Climate Variability, Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the Semi-arid Tropics

Abstract. Extreme events are part of climate variability. Dealing with variability is still a challenge that might be increased due to climate change. However, impacts of extreme events are not only dependent on their variability, but also on management and governance. In Brazil, its semi-arid region is vulnerable to extreme events, especially droughts, for centuries. Actually, other Brazilian regions that have been mostly concerned with floods are currently also experiencing droughts. This article evaluates how a combination between climate variability and water governance might affect water scarcity and increase the impacts of extreme events on some regions. For this evaluation, Ostrom's framework for analyzing social-ecological systems (SES) was applied. Ostrom's framework is useful for understanding interactions between resource systems, governance systems and resource users. This study focuses on social-ecological systems located in a drought-prone region of Brazil. Two extreme events were selected, one in 1997–2000, when Brazil's new water policy was very young, and the other one in 2012–2015. The analysis of SES considering Ostrom's principle "Clearly defined boundaries" showed that deficiencies in water management cause the intensification of drought's impacts for the water users. The reasons are more related to water management and governance problems than to drought event magnitude or climate change. This is a problem that holdup advances in dealing with extreme events.

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Micro-level social vulnerability assessment towards climate change adaptation in semi-arid Ghana, West Africa

Environment Development and Sustainability ◽

10.1007/s10668-017-9988-7 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 20 (5) ◽

pp. 2261-2279

Author(s):

Biola K. Badmos ◽

Ademola A. Adenle ◽

Sampson K. Agodzo ◽

Grace B. Villamor ◽

Daniel K. Asare-Kyei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

West Africa ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Vulnerability Assessment ◽

Social Vulnerability ◽

Micro Level ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Social Vulnerability Assessment

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Gender, social capital and adaptive capacity to climate variability

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management ◽

10.1108/ijccsm-01-2018-0009 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Nancy Omolo ◽

Paramu L. Mafongoya

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Social Capital ◽

Climate Variability ◽

Arid Regions ◽

Elderly Women ◽

Education Level ◽

Content Type ◽

Climate Change Vulnerability ◽

Development Framework ◽

Semi Arid

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between gender and social capital in adapting to climate variability in the arid and semi-arid regions in Turkana in Kenya. Design/methodology/approach This paper undertook literature review of secondary data sources, conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs). The statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze data for the quantitative part of the paper. Findings Vulnerability is influenced by age, gender, education and disability. Elderly women are considered to be the most vulnerable to climate variability and change because they are the poorest in the community, followed by elderly men, the disabled, female-headed households, married women, men and, finally, the youth. Less than 30 per cent of women and men in both Katilu and Loima are able to read and write. The cross-tabulation results show that there is a statistical significant relationship between gender, age and education level and climate change vulnerability. This implies that gender, age and education level have a significant effect on climate change vulnerability. Research limitations/implications The research coverage was limited to only two regions in Turkana because of time and economic constraints. Practical implications The lack of attention to gender in the climate change literature has time and again resulted in an oversimplification of women’s and men's experience of climate risks. Improved development assistance, investments and enhanced targeting of the truly vulnerable within pastoral societies demand an acceptance of underdevelopment in arid and semi-arid regions in Kenya because of historical imbalances in investment; the recognition that vulnerability of pastoralists is neither uniform nor universal and the need to consider differences like age, gender and education. Policy-makers should understand that pastoralists in the past have used indigenous knowledge to cope with and adapt to climate change. The current-recurrent and intensity droughts require investment in modern technology, equipping pastoralists with relevant information and skills to make them resilient to climate change and implementing existing and relevant policies for northern Kenya. Social implications This paper draws from several other efforts to show the critical relationships between gender, social capital and climate change. They are tracking adaptation and measuring development framework; ending drought emergencies common programme framework; and feminist evaluation approach. Originality/value This paper is important in identifying the link between gender, social capital and adaptation to climate change.

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Impact of climate change and variability on traditional farming systems: Farmers’ perceptions from south-west, semi-arid Zimbabwe

Jàmbá Journal of Disaster Risk Studies ◽

10.4102/jamba.v12i1.742 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Everson Ndlovu ◽

Barend Prinsloo ◽

Tanya Le Roux

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Variability ◽

Heat Waves ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Humanitarian Assistance ◽

Climate Impacts ◽

Traditional Farming ◽

Annual Crop ◽

The Past ◽

Semi Arid

Despite annual climate variability threats, traditional farming in semi-arid Zimbabwe remains entrenched in unproductive, rain-fed agricultural practices. Adaptation strategies by farmers are seemingly failing to mitigate climate impacts, as evidenced by annual crop and livestock losses. Matabeleland South Province was a thriving livestock and small grain-producing province in the 1970s. Today, the province relies heavily on humanitarian assistance from government and humanitarian agencies. Through literature review, observations and focus group discussions with 129 farmers, the qualitative study established the perceptions of farmers around climate variability impacts in the past 20 years in Mangwe, Matobo and Gwanda districts in Zimbabwe. The study (1) analysed changes in climate and weather patterns in the past 20 years; (2) analysed climate impacts on traditional farming systems in the past 20 years in Gwanda, Mangwe and Matobo districts in Zimbabwe; and (3) established farmers’ perceptions, experiences and their climate adaptive strategies. The findings showed that the farmers experienced annual heat waves, protracted droughts, chaotic rain seasons, frost and floods, which led to environmental degradation. Traditional farming systems or practices have been abandoned in favour of buying and selling and gold panning, among other alternative livelihood options, because of climate-related threats and misconceptions around the subject of climate change. Farmers fail to access timely and comprehensive weather forecasts, resulting in annual crop and livestock losses, as decision-making is compromised. Given that the smallholder farming system sustains the bulk of the population in Matabeleland South Province in Zimbabwe, climate education and capital investment is needed to change traditional farmer perceptions about climate change impacts on the farming practices. Increased climate awareness initiatives, establishment of village-based weather stations and the marrying of traditional farming climate knowledge to modern practices are highly recommended to enhance resilience to climate.

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