability and change. The instruments were validated using experts’ content validity with the supervisors. Piloting was used to ascertain reliability of the instruments Analysis was accomplished using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences. Presentation was done in descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found that there was gender discrimination in access and control of resources which support adaptive activities that makes women more vulnerable to Climate Variability/Change hazards and disasters. The study further found that adaptation  requires access and control of factors of production which were traditionally under the control of male fishers making women more vulnerable and susceptible to surviving through chamas and table banking activities. Statistically access to and control was significant to adaptation at p-value of 0.000. Under coping strategies the study found that adaptation required transformation of mind set that called for bigger investment which required the collaboration and consultation of entire Mbita community and county government to address environmental and conservative resource utility. The study concluded that lack of alternative livelihood opportunities/options is the major constraints to adaptation for people living in the Lake Victoria region escalated with limitation of skills outside fishing industry, limitation of other employable professional skills including lack of capital. The study recommends a transdiciplinary concientization of adaptive strategies which can translate into flexible and sustainable climate change adaptation and gender inclusive livelihood activities. Future research should explore participatory action research on environmental influences affecting CCA by comparing findings across other beaches and livelihoods to see if gendered resources have any role in their adaptation.

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